New Hope-Solebury School District

Co-Teaching:The Power of 2 March 23, 2012

Presented by:

Lorraine Johnson

Danette Richards

Bucks County Intermediate Unit

K – W – F CO-TEACHING

K

What do I know?

WWhat do I

want to learn?

FHow do I feel about it?

Part 1: What to expect

Opportunity to collaborate with colleagues

Clear understanding of what

co-teaching is and is notOptions / models / teacher rolesEssential elements of successful

collaboration

Inclusion Is:

•Students with disabilities attending their neighborhood school or the school they would attend if they were not disabled.

•Each child in an age-appropriate general education classroom.

•Every student accepted and regarded as a full and valued member of the class and school community.

•Special education supports provided within the context of the general education classroom.

Inclusion Is (continued):

•A natural proportion of students with disabilities attending any school and classroom.

•No child excluded on the basis of type and degree of disability.

•The school promoting cooperative/collaborative teaching arrangements.

•Building-based planning, problem solving, and ownership of all students and programs.

•All students receiving an education that addresses their individual needs.

Inclusion Intends:

To require commitment and collaboration from all the adults.

To provide quality programs, not simply access to programs.

That all students can learn and every teacher has something to offer every student.

The use of innovative practices. The best use of resources. That decisions are based on individual

student need. To meet the needs of students in the

regular classroom and curriculum. To promote the use of accommodations

that facilitate learning.

About two-thirds of general classroom teachers support the idea of inclusion.

Teachers willingness varies somewhat depending on the type and degree of disability.

More than half feel inclusion provides benefits to students.

Only one-third of teachers believe they have sufficient time, skills, training, or resources for inclusion

Scruggs & Mastro Pieri (1996)

Teacher Perceptions about Inclusion

Take A Moment

With a partner…– Share your experience with inclusion and co-

teaching.

What Co-Teaching Is…

Determining what two teachers can do together that one cannot.

An attitude of sink or swim together.

Mutual planning & delivering of instruction.

Determining & defining roles & responsibilities.

Taking time to debrief & reflect on instruction.

What Co-Teaching is...

Use of effective communication & conflict management skills.

Sharing ideas, strategies, & techniques to create better instruction for ALL students.

Supporting & enhancing each other’s teaching.

Special Education Teacher

Student

General Educatio

n Teacher

Teach Teach

Assess, Plan, and Evaluate

Defining Co-Teaching

Co-teaching occurs when two or more professionals jointly deliver substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in a single physical space. (Cook and Friend, 1995, pg 1)

Co-Teaching is Like….

Driving a motorcycleDriving a luxury sedanDriving a minivanDriving a sports car

Take a moment to complete this sentence.

Co-Teaching is like a marriage because…OR dancing partners because…1.2.3.4.5.

The Power of 2:Definition

Collaboration won’t just happen

DeliberateStructuredSystematicOngoing

Why won’t it just happen?

General educators begin with the curriculum first and use assessment to determine what was learned.Special educators begin with assessment first and design instruction to repair gaps in learning.No wonder we are talking different languages.

How we make this work…

Provide purpose and structureCreate baseline and a plan for scaffolded

changeProvide a visual map to guide discussionKeep discussions objective and data drivenAllow many issues to be put on the table

for consideration

Aligning Practices through Co-Teaching

Co-teaching is becoming one of the fastest growing inclusive school practices

Despite this rapid increase in popularity, co-teaching remains one of the most commonly misunderstood practices in education

What Co-Teaching Is NOT . . .

One person delivering instruction while the other is solely responsible for crowd control.

Parallel groups where each teacher “does his/her own thing” without communication.

What Co-Teaching Is NOT . . .

Integrating students but adults still maintain responsibility for own separate populations.

Homogeneous grouping of all at-risk kids in one classroom with two teachers.

Collaborative teaching w/o collaborative planning.

What Co-Teaching is NOT. . .

Duplication of roles & responsibilities.

One person teaches while the other takes a break.

Pulling students out by disability label rather than forming groups according to skill needs.

Activity

How well do you SHARE?How well do you SHARE?

The Power of 2:Shared Beliefs

Co-teaching Models The Heart of Co-Teaching

1. Lead and Support1 teacher complements, supports the other

2. Parallel Teaching Class is split

Content same or different, concepts same

flexible grouping

3. Station TeachingBoth experts in curriculum

Both plan explicitly

Credibility & Flexibility

4. Team Teaching Teachers take more risks.Interactive workplace

The Power of 2:Co-teaching Models

Activity

For each approach, identify potential strengths and drawbacks

Basis for Selecting a Co-Teaching Approach

Student characteristics and needs.Teacher characteristics and needsCurriculum, including content and

instructional strategiesPragmatic considerations

WHY DO IT?

