cshamburg@gmail.comChris Shamburg

Introduction to Co-TeachingDr. Christopher Shamburg

New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education

Piscataway October 20, 2015

How can we optimize the effectiveness of two

professionals in a classroom?

Why Inclusion

20 years ago…

United States

New Jersey

New Jersey

Hudson County

Hudson County

30 years ago…

Realtor

Efficiency and Industrialization

1994: SCANS Report

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was appointed by the Secretary of Labor to determine the skills our young people need to succeed in the world of work. The Commission's fundamental purpose is to encourage a high-performance economy characterized by high-skill, high-wage employment

Student-CenteredStudent-Centered

Teacher-CenteredTeacher-Centered

1991: SCANS Report

Occupations that typically need postsecondary education for entry are projected to grow faster than average… while those requiring a high school diploma will experience the slowest growth over the 2010–20 timeframe.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Overview of 2010-2020 Projections, 2012.

20121900-1990

The Civil Rights of Inclusion1954: Brown vs. Board of Education

1973: FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)for Students With Disabilities

1975: Individuals with Disabilities Act—requires testing and resources for all students

1999: Americans with Disabilities Act gives students with special needs more rights and a greater access to resources

2012: The majority of students with disabilities are now educated in their neighborhood school with non-disabled peers (US Department of Education)

Roles and Relationships

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Role DifferentiationGeneral Educator• Content expert• Thinks curriculum to

class-wide activities• Thinks what activities

will I use to support mastery of curriculum

• Assures students progress in the subject

Special Educator• Strategies expert• Thinks of how the

disability impacts learning, behavior, etc.

• Ensures student receives IEP services and makes progress toward IEP goals

Paraprofessional• Works under supervision of certified staff • Supports learning, organization, behavior for students

Benefits and Challenges

• Domino Share

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Purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

… Ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.

» 20 U.S.C. § 1400(C)(1)

CO-TEACHING IS ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION AND

COMMUNICATION!

Two teachers, a general educator and special educator coming together to teach an inclusive

class of diverse students.

An Equal Partnership

• Co-teachers are expected to share everything:– Students– Planning– Instruction– Assessment

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What are the Benefits of Coteaching to

Students?

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● Promotes Differentiated Instruction

● Increases Instructional Options

● Grouping FlexibilityLower Student to Teacher Ratios

● Decreased Stigma

Establishing the Foundation• Building Trust

– Get to know each other.• What interests and life experiences do we share?

– Sharing and problem solving• What are our respective ideas about classroom

discipline and grading?• How will we ensure that students see us as

equals?• When will we plan together?

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Some Characteristics of Successful Coteaching (Friend, 2013)

1. Professionalism2. Ability to articulate and model instruction

to meet student needs3. Ability to accurately assess student

progress4. Ability to analyze teacher/teaching styles5. Ability to work with a wide range of

students6. Knowledge of course content

Here’s the research based on input from general education co-teachers 22

Coteaching Conversations (handout)

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Developing Good Communication is a

Process

• Beginning stage: Communication occurs hesitantly; teachers seek to correctly interpret verbal and nonverbal messages, with more or less success.

• Compromising stage: Communication is more open. Teachers freely give and take ideas. They begin to use humor in their conversations with each other and their students.

• Collaborative stage: Teachers begin to use non-verbal communication. They become role models for their students.

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Co-Teaching Approaches

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Model 1: Lead/Assist—Lead/Observe

• One teacher teaches as the second teacher circulates throughout the classroom monitoring progress and providing assistance as needed.

• Class to class, both teachers share roles in such a way that the distinction between generalist and specialist is not obvious.

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Complementary Teaching (related)

• The second teacher enhances the lesson with visuals, auditory, and/or kinesthetic activities.

• One teacher introduces the content for a group activity, then the other teacher reviews points about being a good group member, etc.

• One teacher writes notes on board or overhead while the other is speaking

• One goes over what the students already know about a topic (K-W-L), then the second teaches new material

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Model 2: Parallel Teaching

• Teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and do so simultaneously

• This approach can be used frequently if noise level is not distracting and both teachers pace instruction accordingly

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Model 4: Alternative Teaching

• One teacher takes responsibility for the large group while the other works with smaller group for a specific instructional purpose

• Use sparingly to avoid the perception of a special needs pullout within the classroom for a select group of students

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Model 3: Team Teaching

• Both teachers share the delivery of core instruction and have equally active roles in leading the class

• Use frequently with the caveat that it does not eliminate the practice of differentiation and flexible grouping

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Stations are spots in the classroom where small groups of students can work on various tasks simultaneously

Model 4: Station Teaching

Lectures and Discussion

Stations are spots in the classroom where small groups of students can work on various tasks simultaneously and then rotate.

Station Teaching

Station 2

Station 3

Station 4

Station 5

Station 1

• Can be teacher-led or student-directed, independent, or collaborate.

• Stations can work at a station for 8 minutes or a full class period

• Stations can focus on the same topic in different ways or different parts of a larger topic.

Station Options

Examples

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Example: 5th Grade Math : fractions

CCSS.Math.Content.5.NF.A.1 Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)

Example: 5th Grade Math : Fractions with unlike denominators

Station 1: Students will adjust recipes from magazines with fractional ingredients for different numbers of people.

Station 2: Students will play ‘fractions game’ with board and cards.

Station 3: Students will make a short video explaining the LCD of different problems, starting simple and getting more difficult

Station 4: Students will complete SmartBoard activity where they have to mix different amounts of nuts.

Example: 5th Grade Language Arts/ Figurative Language

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

• Station 1: Students are given blue index cards with the first half of a simile and red index cards with the second half. Then need to appropriately connect the cards working as a group.

• Station 2: Student are given 3 epic similes and must write a short story that uses all 3.

• Station 3: Students are given pictures of natural phenomenon and use them to describe the actions of people (e.g. he made a mess like a hurricane)

• Station 4: Students are given a list of figures of speech and must enact them and record (e.g. busy as bees).

• Station 5: Students will do a variety of activities on the Smartboard relating to Idiomatic Expressions.

Example: Language Arts/ Figurative Language

Short readingsWeb-searches or WebQuestsSmall group discussionsPaper-and-pencil tasksHands-on activitiesSmall projectsIndependent or partner readingCartoonsGraphic OrganizersSmart Board ActivitiesTechnology (Kindles, Ipods, Video-streaming, Garageband)Listening Activities

ActivitiesArt or drama exercises

Puzzles

Interpersonal reflection

Mini-lessons

Games

Chalkboard work

Brainstorming

Video or DVD viewing

Observations or examinations of processes or materials

Puddle Questions

Models

Students need training in on strategies for station and group work:

-Remind students to read directions

-Go over strategies for staying on track during stations

-Have some sort of assessment at each station and consider providing incentives for station completion

Simple Tips for Management

– You cannot do something sequential as there is no order to the

stations (e.g. you cannot have kids brainstorm, draft, revise, etc,)

– Judiciously group the students.• Heterogeneous in literacy skills• Personalities that mesh (common interests?) Pay attention to students

who interact well together; placement of outcasts and bullies?

– Retain right to change groups if misbehavior interferes with activity

– Consider making a station outside of the classroom—the gym, an empty room, outside, the auditorium (if you have the supervision or co-teacher)

Developing Stations: Considerations

Coteaching

• Benefits and Challenges

• Why Inclusion

• Communication

• Respect

• Models

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