Important
Session
Information:
Many professionals have learned about the fundamentals of co-teaching. They understand how contemporary co-teaching is different from the co-teaching of the past, they have clarified their roles and responsibilities, and they feel confident implementing the six classic co-teaching approaches. They understandably ask, “What else is there?”
The answer to that question is that there are many additional topics to explore beyond the basics, and that is the focus of this professional development. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your current co-teaching practices, explore variations of the basic co-teaching approaches, discuss the integration of specially designed instruction into co-teaching, address questions that you have related to your co-teaching practice, tackle practical matters such as planning time and scheduling, and consider a wide range of issues that may arise in co-taught classrooms and schools. One key assumption is that you have already participated in a basic co-teaching professional development session; the intent is to move beyond the fundamentals.
Here are the questions that will form the focus for the day:
1.How do you allocate co-teaching time among the six classic approaches? How could variations of the approaches enhance student learning?
2.How do co-teachers effectively and efficiently plan for their shared instruction? What are realistic expectations regarding co-planning time?
3.What are recommended practices regarding the classroom logistics of c-teaching (e.g., student movement, noise level student groupings, use of classroom equipment)?
4.How do school/system logistics affect co-teaching effectiveness (e.g., class composition, special educator schedule, schoolwide schedule)?
5.What is specially designed instruction (SDI)? How is SDI distinguished from differentiation, accommodation, and modification? What is the obligation of co-teachers to incorporate SDI into their instruction, and how do they accomplish this?
6.How can co-teachers address their other issues and concerns, both those that being experienced and those that are anticipated?