What is co-teaching and co-teaching models

 Co-teaching is the practice of pairing teachers together in a classroom to share the responsibilities of planning, instructing, and assessing students. In a co-teaching setting, the teachers are considered equally responsible and accountable for the classroom. Co-teaching is often implemented with general and special education teachers paired together as part of an initiative to create a more inclusive classroom.

The general education teacher is typically responsible for leading instruction aligned with grade-level standards. They introduce new content and ensure that the curriculum is being covered at the appropriate pace. They also bring deep knowledge of the subject area and help set expectations for the whole class. At the same time, in a co-teaching setting, they work closely with their partner to make lessons more accessible and flexible for all learners.

The special education teacher focuses on supporting students with diverse learning needs, particularly those with individualized education programs (IEPs). They help adapt and modify instruction, provide accommodations, and use strategies that support different learning styles. They also monitor student progress, help implement goals outlined in IEPs, and offer insight into how to best support students who may need additional help.

That said, effective co-teaching is not about separating responsibilities too strictly. Both teachers should be actively involved in planning, teaching, and assessing students. This can look like sharing instruction, lesson planning working with small groups, or taking turns leading different parts of a lesson. 

Co-teaching models

• One Teach, One Observe

  In this model, one teacher instructs while the other observes students to identify issues and assess their performance. This method allows the observing teacher to provide feedback on which content and activities are most effective for students, allowing the co-teaching pair to continually improve their practice and best meet the needs of all students in their classroom.

• Station Teaching
  With station teaching, the lesson is divided into segments as the teachers each instruct part of the lesson at independent stations or rotate between groups of students. This allows teachers to provide specialized support when delivering content in areas they may have more expertise in, or if their style better fits a certain part of a lesson.

• Parallel Teaching
  In the parallel teaching model, the teachers divide the class into two groups and they instruct each group with the same content simultaneously. In this arrangement, the smaller groups allow closer supervision and more opportunities for interaction between the students and teacher.

• Alternate Teaching
  In this method, one teacher handles a larger group, while the other teaches a small group who need specialized attention and additional supports.

• Team Teaching
  Team teaching requires the strongest partnership, but can be one of the most fulfilling methods of co-teaching. With team teaching, the co-teachers share responsibility and deliver instruction at the same time as a “tag team”.

• One Teach, One Assist 
  This approach is similar to the ‘One Teaches, One Observes’ model, but while one teacher is instructing the classroom, the second teacher provides additional assistance and support to students as needed.

Cited: 

https://publishing.cast.org/stories-resources/stories/co-teaching-introduction-inclusion-stein?srsltid=AfmBOormycpGuTJ9R1gZn204CCPZD_UT_H-oiJfUM5TqE6-pZQwu4eFH