Notes About Co-Teaching Techniques

Co-teaching Approaches

1. One Teach, One Observe. One of the advantages in co-teaching is that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning process can occur. With this approach, for example, co-teachers can decide in advance what types of specific observational information to gather during instruction and can agree on a system for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together.
2. One Teach, One Drift. In a second approach to co-teaching, one person would keep primary responsibility for teaching while the other professional circulated through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students as needed.
3. Parallel Teaching. On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, the teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and do so simultaneously.
4. Station Teaching. In this co-teaching approach, teachers divide content and students. Each teacher then teachers the content to one group and subsequently repeats the instruction for the other group. If appropriate, a third "station" could require that students work independently.
5. Alternative Teaching: In most class groups, occasions arise in which several students need specialized attention. In alternative teaching, one teacher takes responsibility for the large group while the other works with a smaller group.
6. Team Teaching: In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same instruction at the same time. Some teachers refer to this as having “one brain in two bodies.” Others call it “tag team teaching.” Most co-teachers consider this approach the most complex but satisfying way to co-teach, but the approach that is most dependent on teachers’ styles.

Friend & Cook (2004)

1. One Teach, One Observe

One of the advantages in co-teaching is that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning process can occur. When one teaches and one observes during co-teaching, the teachers should decide in advance what types of information are to be gathered during the observation and should agree on a system for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together. That is, observation should be a deliberate part of the lesson, not just teachers’ incidental checks of student activity.

WHEN TO USE

• In new co-teaching situations • When questions arise about students • To check student progress • To compare target students to others in class

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Low

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• Which students initiate conversations in cooperative groups? • Which students begin/do not being work promptly? • Is Anne’s inattentive behavior less, about the same, or greater than that of other students in the class? • What does James do when he is confused during an assignment?

OTHER COMMENTS

• If you use blank NCR form or carbon paper, you can make two copies of your data at once--and share immediately.
• Once you’re experienced co-teachers with a mutual sense of comfort, observation of each other can serve as a form of coaching. Cook & Friend (2004)

2. One Teach, One Drift

In some cases, the most effective use of two adults in one classroom is to have one person keep primary responsibility for teaching while the other circulates through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students as needed. Although this approach to co-teaching has value, it is also often over-used, possibly because it makes few demands for change on the part of the teachers.

WHEN TO USE

• When the lesson lends itself to delivery by one teacher
• When one teacher has particular expertise for the lesson
• In new co-teaching situations--to get to know each other
• In lessons stressing a process in which student work needs close monitoring AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Low

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• “This is my absolute favorite lesson to teach. Am I wrong to want to teach it myself?”
• How well do the students understand the steps to follow in long division?
• Are all students following as they learn how to take notes?
• “I’ve never taught geometry or worked with this teacher. I need to get a sense of the flow of the class.”

OTHER COMMENTS

• This approach is not particularly useful to help focus student attention. Instead, it has the risk of distracting students during large-group instruction.
• Each teacher should have the opportunity to lead instruction and drift if this approach is used.

Friend & Cook (2004)

3. Parallel Teaching

On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, co-teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and conduct the lesson simultaneously.

WHEN TO USE

• When a lower adult-student ratio is needed to improve instructional efficiency
• To foster student participation in discussions
• For activities such as drill and practice, re-teaching, and test review

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Medium

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS
• More students would have a chance to share their alternative ending to the story if they are split into two groups.
• If each teacher took a group of students and presented environmental issues--one from the point of view of business and industry and one from the point of view of environmentalists—the class could later have a spiritedly discussion on the topic.
• Student use of the science materials could be more closely monitored if the group is divided in half.

OTHER COMMENTS

• This approach gives each teacher an active--but separate--instructional role in the classroom.
• Any topic with multiple dimensions can be presented using this approach if the groups are then brought back together for discussion.
• Students can be strategically placed in the two groups.

Cook & Friend (2004)

4. Station Teaching

In station teaching, teachers divide content and students. Students rotate from one teacher to another and also to an independent station so that each teacher repeats instruction three times and each student accesses both teachers and the independent station. If appropriate, the third station could be set up to require that students work in pairs instead of independently.

WHEN TO USE
• When content is complex but not hierarchical
• In lessons in which part of planned instruction is review
• When several topics comprise instruction

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Medium

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• During language arts instruction when one station will address comprehension of a recently-read piece of literature, one station will focus on editing of a writing assignment, and one station will consist of an activity related to a skill being taught.
• In social studies to examine the geography, economy, and culture of a region or country.
• In math, to teach a new process while reviewing applications of other concepts already presented.

OTHER COMMENTS

• Variations of station teacher, carried out across two days, are sometimes more appropriate in secondary settings with traditional class periods.
• If students cannot work independently, two groups can be formed. If a student teacher is available, four groups might be arranged.

Friend & Cook (2004)

5. Alternative Teaching

In most class groups, situations arise in which a small group needs to work with one teacher while the larger group works with the other teacher. In alternative teaching, the large group completes the planned lesson while the small group either completes an alternative lesson or the same lesson taught at a different level or for a different purpose. This arrangement might take an entire class period, or it might be used for just a few minutes at the beginning or end of a lesson.

WHEN TO USE

• In situations where students’ mastery of concepts taught or about to be taught varies tremendously
• When extremely high levels of mastery are expected for all students
• When enrichment is desired
• When some students are working in a parallel curriculum

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• High

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• The large group completes a practice exercise related to the concepts just taught; the small group receives additional direct instruction
• The large group checks homework; the small group is pre-taught vocabulary related to the day’s lesson
• The large group is working on projects in small groups; the small group is being assessed. All students will be assessed across two days.

OTHER COMMENTS

• For this approach to be successful, the purpose for the small group and its membership should vary.

Cook & Friend (2004)

6. Team Teaching

In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same instruction at the same time. This implies that each speaks freely during large-group instruction and moves among all the students in the class. Instruction becomes a conversation, not turn-taking.

WHEN TO USE

• When two heads are better than one or experience is comparable
• During a lesson in which instructional conversation is appropriate
• In co-teaching situations in which the teachers have considerable experience and a high sense of comfort
• When a goal of instruction is to demonstrate some type of interaction to students

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• High

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• In science, one teacher explains the experiment while the other demonstrates using the necessary materials.
• In social studies, the teachers debate U.S. foreign policy issues.
• In language arts or English, the teachers act out a scene from a piece of literature.
• As the steps in a math process are taught, one explains while the other does a “Think Aloud” activity.
• One teacher talks while the other demonstrates note-taking on the board or an overhead projector.

OTHER COMMENTS

• This co-teaching approach is affected more than any other by individuals’ teaching styles.
• This is the most interpersonally complex co-teaching approach.

Friend & Cook (2004)