Co-Teaching Partnership Modes

In Action: One teacher runs small-group instruction while the other moves around the classroom facilitating learning. Some students attend the small-group lesson, either by sign-up or requirement, that will last 10-15 minutes. The  facilitating teacher fully engages with the rest of the students: moving from desk to desk or table to table, sitting and not hovering, asking questions and getting to know how students are doing and who might need help or prompting to push their thinking to a higher level. 

Setup: All students have independent work in which to engage either invidually or in pairs. This could be practice work or learning through how-to sheets, video, books, etc. This allows for instructional differentiation and builds student agency. 

In Action: Both teachers move around the classroom facilitating learning. In order to gather formative assessment data, they might work from the same academic facilitation grid, making notes as they move around. They might also include an executive function grid, with one teacher focusing moreso on either the academic or the executive function grid.

Setup: All students have independent work in which to engage either invidually or in pairs. This could be practice work or learning through how-to sheets, video, books, etc. Teachers decide how they will gather formative assesment data so they are not being repetitive in talking with students. 

In Action: When it's time for a whole-group lesson, which we call a "benchmark" topic across the unit, rather than one teacher presenting, both do! 

Setup: The teachers have to decide how they will interact with one another. Each could take a part of the presentation; one could present while the other then offered examples, and so on.

In Action: Sometimes it makes sense to have a conference with a student to discuss progress. As one teacher engages in an individual conference, the other teacher facilitates the rest of the class.

Setup: All students have independent work in which to engage either invidually or in pairs. This could be practice work or learning through how-to sheets, video, books, etc. This allows for instructional differentiation and builds student agency.