The Pros and Cons of Co-Teaching via Team Teaching
There are pros and cons to co-teaching and it is important to understand both before deciding whether it will work for you and your classroom.
Are YOU Ready for Your Co-teaching Experience?
Before beginning a co-teaching relationship it is important to plan your strategy with your co-teacher. To help you prepare for your co-teaching experience, consider these key planning and discussion points with your co-teacher.
Co-teaching: Co-teachers Supporting Each Other
Co-teaching is often used as a way to support students; whether it’s a special education teacher working in a general classroom, team teaching, parallel teaching or station teaching. It can be a way to give more time and individualized attention to students. At it’s best, though, co-teaching also offers support to both teachers. A pair of experienced, successful co-teachers is like a finely tuned machine - every piece works together smoothly and the teachers are supporting each other in everything they do.
Your Co-teaching Approach
One teacher, one support teacher is the most common co-teaching model; however, any one of the other models might be a better choice depending on the lesson plan, the class dynamics, available preparation time, availability of materials, etc. Some models are more appropriate for certain grade levels or subject areas, or at certain times of the year, than others.