Co-Teaching

A handbook for co-teachers to build and sustain

effective partnerships
 Table of Contents

2. What is Co-Teaching?

3. Benefits of Co-Teaching

4. Key Components to Effective Co-Teaching Unions

5. What’s Your Comfort Zone?

6. Roles and Responsibilities Assignment

7. Co-Teaching Models

8. Co-Teaching Models

9. Getting to Know Your Partner

10. Learning Environment Must-Haves

11. Co-Teaching Lesson Plan Template

12. The Importance of Collecting Data

13. Data Tracking Log

14. Daily Reflection

15. Co-Teaching Observation Form

What is Co-Teaching?

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 Co-teaching is a mode of instruction in which two or

more educators share responsibility for a group of students

in the classroom setting. Co-teaching draws on the strengths

of both the general education teacher, who understands the

structure, content, and pacing of the general education

curriculum, and the special education teacher, who can

identify unique learning needs of individual students and

modify curriculum and instruction to meet those needs.

Benefits of Co-Teaching

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Advantages for Teachers:

+ Ability to provide more individualized instruction to all students

+ Enhanced collaboration skills
+ Utilize expertise of cooperating teacher
+ Incorporate more small group instruction
+ Ability to share classroom roles and responsibilities with a partner
+ Opportunity to build professional relationships

Advantages for Students:

+ Access to two teachers
+ Opportunity for small group instruction for pre-teaching, review or
remediation
+ Exposure to different teaching styles and strategies
+ Better access to general education environment for students with
disabilities
+ Increased self-esteem and social skills

What students are saying about co-teaching?

“ I love having two teachers in math class because when students learn

something new, other students get taken out the classroom to practice on things

they don’t understand.”

“ If one teacher is busy and you have a question you can ask the other teacher.”

“I can get more help.”

“It’s easier for me to pay attention.”

“ I like working in smaller groups. It helps me learn faster.”

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Key Components for Effective Co-Teaching Unions

Administrator’s Support
+ Be committed and supportive to co-teaching unions
+ Find ways to provide teachers with common planning periods
+ Invested in all learners
+ Provide ongoing professional development
+ Knowledgeable on co-teaching models and best practices
+ Balance class size/not grouping students with disabilities in one class

Teacher’s Commitment
+ Allow teachers to volunteer to co-teach first
+ Allow special education teachers to teach content they are most
comfortable teaching
+ Consider personalities and teaching styles when determine co-teaching
assignments
+ Co-teachers must be committed to the union
+ Co-teachers must share all instructional responsibilities

Training and Common Plan

+ Prior to the school year, co-teachers should be required to attend a training
together
+ Co-teachers should have a common planning
+ Co-teachers should co-plan, co-instruct and co-assess

Shared Roles and Responsibilities

+ Both teachers should be seen as equals in the classroom
+ Shared leadership and classroom management

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 + Both teachers should participate in designing lesson plans and
assessments
+ Both teachers are responsible for delivering whole and small group.

What’s Your Comfort Zone?

Directions: Rate your comfort level in the following areas. Share your results with your
co-teaching partner. Results should be used to help assigned roles and responsibilities
in the classroom.

0= uncomfortable 1= some discomfort 2= neutral 3= comfortable 4= very comfortable

_____ Plan content for students who are assessed on regular standards

_____ Plan content for students who are assessed on alternative standards

_____ Deliver whole group instruction

_____ Work with small group to pre-view, re-teaching or other tasks

_____ Prepare accommodated materials

_____ Design modified lessons

_____ Design lesson adaptations for students

_____ Design modified assessments

_____ Develop and use rubrics

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_____ Grade student work

_____ Communicate with parents

_____ Progress monitor IEP goals

_____ Classroom management

Roles and Responsibilities Assignment

Responsibility General SPED Shared Other

Education Teacher
Teacher

Take attendance

Plan the lesson

Prepare accommodated materials

for students with IEPS and 504s

Routine classroom management

Modify curriculum for students with

significant disabilities

Deliver whole group instruction

Deliver instruction to small group for

pre-teaching, review and other
needs

Grading student work

Grading student work-with

accommodations

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Monitor IEP Goals

Correspondence to parents

Developing and Implementing

Behavior Plans

Provide assessment
accommodations

Co-Teaching Models

Model Description When to Use

One teach, One One teacher makes -In new co-teaching
observe and records situations
observations while -When questions
the other teaches arise about students
-To monitor student
progress

