Collaboration and Co-Teaching
Strategies
FACILITATORS:
•Kathryn
Curry
•Erica Hilliker
Adapted from Co-Teaching that Works: Ideas for School Administrators and Teachers, A.
Beninghof, 2010, Muskegon ISD
Objectives
 We will identify and discuss different collaborative
practices and co-teaching models.
 We will plan ways to integrate collaborative
practices and co-teaching into our instructional
repertoire in order to improve student access and
outcomes.
Agenda
 Activator- I SEE Strategy
 Co-Teaching Models
 Building Collaborative Relationships
 Summarizer- Tickets Out
Activator
“I See” Strategy
I= Illustrate. What does co-teaching look like?
What images come to mind?
S= State in one simple sentence what it is.
Use your own words.
E= Elaborate on what you have just stated.
E= Examples. Add examples from your own
practice.
What is co-teaching?
• Two or more adults
• Simultaneously instructing a heterogeneous group of
students
• In a coordinated fashion
“Collaborative teaching is a service delivery structure in which teachers
with different knowledge, skills, and talents have joint responsibility for
designing, delivering, monitoring, and evaluating instruction for a
diverse group of learners in general education classrooms” (DeBoer &
Fister, 1995).
Co-Teaching is not…
 One teacher acting like a helper
 Just “showing up”
 Ignoring the needs of ELL students or students with
IEPs
 Teaching the same old way
 Failing to assist ANY student in need
The Components of Co-Teaching
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
CURRICULUM GOALS
TEACHING
PHILOSOPHY
BELIEFS
CO-TEACHING
COMPONENTS
FAMILIARITY WITH
THE CURRICULUM
INSTRUCTIONAL
PLANNING
ASSESSMENT
INSTRUCTION
Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components, Journal of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
Stages of Co-Teacher Development
•Both teachers direct some of
the activities in the classroom.
•Special educators offers minilessons or clarifies strategies
that students may use.
Beginning
Stage
Compromising
Stage
•Teachers often
present separate
lessons
•One teacher is
“boss”; one is
“helper”
Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components, Journal
of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
Collaborative
Stage
•Both teachers participate in the
presentation of the lesson,
provide instruction and structure
the learning activities
•The “chalk” passes freely
•Students address questions and
discuss concerns with both
teachers
Co-Teaching Models:
 Lead and Support
 Duet
 Speak and Add/Chart
 Skills Group
 Station Teaching
 Learning Style
 Parallel Teaching
 Adapting
 Complementary Instruction
Lead and Support
What it is…
Teacher A
primary responsibility is planning a unit of
instruction
Teacher B
shares in delivery, monitoring, and
evaluation
Lesson Plan- Lead & Support Model
Standard: Read and understand a variety of non-fiction.
Objective: Increase Comprehension through comparison and contrast
Activity
Supports
McGraw Hill pp. 376-382
Post It Notes
Read silently
Answer questions on p. 382
in pairs
Page covers (“magic”)
Develop and complete
graphic organizer with
teacher lesson.
Colored acetate strips
Highlighter tape
Partially completed graphic
organizers
Adapted assessment at end
of unit.
Duet Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
Both teachers plan and design
instruction. Teachers take turns
delivering various components of
the lesson.
Speak and Add/Chart Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
primarily responsible for designing
and delivering
adds and expands with questions,
rephrasing, anecdotes; recording key
information on charts, transparencies,
or board.
Lesson Plan- Speak & Add/Chart Model
Standard: Read a variety of literary forms- describe character development in fiction.
Objective: Find similarities and differences among the 2 main characters of the novel.
Speak
Add/Chart
Initiation:
Begin with hula hoops
Venn diagram on overhead
transparency
Body:
Review meanings of
“similarities”
Paper copies for students
Guided brainstorming
Wikki Stix
Hula Hoops (3)
Higher order questions
Both teachers wander
Closure:
Students pair share
Skills Group Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
Students are divided into 2-4 groups
based on instructional level. Each
teacher takes primary responsibility
for planning for one or two groups.
