In a perfect world your co-teacher would be in your classroom the whole day! Wouldn’t it be amazing for the teachers and the students to have two teachers sharing the load from the moment the students walk in to the moment they walk out? In some districts, co-teaching is used only during ELA and math; but we know that learning disabilities don’t put on the brakes when science or social studies begins. And, there are some scenarios in which a general educator is working with two different special educators!
Special education teachers who take on the role of a co-teacher have to wear many hats throughout the day and it oftentimes involves teaching in other classrooms. The co-teachers that I know have so many other classrooms they service that my classroom is just one more stop in their busy day. They give all they can when they are there but they are only human! We have had to be very creative in how we make this work for both of us (and the students). Here are some things to try if your team is short on time and patience with the co-teaching life!
PLANNING
Set up one day a week to plan. Choose a time and place that can be consistent and stick to it. Choosing a time before or after school helps to not congest the already busy day. Also, choosing a planning time outside of the scheduled day helps alleviate rushing if the regularly scheduled planning period is coming to an end.
If your co-teacher doesn’t have the time for planning before or after school, digital planning is the next plan of attack. In the past we have set up a shared folder in Google Drive (with a variety of docs, slides, etc…) that can be worked on collaboratively from home or when there is free time. This allows both parties to be involved in the planning process, but they don’t have to be present at the same time and place. This format also provides for a written history of your year that can be used for future reflection and planning.
DISCIPLINE
Co-teaching can be tricky when it comes to discipline. The two teachers have to be on the same page for behavior and management expectations. This also comes with being comfortable with each other as co-teachers. Creating a solid classroom behavior system makes it easier for both teachers to keep the expectations clear for the students. At the start of the year, include your co-teacher in the process of designing and introducing the classroom expectations. Students need to see that both teachers are on the same page. Each teacher will have their personal level of patience, but the way the students are handled needs to be consistent. Consistency will allow the students to respect the teachers as equals as well. It is fine to play good cop - bad cop with situations, but make sure that the roles switch because the good cop teacher will be viewed differently by the students.
GRADING
It is amazing when your co-teacher takes on some of the grading of homework and assessments. I have always had co-teachers that wanted to be involved in the students’ progress and seeing the assessments first hand allowed them to be. When co-teachers don’t share everything, expect there to be stress in the co-teaching relationship.
In the purest form of co-teaching, the general educator and the special educator are equally responsible for every student in the class. The mindset of “my kids” “your kids” needs to be discarded. Special educators should be grading the entire stack of assessments, not just the “sped kids’ papers”. Yes, special educators (in collaboration with the general educator) will need to assess and inform regarding a student’s IEP goals, but that should not be done in a vacuum.
To avoid a “my kids” “your kids” mentality, make very clear expectations of what each teacher will be responsible for and split it from the beginning. This obviously can be modified as the year goes on, but don’t assume that the co-teacher knows what you expect. Again, using a cloud-based system of recording assessments helps share the information in real time and allows for flexibility in who is grading which assessments. Plus, if everything is kept in one place, it helps speed up the process when annual reviews come around.
TEACHING/PRE-TEACHING/RE-TEACHING
Co-teaching provides an amazing opportunity for pre-teaching and re-teaching to occur. The concepts and vocabulary can be pre-taught to everyone (or certain students in need) so when the introduction of a unit occurs, the new information is able to be connected to prior learning. Having two teachers to split up the teaching is valuable as well. Just as no two students learn the same, no two teachers teach the same. It is great for students to be able to hear information through different approaches and multiple times.
In closing, being in a co-teaching relationship can be amazing for everyone involved. But it doesn’t come without frustration or trying a million things before it feels right. Don’t give up on it right away. And, don’t be afraid to scrap what isn’t working and try something new. Use your creativity to find the right blend that works for everyone involved. It takes a few years to build the trust between teachers so that everything flows without a hitch. In the end, co-teaching is amazing and the kids will love having two teachers that can love and support them on different levels.