One teach, One One teacher teaches -When the lesson

assist while the other lends itself to
circulates and delivery by one
provides assistance teacher
to students -When one teacher
has particular
expertise for the
lesson
-In new co-teaching
situations
-When student work
needs close
monitoring

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Parallel Teaching Two teachers present -When a lower
material to the class teacher-student ratio
simultaneously by is needed to improve
the dividing the class instructional
in groups efficiency
-To foster student
participation in
discussions
-For activities such
as re-teaching and
test review

Station Teaching Teachers divide the -In lessons in which

content and divide part of planned
the class into instruction is review
rotating groups -When several topics
comprise instruction
Alternative Teaching One teacher teaches -When students’
a larger group while mastery of concepts
the other works with taught or about to be
a smaller group taught varies
needing more tremendously
specialized attention -When enrichment is
desired
Team Teaching Both teachers work -When teacher
together to deliver expertise is
content to the class comparable
at the same time -When a goal of
instruction is to
demonstrate some
type of interaction to
students

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Getting to Know Your Partner

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Learning Environment Must Haves

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Positive Classroom Environment
+ The learning environment should be safe and inviting for students
and teachers
+ All students should feel supported and connected
+ The co-teaching relationship is positive
+ Classroom procedures are in place
+ Strong class management

Evidence of Parity
+ Both teachers are recognized as teachers in the classroom
+ Both teachers share roles and responsibilities in the classroom
+ Both teachers names are displayed around the classroom
+ Both teachers names are included on parent communication

Evidence of Co-Teaching
● Both teachers are engaged with all students
● Both teachers are treated as equal partners
● Evidence of parity in the classroom
● Roles and responsibilities are shared
● Co-teachers use community language

Collaborative Planning
● Co-Teachers should start planning prior to the school year.
● Co-Teachers should develop short and long term goals
● A minimum of 10 minutes of planning is needed
● Co-teachers must determine the model to use for each lesson
● Assess student learning
● Adapt lessons plans and assessments to support students with
educational plans
● Discuss and assign roles

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 The Importance of Collecting Data

+ Requires assessing the student’s success on individual

items in his or her goals on a regular basis
+ Good data collection depends on having a measurable
goal to work toward
+ Tracks progress towards the goals of students with
disabilities
+ The data gathered should inform your IEP decisions as
you monitor the student’s progress
+ Drives individual, small-group, and whole group
instruction
+ Useful resource for meeting with parents

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 Data Tracking Log

Subject: ________________ Goal________________________

Student Name Date Notes Goal/Data Goal Met

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Student Name Date Notes Goal/Data Goal Met

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Student Name Date Notes Goal/Data Goal Met

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

Y/N

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 Daily Reflection

Reflection can play an important role in helping teachers improve

their inclusive practices. As educators and difference makers it is

important to constantly reflect. Self-reflection brings about

awareness, growth, maturity, and change. It is important to reflect

independently and with your co-teaching partner. Here are a list

of questions for reflection:

+ Were the transitions successful?

+ Are there students in need of assistance with organization?
+ Are there any students in need of closer observation?
+ Is there a need for rearrangement of seats or classroom
space?
+ Are there modifications needed for the next day’s lesson to
enhance student learning?

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 References

-Beninghof, A. (1995). Ideas for Inclusion: The schools administrator’s guide (2nd ed.).
Longmont, Colorado.

-Co-Teaching: A Workbook for Achieving the Perfect Union: www.tinyurl.com/coteachLCPS

-Friend, M. (2014). Co-Teach! Building and sustaining effective classroom partnerships in

inclusive schools (2nd ed). Greensboro, NC: Marilyn Friend, Inc.

-Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2007). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (7th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Loudon County Public Schools, Toni Strauss: Co-Teaching Observation Form www.lcps.org

-Murawski, W. & Dieker, L. (2008). 50 ways to keep your co-teacher: Strategies for before,
during, and after. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(4), 40-48.

-Brooks Publishing Co. (2015, September 3) 25 Questions for NEW Co-Teachers to Answer
Together [blog post] Retrieved from http://blog.brookespublishing.com/25-questions-for-new-
co-teachers-to-answer-together/
-Hanover Research (2012). The effectiveness of the Co-Teaching Model. Retrieved from
https://www.ousd.org/Page/13554
-Brooks Publishing Co. (2017, November 28). Practical Tips for Better IEP Goals and Data
Collection [blog post] Retrieded from http://blog.brookespublishing.com/practical-tips-for-
better-iep-goals-and-data-collection/
-Webster, FM. (2018, June 8). Data Collection for Special Education. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/data-collection-for-special-education-3110861

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