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Principles of Effective Collaboration

& Co-Teaching

Why collaborate?

Collaboration: Increases instructional options Increases grouping flexibility in order to provide student

with individualized instruction and diverse learning experiences

Reduces stigma for children Increases professional support Meets the mandates of IDEA: Least Restrictive

Environment

Based on your experiences

What are the essential elements for implementing collaboration

that effectively supports student learning?

Four Principles that Promote Effective Collaboration

1. Respect of Knowledge and Skill2. Established Communication System3. Common Understanding of the Classroom

Environment4. Co-Accountability

1. Respect of Knowledge/Skill

Recognition that each educator brings a set of knowledge and skills

Both educators take an active role in supporting student learning

Mutual trust in abilities

How is this illustrated? What does a collaborative partnership look like when both educators mutually

respect each other’s knowledge and skills?

2. Established Communication System

Designated time to discuss student learning goals, accommodations, and instructional tools and strategies

Communication about teacher roles and responsibilities Interpersonal awareness and comfort with discussing

the professional relationship Active listening to understand the perspectives of

collaboration partnerWhat examples of an effective communication system

have you seen in action? What tools can teachers use to facilitate communication?

3. Common Understanding of the Classroom Environment

Shared understanding about classroom management, grading, the physical arrangement, familiarity with the curriculum, and implementing accommodations

Mutual ownership and expectations for student learning High acceptance for all students

Describe an instance when a common understanding of the classroom environment was not established?

4. Co-Accountability

Shared sense of responsibility to ensure access, involvement, and progress in the general education curriculum

Joint implementation of accommodations Co-planning, co-preparation, co-evaluation

Classroom Scenario: Frederick (see Snapshot IEP) receives instruction in a general education setting. Currently, he is not earning a passing grade in his science class. His parents are concerned that he is not receiving the appropriate services.

How would a team demonstrating co-accountability respond to this situation? How would their response differ from a

team that does not practice co-accountability?

Typical Role of the Special Educator

Learning strategist for all students Motivational techniques Curriculum accommodations and modifications Knowledge of IEPs and student disabilities

Typical Role of the General Educator

Content knowledge District and state curriculum

– Indicators and objectives– Pacing

Content development Classroom management for a standard class

size

Typical Role of Paraprofessionals

Check the students’ progress Provide individual or small-group tutorial

assistance Facilitate social interactions between students Receive guidance and instruction from the

classroom teacher and assist during the lesson Report back to the special education teacher

Venn Diagram Activity

Where do the roles of the general educator and the special educator overlap?

General Educator

Special Educator

Consultation Model

Students are grouped heterogeneously. General Educator presents instruction and makes

accommodations. Special Educator adapts instructional materials as

needed according to student’s needs. Other services include assessment, observation, and planning meetings.

Special Educators and General Educators make time to discuss students’ needs, services, and progress.

Consultation Model

Strengths Advance planning of

instructional accommodations

Flexibility in student scheduling

Challenges Requires frequent

communication Isolation and sense of

separateness if this is the only model used

Collaborative Teaching

Students are grouped heterogeneously.

General Educator and Special Educator collaborate in the same classroom setting.

Collaborative Teaching Models One Teaching, One Assisting Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Team Teaching

One Teaching, One Assisting

Both educators are present with one taking a clear lead in the classroom while other observes and assists students.

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One Teaching, One Assisting

Strengths Limited teacher planning Provides basic support

to students with diverse needs

Challenges The “assist” teacher may

feel like a glorified teacher’s assistant

Students may question the “assist” teacher’s authority

Consider having the general educator and special educator alternate

roles between support teacher and lead teacher.

Station Teaching

Teachers divide instructional content into several segments and present the content in separate stations around the classroom.

With two stations, the General Educator and Special Educator each teach their half of the content and then switch groups. Alternatively, both teachers may move between groups in order to provide support.

If students are able to work independently with content, a third station may be established.

Click the icon to view the video

Station Teaching

Strengths General Educator and

Special Educator maintain equal status

Co planning allows for both the General Educator and the Special Educator to provide input in their area of expertise

Challenges This approach requires

significant pre-planning in order to divide up the content

The content in Station Teaching lessons cannot be dependent on the order in which content is being presented due to the student rotation

Parallel Teaching

General Educator and Special Educator plan instruction jointly, but each delivers instruction to a heterogeneous group consisting of approximately half the class.

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Parallel Teaching

Strengths Lowers student to

teacher ratio Allows for increased student

interaction and/or student to student interaction

Allows the teacher to monitor individual student progress and understanding more closely

Challenges General Educator and

Special Educator need to coordinate teaching so that students receive essentially the same instruction within the same amount of time

Noise levels may be high

Alternative Teaching

One teacher works with a small group while the other teacher interacts with the larger group.

Small groups can be pulled for pre-teaching, re-teaching, enrichment, interest groups, special projects, make-up work or assessment groups.

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Alternative Teaching

Strengths All students, including

students with disabilities, benefit from small group instruction.

If the General Educator and Special Educator alternate roles, equal status is maintained.

Challenges Be careful to pull small

learning groups that span various purposes. The small learning groups should not always be your students with special needs.

Consider having the general educator and special educator alternate roles between support teacher and lead teacher.

Team Teaching Both the General Educator and the Special Educator share

the instruction of students. One teacher may lead discussion while the other models or

demonstrates. Team teaching affords the ability to model quality team and

interpersonal interactions.

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Team Teaching

Strengths Allows both teachers to

blend their teachings styles and expertise

Challenges Requires more planning Requires high levels of

trust and commitment

How do teachers decide which model to implement?

Consider: Lesson objectives Students’ needs Available resources Educator expertise

How is each Principle of Effective Collaboration demonstrated in the consultation and co-teaching models?

Principles of Effective Collaboration

Consultation & Co-Teaching Models One Teaching One Assisting Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Team Teaching

Respect of Knowledge and Skill

Established Communication System

Common Understanding of the Classroom Environment

Co-Accountability

“Much like the effective doubles team in tennis, when one teacher moves to the left of the room, the other moves more to the middle of the room so that the classroom is always effectively covered.”

– “Understanding Co -Teaching Components”, CEC, 2001

Additional Resources on Co-Teaching

Common Co-Teaching Issues. Retrieved from http://www.ttac.odu.edu/articles/comcotch.html

Co-Teaching. Retrieved from http://coe.jmu.edu/esc/Consortium_Co-Teaching.shtml Carroll (2001). Considering Paraeducator Training, Roles, and Responsibilities.

Teaching Exceptional Children 34(2), 60-64. Elliot & McKenney (March/April 1998). Four Inclusion Models that Work. Teaching

Exceptional Children 30(4), 54-58. Erin (1998). The Teacher-consultant. Education of the Visually Handicapped 20(2), 57-

63. Gately & Gately (March/April2001). Understanding Coteaching Components. The

Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/EC/Archive_Articles/VOL.33NO.4MARAPR2001_TEC_Article6.pdf

Klingner & Vaughn (Winter 2002). The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of an LD Specialist. Learning Disability Quarterly 25(1), 19-31.