Expanding the impact of co-teaching:The Wisdom and the Practice

July 21, 9:45-10:45 AMPresenters and Affiliations

Radford University:Leslie S. Daniel, Kenna M. Colley, & M. Bradley Powers

Muskingum University:Linda Morrow, Halle SchoenerRandles, & Pamela Lear

University of Cincinnati:Stephen Kroeger, Jonathan Breiner, & Simon Jorgenson

UC: Urban Contextual Factors

• At first we attempted to place our candidates in co-teaching settings in student teaching placements, however… Students were unsure about how to collaborate Cooperating teachers had little experience

• Ah ha! We need to model the practice! We began co-teaching our methods courses We began inservice training for our cooperating

teachers

University Co-teaching

Academic Year Methods Course Instructors

2008-2009 Secondary English Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Faculty

2009-2010 Secondary English Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Faculty

Middle English Methods 1 Gen Ed Doctoral Student1 Sped Doctoral Student

Middle Mathematics Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Faculty

Middle Mathematics Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Doctoral Student

2010-2011 Secondary English Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Faculty

Middle Mathematics Methods 1 Gen Ed Faculty1 Sped Faculty

Simon Jorgenson

• Put principles before personalities• Try teaching one another’s content• Build the foundation together: the syllabus• Be prepared to compromise• Communicate early and often• Be honest about what’s not working• Use the Collaborative Assessment Log (CAL)

Muskingum University

• Developing and Supporting Sites for Co-Teaching Placements: Geographic Challenges Rural region with many local school districts Field placements made in five rural counties Schools range: from 200 to 2000, some with only

1-2 special educators.

Strong Regional Collaboration

• Strong collaborative networks• University supports reform & transformation • Some view teacher education candidates as a

resource rather than a requirement• Many teachers and administrators were

prepared through our licensure programs• “Pockets” of schools/districts in region began

to embrace co-teaching

Developing Partnership Schools and Districts to Support Co-Teaching – What Does it Take?

“Proactive Professional Partnership Schools (P3)• Common goals and thinking out-of-the box• Administrative support• Belief that all benefit• Establishment of a P3 Leadership Team• Commitment of resources• Co-teaching as a “big rock”• On-going accountability

How is being a P3 District Making a Difference?

• What does the administration say?• What do the principals say?• What do the co-teachers say?• What do the students say?• What does the data say?• What does the Muskingum faculty say?

RU: Moving from Elementary to Middle and Secondary School Co-Placements

• Three years of co-placing education interns in elementary settings

• Spring and summer 2009, planned for co-placements at one middle and one high school

• Spring semester 2010, planned co-placements Two university supervisors and two cooperating

teachers at each site.

• Ancillary co-placements occurred

Middle School Co-placement: The Parr and Powers Show

• Matt Parr: Middle School Education Intern Expertise in math education

• Brad Powers: K-12 Special Education Intern Expertise in instructional strategies and classroom

management• Fall 2009: Attended Marilyn Friend conference

with: One university supervisor (general education) Two middle school teachers (GE and SE) Two interns (GE and SE who would be co-placed in

spring)

Co-Planning

• Retro-fitting In person before school, in situ, and after work On the phone while driving (safely) Google documents

Co-teaching Methods Used

• One teach one assist• Parallel teaching• Alternate teaching• Station teaching• Supportive instruction

Questions and Discussion

Contacts: Leslie S. Daniel, ldaniel10@radford.edu Simon Jorgenson, jorgensn@ucmail.uc.edu Steve Kroeger, Stephen.kroeger@uc.edu Linda Morrow, lmorrow@muskingum.edu Halle Randles, hrandles@muskingum.edu