New Hope- Solebury School District Co-Teaching: The Power of 2 March 23, 2012 Presented by:

1. New Hope-Solebury School District Co-Teaching:The Power of 2 March 23, 2012 Presented by: Lorraine Johnson Danette Richards Bucks County Intermediate Unit

2. K – W – FCO-TEACHING

3. Part 1: What to expect • Opportunity to collaborate with colleagues • Clear understanding of what co-teaching is and is not • Options / models / teacher roles • Essential elements of successful collaboration

4. Inclusion Is: •Students with disabilities attending their neighborhood school or the school they would attend if they were not disabled. •Each child in an age-appropriate general education classroom. •Every student accepted and regarded as a full and valued member of the class and school community. •Special education supports provided within the context of the general education classroom.

5. Inclusion Is (continued): •A natural proportion of students with disabilities attending any school and classroom. •No child excluded on the basis of type and degree of disability. •The school promoting cooperative/collaborative teaching arrangements. •Building-based planning, problem solving, and ownership of all students and programs. •All students receiving an education that addresses their individual needs.

6. To require commitment and collaboration from all the adults. To provide quality programs, not simply access to programs. That all students can learn and every teacher has something to offer every student. The use of innovative practices. The best use of resources. That decisions are based on individual student need. To meet the needs of students in the regular classroom and curriculum. To promote the use of accommodations that facilitate learning. Inclusion Intends:

7. Teacher Perceptions about Inclusion • About two-thirds of general classroom teachers support the idea of inclusion. • Teachers willingness varies somewhat depending on the type and degree of disability. • More than half feel inclusion provides benefits to students. • Only one-third of teachers believe they have sufficient time, skills, training, or resources for inclusion Scruggs & Mastro Pieri (1996)

8. Take A Moment • With a partner… • Share your experience with inclusion and co-teaching.

9. What Co-Teaching Is… • Determining what two teachers can do together that one cannot. • An attitude of sink or swim together. • Mutual planning & delivering of instruction. • Determining & defining roles & responsibilities. • Taking time to debrief & reflect on instruction.

10. What Co-Teaching is... • Use of effective communication & conflict management skills. • Sharing ideas, strategies, & techniques to create better instruction for ALL students. • Supporting & enhancing each other’s teaching.

11. Assess, Plan, and Evaluate General Education Teacher Special Education Teacher Teach Teach Student

12. Defining Co-Teaching • Co-teaching occurs 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, pg 1)

13. Co-Teaching is Like…. • Driving a motorcycle • Driving a luxury sedan • Driving a minivan • Driving a sports car

14. Take a moment to complete this sentence. Co-Teaching is like a marriage because… OR dancing partners because… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

15. The Power of 2:Definition

16. Collaboration won’t just happen • Deliberate • Structured • Systematic • Ongoing

17. Why won’t it just happen? General educators begin with the curriculum first and use assessment to determine what was learned. Special educators begin with assessment first and design instruction to repair gaps in learning. No wonder we are talking different languages.

18. How we make this work… • Provide purpose and structure • Create baseline and a plan for scaffolded change • Provide a visual map to guide discussion • Keep discussions objective and data driven • Allow many issues to be put on the table for consideration

19. Aligning Practices through Co-Teaching • Co-teaching is becoming one of the fastest growing inclusive school practices • Despite this rapid increase in popularity, co-teaching remains one of the most commonly misunderstood practices in education

20. What Co-Teaching Is NOT . . . • One person delivering instruction while the other is solely responsible for crowd control. • Parallel groups where each teacher “does his/her own thing” without communication.

21. What Co-Teaching Is NOT . . . • Integrating students but adults still maintain responsibility for own separate populations. • Homogeneous grouping of all at-risk kids in one classroom with two teachers. • Collaborative teaching w/o collaborative planning.

22. What Co-Teaching is NOT. . . • Duplication of roles & responsibilities. • One person teaches while the other takes a break. • Pulling students out by disability label rather than forming groups according to skill needs.

