Working in an Inclusion Setting

1. Working in an Inclusion Setting Best Practices for Co-Teaching with ESE/ESOL Students

2. What is co-teaching? As co-teachers - a regular and a special education teacher - you will plan lessons and teach a subject together to a class of special and regular education students. Your co-teaching will support academic diversity in the regular classroom and provide all students with access to the county and state curriculum.

3. Research Base for Co-Teaching • Positive impact on student achievement and self-esteem (Cramer, Nevin, Salazar, & Landa, 2004). • Improved test scores on standardized assessments • Percentage of participating special education students who passed the Gateway English test increased from 20 to 40% in Shelby County, Tennessee high schools. (Noeth, 2004). • Decreased referrals for behavioral problems (Schwab Learning, 2003). • Teachers reported being happier and not feeling so isolated. (Schwab Learning, 2003).

4. Advantages of Co‐Teaching • Sharing instructional strategies enhances pedagogy of both teachers • Having 2 teachers in a classroom makes individual assistance available to more students. This also reduces discipline incidents . • Marginal students, who do not qualify for special education services, can receive the specialized assistance of a special education teacher • Bateman & Bateman, 2006

5. Advantages of Co‐Teaching • If either teacher is absent, the lesson plan for the day can continue without resorting to substitute lesson plans • Special education teachers become more confident with content areas and supporting their work with students during resource time • General education teachers learn more specialized instructional strategies • ‐ Bateman & Bateman, 2006

6. Critical components of collaboration • Parity-each person has EQUAL power in decision making. • Mutual goals • Shared responsibility for participation and decision making • Shared resources, time, and availability • Shared accountability for outcomes • – Cook & Friend, 2007

7. Co-teaching Approaches • One teaching/ one observing • One teaching/ one drifting • Station teaching • Parallel teaching • Alternative teaching • Team teaching • Don’t t get in a rut using only one model. • In one day you may use several! • Co-teaching examples

8. One Teaching/ One Observing • Requires little joint planning • One teacher instructs, one observes a student or small group to record data on specific behaviors • Could lead to ESE teacher being more of an assistant if the observer role is not traded back and forth • If observer role is exchanged, it allows regular and general education teachers the opportunity to see what is really going on regarding classroom dynamics • Teachers can discuss information provided from observations and use it to plan instruction and behavior management

9. Considerations for One Teach/ One Observe • Teachers decide ahead of time which student(s) will be observed. • For example: If Monique, Robert and Jonathan are never able to complete independent seat work, an observation may provide insight as to the cause: • unable to comprehend task • 2) inability to focus due to being easily distracted by surrounding movement and noise. • This gives students the opportunity to see each teacher as “the teacher teacher” while the other is observing. • The information collected should be shared in a timely manner in order to make adjustments in instruction and/or classroom management.

10. One teaching/ One drifting • One teaches, the other constantly moves about room monitoring behaviors and helping others stay engaged • Should not be the only method used by two certified teachers • Requires little joint planning • Works well with Para educators and certified teachers who do not feel comfortable leading instruction • Roles should be interchanged • Can be distracting to students

11. Station Teaching • Much like learning centers. • Lowers student ratios • Students move from one station to another • Requires joint planning and shared responsibility for delivering instruction • Could have up to 3 stations (one independent work station) • Most common problems occur with transition and noiselevels-must monitor and adjust!

12. Example of Station Teaching. . . • 4thgrade language arts class: • Reviewing story elements of character and plot • Comprehension activities • Students work in pairs to edit writing assignments • High school Civics class: • Use text to review structure of American government • Discussionof upcominglocalelection • Independentwork on report/ campaign poster of localsenatorsandstaterespresentatives

13. Parallel Teaching • Essentially the same lesson is taught to half the class • Reduces teacher-student ratios • Both groups have regular and special education students • Great for reteaching, reviewing for tests, projects, cooperative learning activities • Should not be for initial instruction, unless both teachers are proficient in the concept being taught • Requires joint planning & shared responsibility for instruction

14. Alternative Teaching • One co-teacher takes a small group to teach something • Different from what large group will be taught • Great for pre-teaching, re-teaching, assessing skills • Be careful not to stigmatize certain students or keep them from accessing regular curriculum • Both teachers take responsibility for small group at various points throughout the year • Requires joint planning & shared responsibility for instruction • Opportunity to apply formative assessment data by regrouping/reteachingto address specific skills & IEP goals

