Co Teaching Essay

Co-teaching is important, especially in the school I did my special education field experience at because they are full inclusion. This school district did co-teaching for math and reading. Students receive their assistance with in the classroom while the teacher is instructing class. It takes a lot of planning and collaboration with the classroom teacher, I believe this is not the most beneficial way to teach students that have learning needs. it can become very distracting for the student because what is going on around them. Learning with their peers is important, the instructions their receiving in the classroom are above their level. I wonder how this is providing the best education possible?

The article goes into great detail over the fact that co-teaching, when implemented correctly, has the potential of really enhancing the learning of all students (Conderman & Hedin, 2014, p.359). Before any co-teaching can happen though the article elaborates on the fact that a teacher needs to know who their students are. And when differentiating instruction a teacher needs to be able to address a “students’ unique strengths, interest, skills, and readiness” (Conderman & Hedin, 2014, p. 353). After all helping each child learn, whatever that looks like, is the ultimate goal, and this article shows how teachers can do this with a co-teacher.

By using the artwork of the fantastic four (John Haward 2001) Appendix 1, I will explore how a team is different from a group. For this I will describe an award given to me as part of a team while working in a nurse led minor injury unit (MIU). By comparing the differences I shall highlight what makes a team effective rather than a collection of people.

I approach collaboration as a team player, and I believe students need more than one person to guide them to their full educational potential. Also, active and prepared participation of weekly PLC meetings with the teachers of my special education students to plan collaborative curriculum have increased results in math and reading substantially. Participating in co-teaching furthers my repertoire of knowledge to assist my students. I have learned a vast amount from sharing and consulting with colleagues regarding students, observing mentoring teachers, and planning activities to ensure growth in students.

In the following study researchers compared two instructional approaches; co-teaching inclusion and solo-taught special education for students with learning disabilities in regard to their overall academic achievement. Participants of the study included twelve inclusive/co-teaching classrooms, which were compared to thirteen special education classrooms. In the co-teaching contexts the emphasis was centered on the inclusion of students with learning disabilities into a general education classroom. Co-teachers were free to choose the instructional method they would embark. Special education teachers solely instructed students with learning disabilities in small group classrooms.

Unfortunately, both teachers did not have much time to prepare since this is the first year that a push-in class was incorporated and both teachers found out right before school started. However, they are accommodating with the circumstances by spending one hour each day collaborating ideas, specifically incorporating strategies that Mrs. Bernard has learned at a workshop. She has had a difficult time adjusting because her push-in class has twenty-eight students with various disabilities. Overall, Mrs. Bernard’s goal is to work on creating an equal position for both teachers and to make improvements in order for the co-teaching experience to be as successful as possible. I thought the idea of a push-in class was brilliant because it does not seem appropriate to pull students out of class because it makes it more noticeable to other students. Additionally, it would be difficult to collaborate with another teacher, especially if you had completely different views than the teacher that was placed in your classroom. Overall, the push-in experience gives special education students the opportunity to feel like a regular education student, which I find to be highly important in today’s society.

One factor that plays a huge role in successful implementation of integrated co-teaching and has better outcomes for students is when the co-teachers are trained and work together. Magiera and Zigmond (2005) preformed a study at four middle schools in New York that focused on the instructional practices for students with and without disabilities; with teachers who were not trained in integrated co-teaching

Another step is to develop training and support plans to give to all teachers. That better enhance the skills they need to work better with students of all backgrounds and to teach with the materials that are needed.

Collaboration between teachers is a key component to professional development that will lead to higher student achievement. There is a need for schools to set up time for teachers to be able to collaborate together. This allows for teachers to help each other, matchup content, teach each other new and best practices, troubleshoot student issues just to name a few of the areas that collaboration time can help foster within a school. The key is to build time for teachers to be able to collaborate during the school day or week. This collaboration time needs to be between grade levels, departments, and cross curricular when needed. For many schools this is an afterthought to the school schedule or a fleeting thought after the master schedule is completed. A principal needs to keep an open mind to any strategy that will enable the teachers to be able to collaborate for the good of the students and the school.

I have had opportunities to co-teach n which some were excellent experiences and some were not so good. In the excellent experiences, they were always with teachers I was very comfortable with and that I knew well. We were able to bounce thoughts and ideas off each other, even during the lesson. The students were engaged and really seemed to enjoy those experiences. In the opportunities that were not so good, it created a very uncomfortable environment. The two teachers did not appear as equals. One teacher appeared more as the extra in the room. The students could sense this and typically only engaged with the lead teacher. Students can learn so much by having the experience of two different teachers, two different strategies, two different learning styles. It gives the students the opportunity to look at things in different ways. This promotes an overall stronger understanding for all students. It can be accomplished with an open, accepting understanding that both teachers are working toward the same

As an educator my beliefs regarding education and my overall student teaching experiences go way beyond the basic stand and delivery mode. Student teaching consists of rigorous lesson planning, creating innovative ideas, and finding ways to deliver the information so it will reach each student in the classroom regardless of his or her disability. In fact, collaborative special education is a field that crosses all borders; therefore as a teacher it is indicative that one creates the proper atmosphere for each student on a case-by-case basis. Having afforded the opportunity to student teach allows a teacher to experience the responsibility to plan for all class periods, and even make modifications for the

Co-teaching is exactly what it sounds like, it is a team of two teachers who use their combined efforts to better the education of their students. We are a team, and as such we will share the

I learned quickly that being an effective teacher is an art that takes time and devotion. Many times, teachers are not provided with the necessary materials in order to maintain the various learning styles in a classroom. It is up to the teacher to create an environment where students can succeed. This is a full time job, meaning that a teacher’s work is not done once they leave the school. A teacher must contribute a significant amount of time and effort in order to see positive results in the school and in his or her own classroom. After observing my cooperating teacher’s strategies and learning more about the profession, I knew that I was going in the right direction with my life. I took a significant amount of knowledge away from this experience and have continued to strive to be the type of educator that I was blessed to work with during this experience. .

Cooperative learning will be a method I use in my classroom. I believe that in a cooperative learning group a student can learn socialization skills and how to work with others. This goes along with the pragmatic/progressive philosophy that children learn by doing. The progressivism teaching style also includes the incorporation of problem-solving and critical thinking techniques. I want my students to learn to think for themselves and be able to function in society. At the same time, I will be a fellow learner myself and

Collaboration in the world of education has become an increasingly popular method of addressing a variety of school issues, such as curriculum design, behavioral plans, professional development and management of resources. One of the areas in which collaboration is becoming more popular is co-teaching in special education, where special education teachers and general education teachers share the planning and instruction responsibilities for inclusion classrooms (Friend & Cook, 2010). As academic standards for the education of students with disabilities are held to the same standards as their typical peers due to the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the co-teaching model has been increasingly