Team teaching with Michaela was an absolute pleasure. It was made even more interesting because we were experiencing and living what we were teaching. In our model of two teachers teaching together trust and rapport are invaluable. We didn’t have these things when we began, but as we progressed so did our relationship and our effectiveness as team teachers. Since we also did our mini lesson together, we had ample time to get to know each other’s teaching styles, strengths and weaknesses. It quickly becomes obvious that the better you know each other and get along, the more effective you are as team teachers. I imagine this would be even more significant in a real classroom with students because each teacher would build individual rapports with them. I hate to use the analogy of good cop bad cop, but this could also come into play. I am eagerly anticipating our team teaching mini lessons together, and since we got an amazing mark on our mini lesson I am expecting great success. If it were not for Michaela, I would not be looking forward to the lesson, but since we are together it is going to be fun. Furthermore, we will be each other’s support networks. In case I forget something, I know Michaela will be there to fill in the gaps and vice versa. There is strength in numbers, and with Michaela by my side I feel omnipotent.

This video emphasized that co-teaching is all about collaboration between a general educator and special educator. It also explains the benefits of co-teaching and the importance of collaborative co-teaching. Co-teaching promotes differentiated instruction, increases instructional options and flexible grouping which leads to lower student to teacher ratios. The video also highlights the core of co-teaching which is partnership between two teachers who share everything including planning, instruction and assessment. Both teachers should start to build mutual trust and respect, and open communication. They needed to decide who will plan the lessons, whose teaching strategies they have to use, and how to determine students' grades. To work well as a team, both teachers should also share their teaching styles, philosophies and teaching values. The video also emphasizes the importance of commitment, collaborative working relationships, and that both teachers should create a schedule and meet regularly to plan instructions and evaluate students' outcomes.

    I just read an article about the relationships between EAL teachers and classroom teachers, using the collaborative teaching model.  While reading, the struggles EAL teachers face was brought into the spotlight for me. The article makes it clear that the EAL teacher could have a more positive role in a regular classroom, but nonetheless is regularly “encouraged” to take students out of their classroom environment and work with them in a separate room. I believe, it would greatly benefit the language learning students, along with all the other students, to have both teachers instructing the lesson. Sadly it is rarely the case that we see a partnership as such take place in the classroom.  The article points out the importance of the teacher–teacher talk when aiming for the best possible outcome, including the shift from main teacher and support teacher roles, to two equal ability teachers. This brings to light the issue of the EAL teacher having to tiptoe around the habits and routines of the classroom teacher. I feel collaboration between two professionals should not be this problematic, especially when the focus of everyone involved should be the benefit of all children. It seems that EAL teachers need to be very flexible when required to adjust to the classroom teacher, and their philosophies. The idea of collaborative teaching however, is more of a partnership than a leader and assistant roles. I think through real collaborative teaching we will all benefit, when there is inclusion of everyone, by working towards our common goal of helping all students succeed.

Gardner, S. (2006). Centre-stage in the instructional register: Partnership talks in primary EAL. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9 (4), 476 – 494. 

The video entitled Co-Teaching Strategies was great. It clearly displayed all five team teaching styles: team, station, alternative, parallel and one teacher with one support. I would have liked it to be a bit longer and more informative, but all in all it gave a decent demonstration. Another thing I liked about the video is that it seemed authentic and not at all staged. One can clearly see the distinction between the five teaching strategies. Even without the headings it is apparent when the teachers are working as a team with one head and two bodies. Of course the station teaching is very apparent as is the one teacher one support. Another reason why I chose this video is because it has the ideal of Marita Shingler being a general education teacher, and Cindy Alexander being a special education teacher. When they are doing the one teacher one support strategy it is clear who the special education teacher is, but at other times they weave together with the automaticity of a finely tuned machine. This is the type of team teaching that will close the gap between the special and regular education students because it is inclusive and productive with two specialized teachers working as a team.

The video by Jessica Stamler was an informative video on how her and her cooperating teacher set up their classroom for success.  She highlighted that there is a fear that as co-teachers you have to give up your teaching philosophy.  It really spoke to me that this whole idea of co-teaching isn't about compromising to the point of losing your teaching identity for the sake of working with a different individual, but sharing and as a result gaining their expertise and experience.  She illustrated it like a Venn diagram where we merge in the centre and have many things in common, but that we retain and celebrate the things that are unique about each teacher.  That concept gave me more confidence to embrace the idea of co-teaching. As well as she stressed it is important to have constant communication.  I can't say enough how vital this aspect is in working with another teacher.