Provide instruction in the general education setting

Provide more intense and individualized instruction to all students, including students with disabilities

Alternative to our Current Practice: WHY?

Access to the general education curriculum

Access to the general education teacher

Access to preparation for statewide

assessmentsAccess to peers

Alternative to our Current Practice: WHY?

Ensures support for the general education teacher

Ensures collaboration between general education

and special education

Ensures that someone who knows about

accommodations is present in the general

education class

HOW DOES IT WORK?

General Ed Teacher Shares understanding of

content, structure, and pacing of the general education curriculum and assessment of group learning needs

Special Ed Teacher Shares enhancement of

general education curriculum and assessment of unique learning needs of students

Staff Support

Administrators: Building and district level

Special education teacher

Regular education teacher

Others

The Power of 2:Prerequisite Skills

Teaming

An effective way to meet the needs of all students could be through the

collaboration of a general education teacher and a special education teacher.

This type of collaborative team can easily adapt instruction to meet the needs

of all students.

"The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side."

-Margaret Carty

Key Elements of a Quality Team

Commitment Mission Objectives Trust Meetings Shared Responsibility Conflict Resolution Roles and Responsibilities Participation Communication

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Read each item of the survey titled “What is my style and what is your style?”

Place a check next to your best choice for each item.

Tally the number for each column at the bottom.

We will discuss the results.

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

AchieverPersuaderSupporterAnalyst

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Achiever High risk-taker, less

people-oriented Like to be in control of

situations and sometimes people

Generally forceful and direct when working with colleagues

Working with Achievers Be business like and

direct Ask factual questions Propose logical and

efficient plans, but let achievers have/share control over final solutions

Anticipate objections and prepare to address them

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Persuader High risk-taking, more

people oriented High spirited and social Love to inspire and be

inspired Articulate and intense

when working with colleagues

Working with Persuaders Acknowledge their

strengths, competence, humor and friendliness

Present ideas in an enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive manner

Encourage ideas that are innovative

Get plans in writing, it helps them stay focused

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Supporter Lower risk-taking,

more people oriented High ideals and

standards Love calm

environments and hate conflict

Need security and appreciation for your efforts

Working with Supporters Be calm, casual, friendly Actively listen, reflect

their feelings and concerns

Appreciate their efforts Present ideas that are

consistent with their values and high standards

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Analyst Lower risk taking, less

people oriented

Highly disciplined and persistent

Love to reason and need time to think things through before moving into projects

Accuracy and order are your trademarks

Working with Analysts Present information in a

logical step by step manner Pay close attention to

details Appeal to logic, reason,

order, and systematic approach to problem solving

Do your homework; expect to be challenged on your assumptions, ideas, procedures

What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

Choose a staff member you work withWrite their nameGiven what you just heard, choose a

strategy you can use when you work with them.

Collaboration

- A style for direct interaction between at least two co-equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal.

Role of General Education Teacher

Read and be familiar with the IEPs of your students Deliver instruction which incorporates:

– IEP Goals – Specially Designed Instruction– Behavior support plan components

Collaborate with special education teacher to plan and solve problems (co-teach)

Monitor student progress related to instruction and IEP goals

Communicate with parents and other team members

Role of Special Education Teacher Coordinate the development and delivery of IEPs that

provide access to the general education curriculum

Deliver specially designed instruction as specified in the IEP

Collaborate (co-teach) with general education teachers, other team members (family, related service providers) to plan and solve problems

Develop a plan and tools for monitoring student progress related to instruction and IEP goals across environments

Communicate with parents and other team members

Parity: Actions speak louder than words

Conveying the message to students, parents and others.

Who does what when?

Planning Considerations

1. How will we introduce our “partnership” to the class?

2. How will the content be presented?3. What grouping pattern will be used

for lesson presentation?4. Are modifications needed?5. How will “study skills” be addressed?

Planning Considerations (Continued)

6. How will paperwork be handled?7.What classroom behavior management

system will be utilized?8. How will each teacher’s responsibilities

be assigned?9. How will communication be handled?10. How will the classroom be arranged?

Planning Tools

CommunicationCo-Planning

Look in your folders for

samples of tools.

The Power of 2

Teaming

Jigsaw

Articles

The Power of 2:Collaboration

The Power of 2

Summarizing: Practical Matters and Things to Consider

A Thought…

If we are to create schools in which students feel welcomed and part of a community, then we must begin by creating schools that welcome the diversity of all children.

Norman Kunc