Co-Teaching at Addison Community Schools Aaron Wesche Science

Co-Teaching at Addison Community Schools. Aaron Wesche: Science Teacher Candi Sandera: Special Education Teacher.

What is Co-Teaching. • Co-Teaching is an approach where general education teachers and special education teachers “Pair-up” in the general education classroom to instruct ALL students.

How we got where we are at. • Before the 07 -08 school year our Principal came to us and told us we would be co-teaching together. • A Guide to Co-Teaching: Practical Tips for Facilitating Student Learning by Villa, R, Thousand, J, & Nevin, A (2008). • Internet research. • Training at LISD • Talking with each other about good teaching. We spent a lot of time talking about what is best for all of the students in the class.

Roles • General Education • Content Specialist • Curriculum Sequence • Instructional Objectives (Content Standards) • • • Special Education Learning strategist Modifications and adaptations Motivation strategies Knowledge of special needs

Our Keys to Co-Teaching • • • Communicate with each other, students, and parents. Be honest and trust one another. Maintain high expectations for all students Document what you are doing for all students Accommodations are for all students and modifications for special needs students. Student Response: I liked being in a co-teaching classroom because it gave me the ability to learn better and allowed me to learn in different ways.

Supporting Data 07 -08 Biology • 65% Average • 7 Failures • This class had 13 special needs students. The class average was higher than the other 3 biology classes 08 -09 Biology * 71% Average * 7 Failures * This class had 11 special needs students • 2 nd Co-taught biology with different general ed. Teacher that does not implement cotaught strategies • 63% • 8 failures

Accommodations and Modifications • Accomodations ▫ Word Bank on quizzes ▫ Tests read aloud ▫ Extended Time ▫ Moodle as an accommodation for all students. • Modifications ▫ Reduced choices on multiple choice. ▫ Grouping T/F ▫ Reduced number of questions. ▫ Different Rubric for major projects.

Benefits of Co-Teaching • Having two or more adults in a classroom allows students to work with ease in whole group, small group, and individual settings. By lowering the student/teacher ratio, co-teachers have a better chance to meet the diverse needs of technology, curriculum and diversity issues.

• Flexible grouping of students is much easier with co-teaching. The use of centers, curriculum groups, interest groups, and individual settings are based on the individual needs of students. • Whole group teaching is an option, but typically less time is spent lecturing the whole group; this leaves more time to spend with small groups and individuals.

• In co-teaching classrooms, students are actively engaged in learning. Many times, two or more teachers will attempt projects they wouldn’t try by themselves.

• Problem solving is a true advantage to coteaching. • Having a second pair of eyes in the room, teachers are able to collaborate and solve problems in a timely manner.

• Co-teaching allows for consistency when one of the instructors is out of the classroom (meeting, professional development, etc). Instead of a substitute not knowing classroom procedures the co-teacher will be there to help run things. • Student Response: It is easier to get help. It always helps when one teacher has a sub, the other teacher knows exactly what we need to do.

• Gathering data on individual students for assessment purposes is a very difficult job for one teacher, but co-teaching allows for individual assessment to be ongoing during the teaching day.

Content Standards • We have used the Biology Companion Document supplied by the State of Michigan to help unpack the standards. • Currently moving into focusing on the Power Standards. • Used MME data to pin point which areas need to be tweaked ▫ Inquiry ▫ Genetics

Communication • How to handle plan time between Co-Teachers ▫ Ideal situation would be to have common planning time ▫ Non-ideal but can make it work – email, phone, hallway conversations, morning meetings, etc. ▫ A lot of ways to do it if you are creative. substitute teachers at the beginning of a unit so we can meet and plan the unit. Delayed Starts once per month to help plan. We are going to try to meet one time per week before school to go over the week. Must stay ahead on lesson plans so planning between both teachers can be done.

Handling Student Issues • Communication – talk before the year starts about expectations, and discipline procedures. • Key is to be consistent and maintain a combined front. Students will try to play one teacher against the other. • Students have to know that either teacher has the right to discipline and what one teacher says goes. • If a situation is handled differently than what you would like to see then the co-teachers need to talk about it and be open about it.

Roles of the Administration. • • Keep co-teachers together multiple years. Work on planning time. Supplies for activities (reimbursement) Set-up collaboration group with other co-teachers in the county. If possible: really think about the personalities of the coteachers and how they will mesh. Try to limit number of general ed. teachers the coteacher is working with. When conflict arises between co-teachers, the Principal needs to step in and address the issue. Scheduling: Research suggests that no more than 1/3 of a Jr/Sr high class should be special education students. In Elementary that number becomes no more than 25% should be special education students.

More Student responses • I liked it. I got more of my questions answered and the activities are fun. So I liked it a lot, but it was easier to get caught fooling around, but still fun. • I liked co-teaching because things get explained a lot better and you can do activities that help you remember the vocab and other material. • It is easier to get help. It always helps when one teacher has a sub, the other teacher knows exactly what we need to do. • I liked being in a co-teaching class because there are days when you split up and I can catch up on stuff we learned when I was absent. • I liked having a co-teaching class because it’s easier to ask questions and get the answers faster. It’s also a lot more fun and I tend to pay attention better with two teachers rather than one.

PD Opportunities • Candi went to a training session to keep her Sex. Ed certificate. We took a lot of the ideas and strategies demonstrated there and modified them to work in our class. • Activities modified from: To Your Health Workshop. Offered through Monroe ISD Su Nottingham & Al Craven 4660 Cooper Rd Stockbridge Mi 48285 Email: A 12 connect@aol. com Fax: 517 -851 -4692

Examples • Vocabulary puzzle. • Truth or Myth activity.

Moodle • We use Moodle as an accommodation for all students. • Moodle

Contact Information Aaron Wesche ▫ Email: weschea@addison. k 12. mi. us ▫ Phone: 517 -605 -5568 Candi Sandera • Email: sanderac@addison. k 12. mi. us • Phone: 517 -673 -3192