23. Activity How well do you SHARE?

24. The Power of 2:Shared Beliefs

25. Lead and Support 1 teacher complements, supports the other 2. Parallel Teaching Class is split Content same or different, concepts same flexible grouping 3. Station Teaching Both experts in curriculum Both plan explicitly Credibility & Flexibility 4. Team Teaching Teachers take more risks. Interactive workplace Co-teaching ModelsThe Heart of Co-Teaching

26. The Power of 2:Co-teaching Models

27. Activity • For each approach, identify potential strengths and drawbacks

28. Basis for Selecting a Co-Teaching Approach • Student characteristics and needs. • Teacher characteristics and needs • Curriculum, including content and instructional strategies • Pragmatic considerations

29. WHY DO IT? • Provide instruction in the general education setting • Provide more intense and individualized instruction to all students, including students with disabilities

30. Alternative to our Current Practice: WHY? • Access to the general education curriculum • Access to the general education teacher • Access to preparation for statewide assessments • Access to peers

31. Alternative to our Current Practice: WHY? • Ensures support for the general education teacher • Ensures collaboration between general education and special education • Ensures that someone who knows about accommodations is present in the general education class

32. General Ed Teacher Shares understanding of content, structure, and pacing of the general education curriculum and assessment of group learning needs Special Ed Teacher Shares enhancement of general education curriculum and assessment of unique learning needs of students HOW DOES IT WORK?

33. Staff Support • Administrators: Building and district level • Special education teacher • Regular education teacher • Others

34. The Power of 2:Prerequisite Skills

35. Teaming An effective way to meet the needs of all students could be through the collaboration of a general education teacher and a special education teacher. This type of collaborative team can easily adapt instruction to meet the needs of all students. "The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side."    -Margaret Carty

36. Key Elements of a Quality Team • Commitment • Mission • Objectives • Trust • Meetings • Shared Responsibility • Conflict Resolution • Roles and Responsibilities • Participation • Communication

37. What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

38. What’s Your Interpersonal Style? • Read each item of the survey titled “What is my style and what is your style?” • Place a check next to your best choice for each item. • Tally the number for each column at the bottom. • We will discuss the results.

39. What’s Your Interpersonal Style? • Achiever • Persuader • Supporter • Analyst

40. Achiever High risk-taker, less people-oriented Like to be in control of situations and sometimes people Generally forceful and direct when working with colleagues Working with Achievers Be business like and direct Ask factual questions Propose logical and efficient plans, but let achievers have/share control over final solutions Anticipate objections and prepare to address them What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

41. Persuader High risk-taking, more people oriented High spirited and social Love to inspire and be inspired Articulate and intense when working with colleagues Working with Persuaders Acknowledge their strengths, competence, humor and friendliness Present ideas in an enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive manner Encourage ideas that are innovative Get plans in writing, it helps them stay focused What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

42. Supporter Lower risk-taking, more people oriented High ideals and standards Love calm environments and hate conflict Need security and appreciation for your efforts Working with Supporters Be calm, casual, friendly Actively listen, reflect their feelings and concerns Appreciate their efforts Present ideas that are consistent with their values and high standards What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

43. Analyst Lower risk taking, less people oriented Highly disciplined and persistent Love to reason and need time to think things through before moving into projects Accuracy and order are your trademarks Working with Analysts Present information in a logical step by step manner Pay close attention to details Appeal to logic, reason, order, and systematic approach to problem solving Do your homework; expect to be challenged on your assumptions, ideas, procedures What’s Your Interpersonal Style?

44. What’s Your Interpersonal Style? • Choose a staff member you work with • Write their name • Given what you just heard, choose a strategy you can use when you work with them.

45. Collaboration - A style for direct interaction between at least two co-equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal.

46. Role of General Education Teacher • Read and be familiar with the IEPsof your students • Deliver instruction which incorporates: • IEP Goals • Specially Designed Instruction • Behavior support plan components • Collaboratewith special education teacher to plan and solve problems (co-teach) • Monitor student progress related to instruction and IEP goals • Communicate with parents and other team members

47. Role of Special Education Teacher • Coordinate the development and delivery of IEPs that provide access to the general education curriculum • Deliver specially designed instruction as specified in the IEP • Collaborate(co-teach)with general education teachers, other team members (family, related service providers) to plan and solve problems • Develop a plan and tools formonitoring student progress related to instruction and IEP goals across environments • Communicate with parents and other team members

48. Parity: Actions speak louder than words • Conveying the message to students, parents and others. • Who does what when?

49. Planning Considerations • How will we introduce our “partnership” to the class? • How will the content be presented? • What grouping pattern will be used for lesson presentation? • Are modifications needed? • How will “study skills” be addressed?

50. Planning Considerations (Continued) 6.How will paperwork be handled? 7.What classroom behavior management system will be utilized? 8. How will each teacher’s responsibilities be assigned? 9. How will communication be handled? 10. How will the classroom be arranged?