15. Team Teaching • Both teachers teach and plan for instruction • Take turns leading discussion, demonstrating concepts, etc. • Requires the most joint planning, commitment, compatibility, comfort level, and mutual trust • Assign specific parts of the lesson when planning • Constantly reflect together and check to see if the other teacher is satisfied with what is happening in the classroom

16. Some ways to use teaming: • Each teacher takes a side in an issue to be debated in class (simulate conflict) • One teachers explains while other teacher demonstrates activity or lab procedure • Each teacher takes the role of a character in reading a literary work • Model appropriate questioning and/ or summarizing • Both circulate room while students work on projects or in cooperative learning groups

18. Gallery Walk • Pass out stickers • Go to poster with matching sticker • Read standard • Discuss which co-teaching method (s) you’d use to teach content • Complete graphic organizer

19. The Basics • When deciding which approach to use in a given lesson, the goal is to improve the educational outcomes of students through the selected co-teaching approach. • Many beginning co-teachers start with supportive teaching and parallel teaching because these approaches involve less structured coordination among the co-teaching team members. • As co-teaching skills and relationships strengthen, co-teachers then venture into the complementary teaching and team teaching approaches that require more time, coordination, and knowledge of and trust in one another’s skills.

20. Classroom procedures • Both names on door or other visible locations/ indicators of room ownership • Both names on documents going home with students • Both teachers plan lessons and grade papers • Both teachers deliver instruction or lead class routine/ activities on a daily basis • Both teachers share in classroom management, including discipline.

21. PARITY and Building a Relationship • How important is it for both teachers to be in class EVERY day for the ENTIRE class? • What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your PET PEEVES?!? Be honest!!! • Tell 3 things for others to keep in mind when working with you? • Co-teaching

22. Establish rapport • The first step that you (the regular classroom teacher and the special education teacher) need to take is to establish a relationship -- even before the students enter the building. Get to know each other on a personal level. After all you will be together the entire year. What things do you have in common? Are you married? Children? Hobbies? Where did you grow up? • When the two of you have a comfortable relationship and rapport with each other, the children feel more comfortable in the classroom. Students can sense tension as well as harmony within the learning environment. A positive relationship will help minimize misunderstandings and motivate you to resolve problems before they escalate.

23. Identify your teaching style(s) and use them to build a cohesive classroom • Are you a hands-on teacher who loves doing experiments and using manipulatives, never to open a textbook? While your co-teacher needs to use the textbooks first and then supplement with experiments and manipulatives? • How do you manage behaviors? What are your discipline styles? • Instructional and discipline styles are just two factors you need to examine so that you can combine the best of both of your styles to create a cohesive classroom. You need to find a balance that makes everyone comfortable. • When you plan lessons together, you can use your two styles to complement one another and thus enhance the lessons and the delivery of instruction. You create a cohesive classroom with consistent expectations when both of you are on the same page with instruction and discipline styles.

24. Barriers to Successful Co-teaching • Lack of administrative support • Lack of shared planning time • Need for in‐service training • Personality matches – the relationship between co‐teachers is critical to success. • Misguided perceptions and / or lack of communication • Poorly defined roles / unclear expectations • Scheduling; homogeneous grouping of students

25. Discuss strengths and weaknesses How can you utilize each instructor’s strengths and weaknesses? • A good way to do this is to have each of you make a list of strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. • Compare them and highlight the strengths that are dominant for one teacher and allow that person to be the lead teacher in those areas. • By using these strengths, you can differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of a larger group more frequently within the classroom as well as allowing for individualized instruction.

26. Checklist for Co-Teachers Build a collaborative relationship: • Sit down together! “What is your preferred teaching style?” • Discuss the classroom components. • If you have disagreements, develop solutions to your problems.

