Ms. Yoer Reflection

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.

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.

Collaborative efforts have created more cross-curricular focus throughout the school. When teachers know what each other are teaching, they can support each other in their own curriculum.

Co teaching and collaboration support inquiry based learning by providing an opportunity for LIMS and teachers to work as partners. The partnership provides learning opportunities for students to become engaged, and immersed in what they are learning. By each person assisting one another they are able to offset one another's weaknesses and strengths while instructing lessons together. This helps everyone involved to be successful. According to Harada and Coatney (2014) "When we make connections beyond the walls of the library to connect our work with classroom teachers and specialist and content'area standards we have the opportunity to become full members of our schools literacy teams. " (p.64)

By co-teaching, teachers work as a team to plan and deliver instruction providing many perspectives and strategies to deliver supports to meet the needs of every level. In my experience, the (ELL) English language learner strategies I provide not only assist ELL students but any students with limited background knowledge about content material. Inclusive classrooms also expose students to a diverse population and as they mature and move into the world, they will have the background and patience to understand a variety of people in a variety of settings. Fisher and Frey (2014) also examine the more technical side of leadership and learning. Teaching is creating a learning community, from planning together and using data to improve learning to pair share and student talk. In a successful learning community everyone feels like a valuable member with the ability to contribute to the overarching goals. The strategies and examples discussed in these books help create a blueprint for an optimal community for teachers to provide a positive learning environment for all

Chapter 5 pg. 132 refers the fact that both general and special educators teach during the same instructional period. The general educator will be instructing the class as a whole while the special educator works with smaller groups of students at a time. In addition, the article mentions the six approaches and variations of co-teaching that are based on student needs and instructional intent. The six approaches include: One teach one observe, station teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, teaming, and one teach one assist. With these approaches, teachers are able to address the IEP goals and objectives of students with disabilities while meeting the needs of the other students in the class. Chapter 5 pg.133 touches upon the co-teaching models by stating, “Teachers can implement a variety of co-teaching models based on instructional goals and the individual needs of students within the classroom.” Before choosing an approach or model, general and special educators need to decide on what lesson or unit will be taught that day. Many instructors use more than one approach during a week if found to be beneficial for the unit being taught. Having two professional educators within a classroom is the best way to meet the increasing needs of students. Through the use of co-teaching, professionals are able to formulate options within the system of education that is suitable for the diversity found in today’s

Each child is unique, depending on their roles, skills, and impediments. The co teaching needs to be properly prepared with all the necessary trainings, all the information necessary, about the child to who is going to work on, she will be part of the meetings, she needs to be informed all about the child who’s going to work on that will the co teaching develop and perform their work in a professional manner and let her to achieve the goal set for each

Johnson and Brumback start by giving the definition of what co-teaching really is and then proceed with the goal of co-teaching. The use of co-teaching in the classroom is becoming popular and if used correctly, can be a very successful way to meet the needs of all the students. Johnson tells us that she has had some co-teaching experiences that were successful and others a complete fail. She then tells us about one of her successful and her least successful experiences. Johnson goes on to tell us about when she found that she was going to be working with her colleague and their first day with the students. She then list the challenges and benefits of the beginning of their co-teaching journey. She then goes on to tell us how their co-teaching

This piece of assessment has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of co-teaching, and I believe it has been an incredibly valuable experience. I now feel more confident to use co-teaching in the future if I am given the opportunity to do so. Research states that strong teacher networks and relationships between teachers, can help improve teachers’ confidence and may also benefit student achievement (Moolenaar, Sleegers & Daly, 2012). Therefore, in my future practice, I will engage

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

Working with other teachers provides a teacher with many opportunities to build a support network and relationships with other co-workers (Towson University, 2012). Co-teaching also allows teachers to monitor their students’ progress more closely and make accommodations based on how much their students are progressing (Towson University, 2012). Collaborating with other teachers allows teachers to create a curriculum that provides support for a diverse group of learners (Towson University, 2012). Having more than one teacher instructing students on a concept confirms that the content is covered effectively to ensure student learning (Towson University, 2012). Co-teaching allows teachers to work with each other and communicate which concepts or teaching methods that are working best. Open communication allows teachers to receive feedback, which is effective in creating curriculum changes to meet the needs of the students they are teaching (Towson University,

Priority one is to establish the meaning of co-teaching and then establish what it is not. According to Honingsfeld & Dove (2008) co teaching was a traditional collaboration between the general education teacher and the special education teacher. Susan Cushman (2004) describes co teaching as a shared responsibility for teaching students in an assigned classroom. “It is a fun way for students to learn from two people who may have

Co-Teaching is a research based instructional strategy defined by Hang and Rabren in their article called, “An Examination of Co-Teaching Perspectives and Efficiency Indicators”, as “two or more professionals delivering substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in a single physical space.” The role of co-teaching is becoming ever more vital, and prevalent within inclusive classroom settings. As Susan E. Gately, and Frank J GatelyJr., in their article “Understanding Co-teaching Components," state the demand for a co-teaching model increases, so does the need for its structural advancement, and effectiveness. Co-teaching provides many opportunities for two teachers, both a general education and a special education teacher to effectively communicate, build positive relationships, advance professional growth, and model desired behaviors, as well as collaborative interpersonal skills for students. According to Kohler-Evans (2006) in the

When most people think of a typical classroom, the image of a room full of students in desks being taught by one teacher will usually come to mind. But a new style of education known as co-teaching is become increasingly popular. Co-teaching is an umbrella term that involves many similar but different methods of instruction, but they all have one thing in common: two teachers in the same classroom at the same time. One might think that two teachers helping instruct students at the same time would create chaos, but this is definitely not the case. Co-teaching is a style of teaching that is extremely beneficial to both students and educators in the way that it helps students to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom, and provides

This semester of co-teaching has been very eventful and eye opening. I not only learned about what I might find challenging about teaching, but also what I love about is as well. During my last lesson, while visiting with students, I was content as my role as a teacher for the first time in a while. I was more confident and comfortable and cared less about what the other teacher and students thought of me while I was working with students. During this lesson, I was also able to interact with most students one-on-one and explore their drawing and creativity with them, which was amazing. Working with this particular group of students really showed me how different students can be within one classroom setting as well, the good and the bad differences. Working with this particular teacher, I also learned about who I want to be as a teacher to my students and how your approach to teaching can either increase students’ educational success or it can hinder it.