When watching the video: Co-teaching models for special education it was very clear that co-teaching means working together to help all students. They did not split students between them and focus on “their” students alone. That is how co-teaching should work. It should be for the benefit of all students, not just the “behind” students. The special education teacher and the classroom teacher are seen as equal by all students in the room. One is not there to simply assist the low students. They are both part of teaching the lesson and assisting everyone.
One of the most important strategies teachers can use is modelling. There is no better way to model cooperation then through co-teaching. The students see their two teachers working together and talking with one another. They learn turn taking by watching them switch back and forth between their instructional teachings. We always explain to our students that they need to be able to work with others. I think it’s about time we practice what we preach as teachers.
The video describes how co-teaching steers away from pulling lower achieving students out of the room to work, but instead having all students learn together and benefit from each others' strengths. I think this is the key when we think about inclusion. Inclusion does not mean having an Educational Assistant glued to the side of a student in the classroom. Inclusion means making the classroom environment work for everyone that is in it, regardless of their abilities and/or needs. The special education teacher sees the different needs of all the students in the class, not just the labelled ones. Both teachers are more readily available to help anyone that needs it.
One of the most important strategies teachers can use is modelling. There is no better way to model cooperation then through co-teaching. The students see their two teachers working together and talking with one another. They learn turn taking by watching them switch back and forth between their instructional teachings. We always explain to our students that they need to be able to work with others. I think it’s about time we practice what we preach as teachers.
The video describes how co-teaching steers away from pulling lower achieving students out of the room to work, but instead having all students learn together and benefit from each others' strengths. I think this is the key when we think about inclusion. Inclusion does not mean having an Educational Assistant glued to the side of a student in the classroom. Inclusion means making the classroom environment work for everyone that is in it, regardless of their abilities and/or needs. The special education teacher sees the different needs of all the students in the class, not just the labelled ones. Both teachers are more readily available to help anyone that needs it.
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