City University of Seattle supports co-teaching in the classroom. Co-teaching includes the following:
- The traditional roles of mentor teacher and student teacher will change to that of co-teachers, where both are actively involved in all aspects of instruction.
- Cooperating teacher and teacher candidate plan, collaborate, teach, and assess together, with the candidate gradually assuming the responsibilities of the lead teacher.
- Two teachers in the classroom using a variety of instructional configurations designed to meet student needs.
- A positive impact on the academic achievement of the students by having two teachers facilitating learning in the classroom the majority of the time.
- Placement with quality mentor teachers, who model standard’s based instruction.
Solo teaching is encouraged, as that it provides time for the teacher candidate to gain independent experience. This can take on many variations, it is up to the teacher and candidate to determine how best to incorporate it into their day.
Advantages
- Reduced student to teacher ratio
- Greater opportunities to differential instruction
- Researched connection to increases in student achievement.
- Regular classroom teacher present throughout experience.
- Emphasis on collaboration, communication, and most importantly, increases in student learning.
Instructional Strategies
- 1 teach-1 observer-One teacher has primary responsibility while other gathers specific observational information on students or instructing teacher.
- 1 teach-1 assist-One teacher has primary instructional responsibility; the other assists students, monitors behaviors, or corrects assignments.
- Station teaching –Each teacher instructs one group of students, then groups rotate, many include an independent station.
- Parallel Teaching –Each teacher instructs half the students, using same instructional material and same teaching strategy.
- Supplemental teaching –Allows one teacher to work with students at their expected grade level, while the other teacher works with those who need to be retaught, extended or remediated.
- Differentiated (Alternative) teaching –two different approaches to teaching the same information or outcomes.
- Team teaching – Well planned, team taught lessons, invisible flow of instruction. Both are equally active in the lessons
