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6 models of co-teaching
By Amanda Morin
Expert reviewed by Kristen L. Hodnett, MSEd

As more schools move toward inclusion, integrated co-teaching

(also known as collaborative team teaching) is becoming more
common. However, not all teachers are familiar with co-teaching
models, the planning and collaboration it takes, or the different
ways it can look in a classroom.

Co-teachers are often general education teachers and special

education teachers working together in the general education
classroom. You plan lessons together and teach together to
support the diverse academic and social-emotional needs of all
students — those who have been identified as having a disability
and those who haven’t.

Studies show that this co-teaching can successfully meet the

needs of all learners when the co-teachers:

Have ample time to build a trusting relationship with one

another
Have shared planning time
Each have the chance to use their expertise in the classroom

There are six basic models of co-teaching. Read on to learn how

each model works, what it looks like in the classroom, and when to
use it. You’ll also learn about the benefits and challenges of each
co-teaching model.

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1. Team teaching
In team teaching, both teachers are in the room at the same time
but take turns teaching the whole class. Team teaching is
sometimes called “tag team teaching.” You and your co-teacher
are a bit like co-presenters at a conference or the Oscars. You
don’t necessarily plan who takes which part of the lesson, and
when one of you makes a point, the other can jump in and
elaborate if needed.

Team teaching can make you feel vulnerable. It asks you to step
outside of your comfort zone and allow another teacher to see
how you approach a classroom full of students. However, it also
gives you the opportunity to learn about and improve your
teaching skills by having a partner who can provide feedback
and — in some cases — mentorship.

In team teaching, as well as the five other co-teaching models

below, a teacher team may be made up of two general education
teachers, two special education teachers, or one of each. Or in
some cases, it may be a teacher and a paraprofessional working
together. Some IEPs specify that a student’s teaching team needs
to include a general education teacher and a special education
teacher.

Here’s what you need to know about the team teaching method:

What it looks like Both teachers teach at the front of the room and move about to check in with students (as needed).
in the classroom

Benefits
Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

Introduces students to complementary teaching styles and personalities

Allows for lessons to be presented by two different people with different teaching styles

Models multiple ways of presenting and engaging with information

Models for students what a successful collaborative working relationship can look like

Provides more opportunities to pursue teachable moments that may arise

Challenges
Takes time and trust for teachers to build a working relationship that values each teacher equally in
the classroom

Necessitates a lot of planning time and coordination of schedules

Requires teachers to have equal involvement not just in planning, but also in grading, which means
assignments need to be evaluated using a rubric or other non-subjective methods

When to use it When students would benefit from learning content and skills using multiple strategies and having
access to more than one teacher’s experience and perspective

2. Parallel teaching
In parallel teaching, the team splits the class into two groups and
each teacher teaches the same information at the same time.
Parallel teaching works well to differentiate instruction when the
content being taught is particularly challenging. Students can
benefit from learning difficult material in a smaller group.

Parallel teaching can be a comfortable way to start co-teaching.

You and your co-teacher plan together to make sure you’re
covering the same material. And since you’re teaching your half of
the class, you’re less likely to feel closely observed by your
colleague. Here’s a closer look at parallel teaching:

What it looks like The class is divided into two groups, and both teachers teach the same information simultaneously in
in the classroom different sections of the room.

Benefits
Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

Lowers the student-teacher ratio and reduces the load of teaching a large class

Allows for small group instruction, which can be especially helpful for students who learn and
think differently

Gives students the chance to ask more questions during lesson time

Provides a chance for students to work in heterogeneous groups (made up of varying abilities
instead of groups of students with similar strengths and challenges)

Keeps the academic rigor of a demanding lesson, but splits the responsibility between both
teachers

Challenges
Requires both teachers to have strong knowledge of the content so students will learn the same
thing

Can be challenging to control for noise, distraction, and space when working in the same
classroom

Requires careful timing to make sure both teachers end the lesson at the same time

When to use it When teachers have equal content expertise and there’s a lot of information being covered in one
lesson

3. Station teaching
In station teaching, the class is divided into three or more groups
and the classroom has multiple learning centers. As the students
rotate through the stations, the teachers teach the same material
in different ways to each group. For example, fractions may be
taught with a fraction line at one and with cubes at another. If
there are more stations than teachers, some stations may be
student-led and at least one will focus on independent work or
practice opportunities.

Both you and your co-teacher are responsible for planning and
teaching an in-depth concept that helps meet the overall lesson
goal. Learn more about station teaching:

What it looks like in Different learning stations are set up in various areas of the classroom, one for each teacher and at
the classroom least one for independent student work.

Benefits
Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

Allows teachers to use flexible grouping to tailor teaching to each group’s needs

Lowers the student-teacher ratio

Resets student focus with each station rotation, increasing engagement

Provides time for students to engage with the content on their own as well as with teachers

Supports a UDL approach to teaching

Allows for more material to be covered in a shorter time frame

Provides a clear teaching responsibility for each adult in the room

Challenges
Requires significant planning for teaching and material preparation

Students may not get to all of the stations if they’re not moving at the same pace

May be noisy and distracting for some students

Requires pre-teaching around expectations for independent work time

When to use it When co-teachers have varying depths of knowledge on a topic and the students would benefit
from differentiated instruction

4. Alternative teaching
In alternative teaching, one teacher instructs most of the class and
the other teacher teaches an alternate or modified version of the
lesson to a smaller group of students. Alternative teaching is also
sometimes described as “big group/small group” teaching.