Avoiding the Clash of the Titans. Retrieved August 23rd, 2013 from TEDxTalk:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_k8rbv9ccY

I just watched the “Bad Co-teaching” video. I’m sure everyone has a horror story about a lesson that has gone awry. How many of those experiences involved co-teaching? Personally, I haven’t had a bad experience with REAL co-teaching, but have had a few less than stellar experiences where an extra set of hands have gone to waste. Without pre-planning and collaboration, co-teaching doesn’t work. The responsibility to plan, instruct and assess should not all fall on to one person’s shoulders if the teachers want to be effective. When one person looks after everything and the other teacher just shows up you may end up with what the text refers to as a “glorified aide”. This co-teaching guide is a great tool for pre-planning and collaborating.

Co-Teaching Collaboration Guidlines GUHSD. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2013, from Grossmont Union High School District: http://www.guhsd.net/index.php/procedures-and-resources/curriculum-and-instruction/doc_view/2762-co-teaching-collaboration-guidlines-guhsd

I wonder why some teachers are so resistant to collaboration? I guess if you are forced into a situation with someone you just don’t “click” with it could be quite frustrating. In the qualitative study I read, researchers tried to develop a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of collaboration between ESL and classroom teachers. The findings were that more successful collaboration between teachers is shown by shared language and experiences; the more time the teachers spent collaborating and debriefing, the better their experience was. The researchers also outlined the five stages of collaboration. The five stages are:

1. Passive Resistance

2. Compliance

3. Accommodation

4. Convergence

6. Creative Co-construction

I think as a group we have reached creative co-construction. We have discussed every part of this project and there have been some things we’ve agreed on immediately and other things that have been debated. The end result however, is an in depth inquiry project that we can all take pride in. Working with five other people on a group project could have been super difficult, but after all is said and done, I’m really proud of my group.

Davison, C. (2006). Collaboration between ESL and content teachers: How do we know when we are doing it right? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9 (4), 454 – 475.

As a substitute teacher I love team teaching. Whenever I know that I will be spending my day with someone who knows the complexities of our classroom I am relieved of all my stress and know the students will have a productive day. My team teacher will know the students and the routine, plus I will never be stuck searching a foreign classroom for something that is not where it is supposed to be. Substitutes aren’t the only ones who benefit from team teaching, the students do as well. Occasionally when there is a substitute in the room the days are not particularly productive. Some students view these days as a holiday and refuse to work resulting in disturbances that impede others progress. Furthermore, sometimes with a substitute the students are simply given ‘keep them busy’ work that they know isn’t relevant or educational. Having a substitute can be even more disruptive and belittling for the special education students. These children often get removed from the classroom which damages their sense of community belonging and devalues them. Finally, team teaching also benefits the absent teacher. There is strength in numbers and it comforting for the away teacher to know that someone they trust is in their classroom who knows exactly what is going on and needs to be done.

What I like best about co-teaching is how it allows us as teachers to be in two places at once, teaching two completely different lessons. In a grade two/three split classroom both planning and teaching can become a hair-pulling experience. That is, if you are trying to do everything on your own. With two teachers the shared responsibilities are much more manageable. One teacher is able to focus on teaching the grade two students their science lesson, while the other teacher is teaching a grade three science lesson to the rest of the students. Without a partner teacher, one person cannot possibly teach two different lessons to two different groups of students at the same time. Trying to do everything on your own will most likely lead to utter chaos and extra, unnecessary planning. But have no fear......co-teaching is here!!

I wish everyone could have the opportunity to collaborate and lesson plan with someone they could trust. It makes teaching much more fun, and much less stressful. If we could all have a teaching partner, or team, it would be like being a cop ... someone would always have your back. You could bring out the best in each other and have the opportunity to do things you wouldn't undertake alone. You would have someone to share the ups and downs with. If every classroom could have two teachers there would also be a huge amount of job creation ... there are a lot of unemployed teachers out there!