Collaborative Teaching Approaches Overview

CollaborativeTeaching Approaches Overview

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One Teach, One

Drift - also called "One Teach, One Assist" or "Lead and Support"

One teacher leads and another offers assistance and support to individuals or small groups. ln this role, planning must occur by both teachers, but typically one teacher plans for the lesson content, while the other does specific

planning for students' individual learning or behavioral needs. Unobtrusive support is given to students as needed

Stat¡on Teaching Students are grouped and work at classroom stations with each teacher, At some point in the lesson the students switch to the other station. ln this model, teachers co-develop the content of the groups. A third group can be developed for students to work independently.

Adaptedfrom Colêaching approaches Friend and Cook

Parallel Teaching Teachers jointly plan instruction, and deliver it to half the class or small groups, This type of model typically requires

joint planning time to ensure that

as

teachers work in their separate groups, they are delivering consistent content.

This model is developed for times when students need a higher level of supervision or direct instruction to access

concepts or develop skills.

Alternative Teaching ln most groups occasions arise when some students require additional support to acquire the content and skills, One teacher works with a small group of students to pre-teach, re-teach, supplement, or enrich instruction, while

the other teacher instructs the large group.

Team Teaching Both teachers deliver instruction in a coordinated fashion. Some teachers refer to this as having "one brain two

bodies", others call is "tag team teaching". Most co-teachers consĂ­der this approach the most complex but satisfying way to co-teach, but it is the approach that is most dependent on teacher styles,

One Teach, One Observe One of the advantages of co-teaching is that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning process can occur. With this approach, for example, teachers can decide in advance what types of specific obseruational

information to gather during instruction and can agree on a system for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers can analyze the data together.

Adaptedfrom Coleaching approaches Friend and Cook

Basis

As

for Selecting a Collaborative Teaching Approach

with all good teaching the underlying principles of differentiation apply:

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Know your students and yourself as a teacher Know your curriculum Use an ever growing range of strategies matched to students and curriculum Use flexible grouping strategy principles to group and re-group Be social and go

slowly

Co-teaching is the most effective when the approaches used are deliberately selected. Here are four factors to consider in selecting a co-teaching approach.

1.

Student characteristics and needs The first considerations in thinking about co-teaching approaches are the stud characteristics and needs. For

example, if student tend to become disruptive during transitions, an approach should be selected that minimizes transitions. Conversely, if students need extra motivation, and approach witĂž frequent changes

might be preferred.

2.

Teacher characteristics and needs Co-teaching will be different in different classroom and at different times of the school year based on teacher characteristic and needs. For examplĂŞ, if co-teachers very significantly in their teaching styles, it might be best to select approaches that enable them to teach independently. Alternatively, if co-teachers

work easily together, a more shared approach might be appropriate'

3.

Curriculum, including content and lnstructional strategies The content to be taught and the instructional strategies that are most effective for addressing the content are additional consideration in selecting co-teaching approaches. Highly structured content and procedures, such as teaching steps in a process, would require one approach while less structured content, such as discussion of ideas, would suggest another approach,

4.

Pragmaticconsiderations The preference for co-teaching approaches should also be tempered but the realities of the setting, For example, in an open school, noise is a consideration in selecting an approach. ln a crowded classroom, an approach not particularly dependent on access to large amounts of space might be the best choice.

Adaptedfrom Coleaching approaches Friend and Cook

oNE TEACH, ONE DRIFT

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ONE TEACH, ONE ASSIST

ln some cases, the most effective use of two adults in one classroom is to have one person keep the primary responsibility for teaching while the other circulates through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to student as needed. Although this approach to co-teaching has value, it is often overused, which can be damaging to the perception of parity.

WHEN TO USE:

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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 PIANNING: Low

SAMPTE APPLICATIONS:

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"This is my absolute favorite topic to teach, Am I wrong to want to teach it myself?"

How well do the students understand the steps in long division?

Are all students following as they learn how to take notes?

"l've never taught geometry of 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. lnstead, it has the risk of distracting student during the large-group instruction and teaching them dependence, Each teacher should have

the opportunity to lead instruction and assists if this approach is used.

Adaptedfrom Co-teaching approaches Friend and Cook

STATION TEACHING

ln 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 teach student accesses both teachers and the independent station, lf appropriate, the third station could be set up to

require that student work in pairs or small groups instead of independently.

WHEN TO USE:

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When content is complex but not hierarchical ln lessons in which part of planned instruction is review When several topics comprise instruction

AMOUNT OF PI.ANNING: Medium

SAMPTE APPTICATIONS:

.

During language arts instruction one station will address comprehension of a recently read piece of

literature, one station will focus on editing of activity related to a skill being taught.

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writing assignment, and one station will consist of an

ln social studies to examine the geography, economy, and culture of a region or country ln math, to teach a new process while reviewing applications of other concepts already presented,

OTHER COMMENTS: Variations of station teaching, carried our across two days are sometimes more appropriate in secondary settings with traditional, (not block) class periods,

lf students cannot work independently, two groups can be formed. lf a student teacher is available, four groups might be arranged.

