CO-TEACHING

“WHEN ONE TEACHES

TWO LEARN.”
 WHAT IS CO-TEACHING

“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).
 THE CO-TEACHING DYNAMIC

TEACHER

TIME / SPACE KNOWLEDGE

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-
The Types of Co-teaching
9Curriculum Team
Knowledge Teaching

9Planning
Alternative
9Time Teaching
Allocation
9Level of Trust Parallel Teaching
9Philosophical
Agreement
Station Teaching

Lead and Support

Friend, M., Reising, M., & Cook, L. (1993). Co-teaching: An overview of the past, a glimpse at the present,
and considerations for the future. Preventing School Failure, 37(4), 6-10.
 STYLES OF CO-TEACHING
Bauwens and Hourcade (1991)

1. One teach, one support

--One person assumes primary
instructional responsibility while the
other adult assists students with
work, monitors behavior, and
corrects assignments. (This
approach is most successful when it
is used on an occasional basis in
conjunction with the other
approaches.)
2. Station teaching
--Curricular content is divided into
two parts. One person teaches
the first part to half the students
and the other professional
presents the second part to the
other half. The two student
groups then switch.
3. Parallel teaching
--Students are divided into
heterogeneous groups in which
each student has more
opportunity to participate in
discussions. Different types of
presentations are structured to
accommodate the various student
learning styles.
4. Alternative teaching
--Students are divided into two
groups, and one person instructs
one group while the other person
pre-teaches the other group for
the lesson to follow or re-teaches
material using alternative
methods.
5. Team teaching-- Both
professionals share leadership
and are equally engaged in
instructional activities. They might
role play, stage debates, or model
note-taking strategies. (Friend &
Bursuck, 1999, pp. 82-85)
 The Components of Co-teaching
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION

PHYSICAL
CURRICULUM GOALS
ENVIRONMENT

TEACHING
CO-TEACHING FAMILIARITY WITH
PHILOSOPHY
COMPONENTS THE CURRICULUM
BELIEFS

ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONAL
PLANNING

INSTRUCTION

Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components, Journal of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
 The Stages of the Co-teaching
Process
Open communication / changing
roles / use of humour / mutual
respect / “flexible equality”
COLLABORATING
STAGE

Give and take communication /

more active role of “special”
COMPROMISE
educator / increased level of trust
STAGE and social relationship

Careful Communication / Boundaries

developing / Feelings of Intrusion /
BEGINNING STAGE Very defined roles
*Teachers may get stuck at this level.

Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components,

Journal of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
COMPLEMENTING EACH
OTHERS STRENGTHS
“I have a good friend (co-teacher)
and we share all the time. She
rocks at assessment I rock at
presentation. We meld our lessons
and constantly trade information
and lesson plans. What comes out
in the end is great lessons and
great assessment.”
 The Benefits of Co-teaching
9 better student to teacher ratio and more
individual attention (especially helpful to lower
level students.).
9 a wider use of instructional techniques, to better
student learning
9 more and better critical, planning and reflective
practices by teachers
9 social skills improvement / better classroom
management.
9 a more “community” oriented classroom
9 increased score results.
 TEACHER BENEFITS
9 Teacher training in-house. The Korean English
Teacher betters their own language skills while
teaching.

9 Both teachers develop new instructional techniques

while teaching and sharing.

9 New teachers can be given guidance and mentoring.

9 Effective modeling for students.

9 NESTs > less cultural adaptation.

 3 Main Misperceptions
1. The foreign expert.
Foreign teachers are viewed as “all
knowing”. This creates an imbalance in
the classroom and eventually resentment.
There must be a shared power in the
classroom. There is no expert or rather, a
Native expert and a Foreign expert. Each
have their particular skills and experience
and relevance.
Sturman, P., (1992), Team Teaching: A case study from Japan, Collaborative Language Learning and
Teaching, Cambridge University Press, Nunan, D., 149-150
 2. The “walking tape recorder”. In
this case, the Korean teacher
feels that the foreign teacher
lacks instructional skills and uses
the NEST as a kind of puppet,
only good for pronunciation and
laughter, cultural communication.
3. The “token foreigner”.
Here, the NEST is only there to
give the school pride as being
progressive. They aren’t used
as teachers. They are just a
symbol of being “international”
and progressive.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
SUGGESTIONS
• Promote and educate teachers and schools
about the value and benefits of co-
teaching. Teachers must know WHY they
are co-teaching.

• Hold mandatory workshops for co-

teachers. Especially prior to the school
year. Also social outings to foster their
relationship.
• Have all co-teachers complete a
questionnaire and discuss fully prior to
teaching together. Also, give adequate
scheduling and planning time for
weekly co-teaching meetings.

• Educate teachers about the co-teaching

options they have. There are many
different kinds of co-teaching.