27. Checklist for Co-Teachers – Things You MUST Discuss Before The First Day of School • Interview yourself. What is your preferred teaching style? Discuss the following components of a classroom. Find the style that best describes your teaching style or describe your own! Ideas below are not necessarily the RIGHT or WRONG answers. If you and your co-teacher disagree, how can you make it work? • How do we show equal value (parity) in the classroom? • – Both standing up front teaching for at least part of the class time • – Both calling parents and managing classroom behavior • – Both names on door and notes going home • Are you comfortable with letting someone take responsibility for teaching something you went to school to do? • How much talking should there be among students: • – during warm-up • – During instruction • – group work • – independent seat work • – any time is fine • – NEVER! • How much movement should there be during class? • – None • – Sharpening pencils, throwing away items, getting tissues, using restroom,etc. • – Only at beginning or end of class • – Only after raising hand for permission • – NEVER

28. What does paying attention look like to you? • Facing the front • Feet on floor • Bottom on the seat • Head up, sitting up • As long as they are making the grade and answering questions the • they can put their head down • How does a student show you they have mastered an objective? • Exact wording that you give them • Verbal v/s written assessments • Alternative ways to assess student knowledge • No grades below 60 • If a child masters the overall objective the same measure does not have to be used for every child. • Discipline • Who disciplines the class? • Regular Ed teacher • Special Ed. Teacher • Both

29. How do you find a common ground for expectations? • How will you mediate when you disagree on how to handle a certain situation? • When do you intervene if the other teacher is handling a discipline issue…or do you?!? • Are you a hard-core disciplinarian or more laid back? • • Structure in the Classroom • Do you need structure and same routine each day? • Every day is different depending on how you feel or the objectives you need to cover. • 50/50 • some activities very structured, some are not • Transitions from one activity to the next…how should they work? • • Planning • Fly by the seat of your pants • Plan for the year • Plan on Friday’s for the next weeks • Plan a week at a time, but know that this could change quite a bit once you are actually teaching the lesson. • Am I ready to try new ideas and trust another teacher in a project, planning, delivering instruction, etc.?

30. Discuss IEP’s and Regular Education Goals • To create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), the special educator needs to involve the regular educator in the special education process. Students in special education belong to both educators, so the general educator must be informed about the IEP for each child. Otherwise, the two of you cannot effectively execute the plans. It's difficult to educate a child if you are unaware of his or her special needs. It is important to discuss the modifications and accommodations as well as the goals and objectives to ensure student success in the classroom. The special and regular education teacher can then work together in meeting the student’s goals and ensuring adequate progress. • In the same way, the regular education teacher should discuss with the special education teacher his or her goals for the regular students, as the regular education students belong to the special education teacher as well. Both educators should be addressing the goals, objectives, and mandatory curriculum for that grade level.

31. Formulate a Plan of action and act as a unified team • You have to make decisions constantly throughout the year, so if you formulate a plan of action in the beginning of the year, disruptions will be minimal. • Consider the following items in your plan of action: • Scheduling • Expected classroom behaviors • Classroom procedures, such as class work and homework policies, turning in work • Consequences of not following rules and procedures • Grading • Communication between home and school • Talk about what you will tolerate as well as how you will respond to actions that are not acceptable. Be consistent when dealing with parents, and meet as a team for conferences with them. Determine your roles in advance so that you do not contradict each other or foster misunderstandings during the meeting.

32. Characteristics of Effective Teams • 1. All participants understand, agree to, and identify the primary goal for the team. • 2. The team is characterized by open communication that includes ideas, opinions, and feelings. • 3. Team members trust one another, that is, they know that no team member will deliberately take advantage of another. • 4. Team members support each other by demonstrating care and concern. • 5. Team members manage their human differences. They clarify how they are different from one another and use these differences as strengths for creative problem solving rather than as hindrances to problem resolution. • 6. Teams meet and work together only when necessary. • 7. Team members have fundamental team skills, including those for communication, those for addressing task goals, and those for maintaining effective team functioning. • 8. Teams have leaders but recognize that leadership is hared by all team members.

33. Take risks and grow • A wonderful aspect of co-teaching is that it allows you to take risks, learn from each other, and grow as professionals. • Co-teaching provides a safety net when you take risks in your instruction. When you try something new and it doesn't work, you have another teacher in the room who can step in with another technique or lesson that works, or point out the area of difficulty, or assist in redirecting the lesson. When you are the only teacher in the room and a lesson bombs, you often have to stop and move on and then analyze later why the lesson fell apart -- without the assistance of someone else in the room observing the lesson.

34. Special Thanks • Julie Bost and Michele Woodson from Alamance Burlington Schools in North Carolina • Contact them @ • julie_bost@abss.k12.nc.us • Michele_woodson@abss.k12.nc.us • pedroj@flaglerschools.com