Adapled/rom Co-leaching approaches Friend and Cook

PARALIEL TEACHING On occasion, students' learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher

or more opportunity to respond, ln parallel teaching,.co-teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and conduct the lesson simultaneously.

WHEN TO USE:

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

AMOUNT OF PLANNING: Medium

SAMPLE APPTICATIONS:

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More students would have a chance to share their alternative ending to the story if they are split into two groups.

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lf 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 very of environmentalists -the class could later have a spirited 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 a discussion.

Students can be strategically placed in the two groups,

Adaptedfrom Coleaching approaches Friend and Cook

ALTERNATIVE TEACHING

ln most classrooms, situations arise in whlch a small group needs to work with one teacher while the larger group works with the other teacher, ln alternative teaching, the large group completes the planned lesson while the small group either completes and 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 few minutes at the beginning or end of a lesson'

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WHEN TO USE:

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ln 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

SAMPTE APPTICATIONS:

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The large group completes an assignment or exercise related to the concepts just taught; the small

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group receives additional direct instruction The large group checks homework; the small group is pre-taught vocabulary related to the day's

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The large group is working on projects in small groups; the small group is being assessed, All

lesson.

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.

Adaptedfrom Co-teaching approaches Friend and Cook

TEAM TEACHING

ln team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same ínstruction at the same

time,

This lmplies that each

speak freely during large-group instruction and moves among all the students in the class, lnstruction

becomes a conversation, not turn-taking.

WHEN TO USE:

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When two heads are better than one or experience is comparable for complementary The teachers have a high sense of comfort and compatibility

During a lesson in which instructional conversation is appropriate When a goal of instruction is to demonstrate some type of interaction to students

AMOUNT OF PLANNING: H gh

SAMPTE APPTICATIONS:

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ln science, one teacher explains the experiment while the other demonstrates using the necessary

materials.

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ln social studies, the teachers debate foreign policy issues of a particular country,

ln language arts or English, the teachers act out a scene from a piece of literature,

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 projected,

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OTHER COMMENTS:

This co-teaching approach is affected more than any other by individuals' personalities and teaching styles.

This is the most interpersonally complex co-teaching approach,

Adapted

from Co-teaching approaches Friend and Cook

oNE TEACH, ONE OBSERVE One of the advantages of co-teaching is that more detailed observation of student engage 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 obseruation and should agree on a system forgathering the data.

Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together. That is, observation should be a deliberate part of the lesson, not just incidental checks of student activity,

WHEN TO USE:

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ln new co-teaching situations When questions arise about students To check on student progress To compare target students to others in class (more clinical observations)

AMOUNT OF PI-ANNING:

LOW

SAMPTE APPTICATIONS;

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Which students initiate conversations in cooperative groups?

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What does James do when he is confused during an assignment?

Which students begin/do not begin work promptly? ls Anne's

inattentĂ­ve behavior less, about the same, or greater than that of other students Ă­n the

class?

OTHER COMMENTS:

Keep notes in a shared location or make copies if using paper so that your partner has immediate access to data.

Once you're experience co-teachers with a mutual sense of comfort, observation of each other can serve as a form

of coaching. (e.g., who do I call on the most?)

Adaptedfrom Coleaching approaches Friend and Cook

Adapte d from: How to Differentiate in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (CarolAnn Tomlinson STRATEGY

DESCRIPTION OF STRATEGY

RATIONATE FOR USE

Flexible Grouping

Students are part ofmany different groups -and also work alone-based on the match of

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the task to student readiness, ÂĄnterest, or learning style.

Teachers may create skillsbased or interest-based grouPs that are heterogeneous or homogenous in readiness level.

Sometimes teachers select them. Sometimes student grouP assignments are purposeful and sometimes random.

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GUIDETINES FOR USE

AIlows both for quick mastery of information/ideas and need for additional exploration by students needing more time for mastery Allows both collaborative and independent work

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Gives students and teachers a voice in

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work arrangements Allows students to work with a wide variety of peers Encourages teachers to 'try ouf' students in a variety of work settings Keeps students from being "pegged" as

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advanced or struggling Keeps students from being cast as those in need of help and those who are helpers

- 2001)

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The goal is to create groups around student needs, which would not necessarĂ­ly mean groups of equal size Maximize each othe/s strengths, as aligned with student needs and ensuring that all professionals have a range of opportunities Ensure that all students have opportunities to work both with students most like themselves and with students dissimilar from themselves in readiness and interest Teacher assigns work groups when task is designed to match individual readiness/ interest based on pre-assessment orteacher knowledge Teacher assigns work groups when desirable to ensure that students work with variety of classmates Students select groups when task is well-suited for peer selection Alternate purposeful assignment to groups with teacher/student selection Ensure that all students learn to work

cooperatively, collaboratively, independently Be sure there are clear guidelines for group functioning that are taught in advance ofgroup work and consistently reinforced