• Korean co-teachers MUST be in the

classrooms with NESTs during
lessons.
• Allow for no more than 3 co-teachers /
NEST. Preferably schools should
provide an English only classroom and
teachers shouldn’t have to travel to
other classrooms.

• Create a process to chose the

appropriate people/teachers to be co-
teachers.
• Set up a dispute resolving mechanism
so that when a co-teacher has a
complaint, they have somewhere to go.

• Schedule so that co-teachers will be

with each other for the full contracted
year. Make it mandatory that co-
teachers hold weekly planning
meetings.
 Co-teaching survey:
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

Native Speaking English Teachers

 CHECK THE CORRECT ANSWER

1. I can easily read the nonverbal cues

of my co-teaching partner.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

2. I feel comfortable moving freely about the space

in the co-taught classroom.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

3. I understand the curriculum standards with
respect to the content area in the classroom.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

4. Both teachers in the classroom agree on the

goals of the classroom

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

5. Planning can be spontaneous, with changes
occurring during the instructional lesson

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

6.I often present lessons in the co-taught Class

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

7.Classroom rules and routines have been
jointly developed.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

8. Many measures are used for grading

students.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

9.Humor is often used in the classroom.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

10. All materials are shared in the classroom.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

11. I am familiar with the methods and
materials needed to teach the curriculum.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

12. Modifications of goals for different level

students are incorporated into this class.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

13. Planning for classes is the shared
responsibility of both teachers.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

14. The "chalk" passes freely between the two

teachers.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

15. A variety of classroom management
techniquesis used to enhance the learning of
all students.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

16.Communication is open and honest.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

17. There is fluid (changing) positioning of
teachers in the classroom

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

18. I feel confident in my knowledge of the

curriculum content

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

19. The administration encourages and supports
both teachers and co-teaching.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

20. Both teachers share curriculum resources;

audio-video, books, tests, blackline masters

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

21. Students accept both teachers as equal
partners in the learning process

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

22. Time is allotted (or found) for common

planning.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

23. Behavior management is the shared
responsibility of both teachers.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

24 I feel happy about my relationship with my co-

teacher.

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

25. We hold meetings and give honest feedback
about lessons

RARELY SOMETIMES USUALLY ALWAYS

GET YOUR SCORE!

RARELY = 1

SOMETIMES = 2

USUALLY = 3

ALWAYS= 4

TOTAL = ?
 HOW GOOD IS YOUR
CO-TEACHING RELATIONSHIP?

< 50 = a poor co-teaching relationship

50 – 75 = a satisfactory (but in need of

improvement) co-teaching relationship

76 – 100 = a very healthy co-teaching

relationship
Discuss afterwards with your co-
teaching partner. What
differences did you see?

How can you improve those

parts of your relationship?
 Sharing Hopes, Attitudes, Responsibilities, and Expectations

{ SHARE }

Directions: Take a few minutes to individually complete this worksheet.

Be honest in your responses. After completing it individually, share the
responses with your co-teaching partner by taking turns reading the
responses. Do not use this time to comment on your partner's
responses—merely read. After reading through the responses, take a
moment or two to jot down any thoughts you have regarding what your
partner has said. Then, come back together and begin to share
reactions to the responses.

Your goal is to (a) Agree, (b) Compromise, or

(c) Agree to
Disagree.
1. Right now, the main hope I have
regarding this co-teaching situation
is: _______________.

2. My attitude/philosophy of
teaching students with disabilities
in a general education classroom
is: _______________________.
3. I would like to have the
following responsibilities in a
co-taught classroom:
________________________.

4. I would like my co-teacher

to have the following
responsibilities:
________________________.
5. The biggest problem I
expect to have in co-
teaching is:
___________________.

5a. I think we can overcome

this obstacle by:
______________________.
6. I have the following
expectations regarding
_______in the classroom:
(a) discipline
__________________________
________________________
(b) class work
__________________________
________________________
(c)Materials
____________________.

(d)homework
__________________________
__________________________
__.
(e) planning
__________________________
__________________________
___.
(f) modifications for individual
students_________________
_________________.
(g) grading
________________________
________________________.
(h) noise level
________________________
________________________
_.
(i) cooperative learning
_______________________
(j) giving/receiving feedback
________________________
_____________________.
(k) parental contact
________________________
________________________.
(l) classroom
appearance/seating
________________________
__________________.
(m) other important
expectations I have
________________________
____________.
Note:

Modified from Co-Teaching in the Inclusive

Classroom: Working Together to Help All
Your Students Find Success (Grades 6-
12; p.36-37, by W. W. Murawski, 2003,
Medina, WA: Institute for Educational
Development.
 ddeubel@gmail.com

www.ddd.batcave.net

“one teaches, two learn.”