Instruction may take place in small
groups or whole group with
differentiated levels.
Lesson Plan- Skills Group Model
Standard: Writing- Student will write stories and simple explanations.
Objective: Write an organized paragraph for a multi-step process.
Activity
Teacher
High
Add dialogue between leprechaun and
“hunter”
X
Average
Worksheet graphic organizer 1,2,3 on
left margin
X
Low
Hop-step curtain with graphic
organizer, then worksheets
Teacher
X
Puff paint on worksheets for the 1,2,3
in green, yellow, red
Other
Hop-step curtain
Sticky labels for vocabulary extenders
X
Station Teaching Model
What it is…
Teacher A
responsible for overall instruction
Teacher B
teaches a small group specific skills
they have not mastered
Learning Style Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
Both teachers share in the design and
delivery of instruction. One teacher is
primarily responsible for auditory and
visual instruction, the other for
tactile and kinesthetic instruction.
Parallel Teaching Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
Both teachers plan and design. The
class splits into two groups. Each
teacher takes a group for the entire
lesson.
Adapting Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
primarily responsible for planning and
delivering a unit of instruction
determines and provides adaptations
for students who are struggling
Complementary Instruction Model
What it is…
Teacher A
Teacher B
primarily responsible for delivering
core content
primarily responsible for delivering
related instruction in the areas of
study and survival skills
Model Type:
Lead and Support Model
Duet Model
Speak and Add/Chart Model
Skills Group Model
Station Teaching Model
Learning Style Model
Parallel Teaching Model
Adapting Model
Complementary Instruction
Model
Advantages
Challenges
When would it
work best?
Collaborative Relationships
 Think about the successful collaborative
relationships you have had in your life -- both
personal and professional.
What has made these relationships successful? Jot down key
words
 Walk about: Give one, get one

 What makes collaborative partnerships work?
Roles and Responsibilities of Collaborative Teachers
 The leader
 The supporter
 The techie
 The scribe
 The illustrator
 The evaluator
 Other roles
Getting Started
• Review the elements of collaboration
• Identify personality strengths and weaknesses, areas
of expertise, learning styles, teaching styles and what
you can bring to the relationship
• Identify your values and beliefs on classroom
management, motivating students, what is fair,
assessment, grading, instructional strategies (‘more
is more’)
• Decide on the best times for meeting and planning
for everyone involved
Compare and Contrast: Collaborative Teaching Roles
and Responsibilities
Consider each teacher’s role:
Who will be
responsible for:
Name:
Name:
Protocol for Collaborative Professional
Conversations on Co-teaching
• Co-teachers set aside 20 minutes for this activity. They agree to a set of
•
•
•
•
•
accepted parameters for this professional conversation.
One co-teacher offers his or her account of successful aspects of the shared
co-teaching experience. The other co-teacher is silent and takes notes. (3
minutes)
The same step is repeated with the second co-teacher. (3 minutes)
Each teacher takes a turn to clarify one key element in the other’s
presentation. (3 minutes total)
Co-teachers start an open discussion to analyze the reasons for their
successes and/or identify any other contributing factors that hindered the
success. (8 minutes)
The session is concluded with each co-teacher reflecting on the
conversation and identifying one specific goal or step for the future. (3
minutes)
Adapted from Easton, L. B. (February/March 2009). Protocols: A facilitator’s best friend. Tools for
Schools, 12 (3). p. 6.
Powerful Questions to Try:
• What do you want from your co-teaching partnership?
• Try to envision success. Can you describe it?
• What will you have to do to achieve this?
• What stops you?
• What options do you have?
• What other options are there?
• How will you or others know when it’s worked?
• What would it look like to your students?
• What would your students be doing differently?
• What’s next?
Objectives
 We will identify and discuss different collaborative
practices and co-teaching models.
 We will plan ways to integrate collaborative
practices and co-teaching into our instructional
repertoire in order to improve student access and
outcomes.
Summarizer
I think…
I feel…
I wonder…