Small groups are often put together based on students’ learning

needs. You and your co-teacher will need to find time to look over
student data. This will help you figure out which students need
support filling in gaps in background knowledge, which students
need remediation, or which students could benefit from
accelerated learning because they already know the content or
have mastered the skills of the large group lesson. Here’s more of
what you need to know about alternative teaching:

What it looks like in One teacher is at the front of the room or roaming providing large group instruction, while the other
the classroom teacher works with a small group of students in a different space.

Benefits
Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

Allows for a lower student-teacher ratio

Provides additional support to struggling students without specifically singling them out

Gives a chance to re-teach, review, and pre-teach

Allows for intervention as well as enrichment opportunities

Lets teachers use flexible groups

Challenges
Requires strong data collection in order to group students appropriately

May make students feel self-conscious, especially if they’re often in the small group

Can be challenging to control for noise, distraction, and enough space when working in the same
classroom

Needs careful planning to make sure students don’t miss material being taught to the large group

When to use it When there is a small group of students who need pre- or re-teaching of skills or content or who
would benefit from enrichment on the topic.

5. One teach, one assist

In the “one teach, one assist” model of co-teaching, one teacher
teaches a full group lesson, while the other teacher roams and
helps individual students. This is sometimes called “one teach, one
support,” because the second teacher often provides additional
support for learning or behavior management.

This model of co-teaching can be difficult to negotiate because it

may leave one teacher feeling more like an assistant. Building a
strong relationship with your co-teacher and talking through when
it makes sense to swap roles can make it easier. That’s key to
making sure that both of you have a chance to teach content and
to provide support to students one-on-one.

Debriefing after a lesson is also key. Both of you need to know

which students needed extra support during the lesson, what that
support looked like, and what each student was struggling with.
Here’s what you need to know about this co-teaching method:

What it looks like in The lead teacher is at the front of the room, where all students can see, while the other teacher
the classroom roams among students and assists as needed.

Benefits
Allows one teacher to teach a lesson without interruption from students who need assistance

Gives real-time help for students who need it

Allows teachers to use proximity to keep students on task

Provides for increased classroom management, which can be helpful if the class makeup is
particularly challenging

Can provide newer teachers with the opportunity to observe more experienced teachers

Challenges
Can create a dynamic in which students see one teacher as the one who manages behavior

Can appear as though one teacher is more “in charge” than the other

Sets up a possible expectation that one-to-one support can always be immediate

Requires solid planning to make sure the supporting teacher is used efficiently

When to use it When one teacher is more familiar and comfortable with teaching a strategy, and you know many
students will need individual support

6. One teach, one observe

In a “one teach, one observe” setting, one teacher serves as the
primary instructor, while the other is simply observing students’
learning and collecting data, which can be useful in:

Determining what instruction takes place next

Seeing which students need additional help
Deciding what co-teaching model may be used next to
address any identified needs
Identifying and tracking helpful school services, such as IEPs,
504 plans, functional behavioral assessments (FBA),
behavior intervention plans (BIP), or response to intervention
(RTI)

What it looks like The instructing teacher is at the front of the room teaching all the students, while the other teacher is
in the classroom stationed somewhere inconspicuous to make observations.

Benefits
Allows for uninterrupted observation and data collection

Provides data that can inform future instruction, interventions, and student grouping

Challenges
Can create a dynamic in which students see one teacher as the “real” teacher

Can make it difficult for co-teachers to build a strong partnership

Loses instructional opportunities in a true co-taught classroom

When to use it When something specific needs to be observed, whether it’s information for an IEP meeting, FBA, or RTI,
or simply about how students respond to the way material is being taught

Making co-teaching work

Co-teaching definitely has benefits, but it can also be challenging
to implement. It can be especially hard for new teachers who are
paired up with teachers who have more experience, or for co-
teachers whose teaching philosophies differ from each other. But
there are several steps you can take to help make co-teaching
work:

1. Plan who’s doing what. No matter which co-teaching model you

use, you and your co-teacher need to thoughtfully plan out which
responsibilities each of you will have. Planning is vital to your
success as a co-teaching team.

2. Agree on expectations. Having a conversation before the year

begins about your expectations for students, behavior, homework,
bathroom use, etc., can help you work out any differences you may
have and come to a consensus for how your shared class will
run. It’s also essential that both teachers share behavior
management equally. Avoiding a “good cop/bad cop” situation can
make it easier to maintain a positive classroom culture.

3. Understand the needs of all of your students. It’s critical that

both you and your co-teacher understand the needs of all of your
students, including those who learn and think differently. Knowing
how to read an IEP or 504 plan, implement accommodations, and
participate in IEP meetings is a shared responsibility.

4. Use signposting. Making sure both of your names appear on the

door, on assignments, and in the classroom can also help your
students see you as the team you are.

5. Keep setting aside time to collaborate. Planning and reflecting

on the lessons you teach together is especially important. Keeping
lines of communication open, raising concerns respectfully, and
having a supportive and involved administrator can help bridge any
gaps.

About the author Reviewed by

Amanda Morin is the author of “The Everything Kristen L. Hodnett, MSEd is a clinical professor in the
Parent’s Guide to Special Education” and the former department of special education at Hunter College in
director of thought leadership at Understood. As an New York City.
expert and writer, she helped build Understood from
its earliest days.

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