Principles of Effective Collaboration & Co-Teaching

1. Principles of Effective Collaboration & Co-Teaching

2. Why collaborate? Collaboration: • Increases instructional options • Increases grouping flexibility in order to provide student with individualized instruction and diverse learning experiences • Reduces stigma for children • Increases professional support • Meets the mandates of IDEA: Least Restrictive Environment

3. Based on your experiences What are the essential elements for implementing collaboration that effectively supports student learning?

4. Four Principles that Promote Effective Collaboration • Respect of Knowledge and Skill • Established Communication System • Common Understanding of the Classroom Environment • Co-Accountability

5. 1. Respect of Knowledge/Skill • Recognition that each educator brings a set of knowledge and skills • Both educators take an active role in supporting student learning • Mutual trust in abilities How is this illustrated? What does a collaborative partnership look like when both educators mutually respect each other’s knowledge and skills?

6. 2. Established Communication System • Designated time to discuss student learning goals, accommodations, and instructional tools and strategies • Communication about teacher roles and responsibilities • Interpersonal awareness and comfort with discussing the professional relationship • Active listening to understand the perspectives of collaboration partner What examples of an effective communication system have you seen in action? What tools can teachers use to facilitate communication?

7. 3. Common Understanding of the Classroom Environment • Shared understanding about classroom management, grading, the physical arrangement, familiarity with the curriculum, and implementing accommodations • Mutual ownership and expectations for student learning • High acceptance for all students Describe an instance when a common understanding of the classroom environment was not established?

8. 4. Co-Accountability • Shared sense of responsibility to ensure access, involvement, and progress in the general education curriculum • Joint implementation of accommodations • Co-planning, co-preparation, co-evaluation Classroom Scenario: Frederick (see Snapshot IEP) receives instruction in a general education setting. Currently, he is not earning a passing grade in his science class. His parents are concerned that he is not receiving the appropriate services. How would a team demonstrating co-accountability respond to this situation? How would their response differ from a team that does not practice co-accountability?

9. Typical Role of the Special Educator • Learning strategist for all students • Motivational techniques • Curriculum accommodations and modifications • Knowledge of IEPs and student disabilities

10. Typical Role of the General Educator • Content knowledge • District and state curriculum • Indicators and objectives • Pacing • Content development • Classroom management for a standard class size

11. Typical Role of Paraprofessionals • Check the students’ progress • Provide individual or small-group tutorial assistance • Facilitate social interactions between students • Receive guidance and instruction from the classroom teacher and assist during the lesson • Report back to the special education teacher

12. Venn Diagram Activity Where do the roles of the general educator and the special educator overlap? General Educator Special Educator

13. Consultation Model • Students are grouped heterogeneously. • General Educator presents instruction and makes accommodations. • Special Educator adapts instructional materials as needed according to student’s needs. Other services include assessment, observation, and planning meetings. • Special Educators and General Educators make time to discuss students’ needs, services, and progress.

14. Strengths Advance planning of instructional accommodations Flexibility in student scheduling Challenges Requires frequent communication Isolation and sense of separateness if this is the only model used Consultation Model

15. Students are grouped heterogeneously. General Educator and Special Educator collaborate in the same classroom setting. Collaborative Teaching Models One Teaching, One Assisting Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Team Teaching Collaborative Teaching

16. One Teaching, One Assisting • Both educators are present with one taking a clear lead in the classroom while other observes and assists students. Click the icon to view the video

17. Strengths Limited teacher planning Provides basic support to students with diverse needs Challenges The “assist” teacher may feel like a glorified teacher’s assistant Students may question the “assist” teacher’s authority One Teaching, One Assisting Consider having the general educator and special educator alternate roles between support teacher and lead teacher.

18. Station Teaching • Teachers divide instructional content into several segments and present the content in separate stations around the classroom. • With two stations, the General Educator and Special Educator each teach their half of the content and then switch groups. Alternatively, both teachers may move between groups in order to provide support. • If students are able to work independently with content, a third station may be established. Click the icon to view the video

19. Strengths General Educator and Special Educator maintain equal status Co planning allows for both the General Educator and the Special Educator to provide input in their area of expertise Challenges This approach requires significant pre-planning in order to divide up the content The content in Station Teaching lessons cannot be dependent on the order in which content is being presented due to the student rotation Station Teaching

20. Parallel Teaching • General Educator and Special Educator plan instruction jointly, but each delivers instruction to a heterogeneous group consisting of approximately half the class. Click the icon to view the video

21. Strengths Lowers student to teacher ratio Allows for increased student interaction and/or student to student interaction Allows the teacher to monitor individual student progress and understanding more closely Challenges General Educator and Special Educator need to coordinate teaching so that students receive essentially the same instruction within the same amount of time Noise levels may be high Parallel Teaching

22. Alternative Teaching • One teacher works with a small group while the other teacher interacts with the larger group. • Small groups can be pulled for pre-teaching, re-teaching, enrichment, interest groups, special projects, make-up work or assessment groups. Click the icon to view the video

23. Strengths All students, including students with disabilities, benefit from small group instruction. If the General Educator and Special Educator alternate roles, equal status is maintained. Challenges Be careful to pull small learning groups that span various purposes. The small learning groups should not always be your students with special needs. Alternative Teaching Consider having the general educator and special educator alternate roles between support teacher and lead teacher.

24. Team Teaching • Both the General Educator and the Special Educator share the instruction of students. • One teacher may lead discussion while the other models or demonstrates. • Team teaching affords the ability to model quality team and interpersonal interactions. Click the icon to view the video

25. Strengths Allows both teachers to blend their teachings styles and expertise Challenges Requires more planning Requires high levels of trust and commitment Team Teaching

26. How do teachers decide which model to implement? Consider: • Lesson objectives • Students’ needs • Available resources • Educator expertise

27. Principles of Effective Collaboration Consultation & Co-Teaching Models How is each Principle of Effective Collaboration demonstrated in the consultation and co-teaching models? • Respect of Knowledge and Skill • Established Communication System • Common Understanding of the Classroom Environment • Co-Accountability • One Teaching One Assisting • Station Teaching • Parallel Teaching • Alternative Teaching • Team Teaching

28. “Much like the effective doubles team in tennis, when one teacher moves to the left of the room, the other moves more to the middle of the room so that the classroom is always effectively covered.” – “Understanding Co -Teaching Components”, CEC, 2001

29. Additional Resources on Co-Teaching • Common Co-Teaching Issues. Retrieved from http://www.ttac.odu.edu/articles/comcotch.html • Co-Teaching. Retrieved from http://coe.jmu.edu/esc/Consortium_Co-Teaching.shtml • Carroll (2001). Considering Paraeducator Training, Roles, and Responsibilities. Teaching Exceptional Children 34(2), 60-64. • Elliot & McKenney (March/April 1998). Four Inclusion Models that Work. Teaching Exceptional Children 30(4), 54-58. • Erin (1998). The Teacher-consultant. Education of the Visually Handicapped 20(2), 57-63. • Gately & Gately (March/April2001). Understanding Coteaching Components. The Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/EC/Archive_Articles/VOL.33NO.4MARAPR2001_TEC_Article6.pdf • Klingner & Vaughn (Winter 2002). The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of an LD Specialist. Learning Disability Quarterly 25(1), 19-31.