CoTeaching Middle School Math How it can be

Co-Teaching Middle School Math: How it can be helpful for students of all ability levels Martha Roelofs Shannon Ter. Meer Brandy Goodwin Otsego Middle School

Agenda Brief history of co-teaching at Otsego Middle School What co-teaching is and is not Why co-teach? Preparing for co-teaching Models of co-teaching How co-teaching helps all students Responsibilities taken by each staff member How to make co-teaching most effective Additional Resources

This was our first year of co-teaching multiple Math classes at Otsego Middle School. In past years, coteaching mostly took place in Science and Social Studies classrooms, since. many students with special needs were in pull-out settings for Math and English Language Arts (ELA)

This year, however, we began a “push-in” model, where most students are in the general education classroom most of the day. Therefore, co-teaching in Math and ELA became necessary.

We offered one co-taught Math class at each grade level. Students were selected for the co-taught classes based on standardized test scores (such as the MEAP and Iowa Test of Basic Skills), past Math class grades, and teacher recommendations. We started the year with approximately 30 students in each class. ~Shannon & Brandy have input here~

What is co-teaching? Includes 2 or more educators or other CERTIFIED staff Staff share responsibility for the instruction of a single group of students, mostly in a single classroom/workspace Involves mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint accountability NOT the same as collaboration, team teaching, or inclusion

Co-Teaching vs. Supporting Co-Teaching All staff members are certified professionals. Staff members alternate leading whole-class instruction. All staff help to plan and deliver instruction. All staff may have sole responsibility over students. All staff assess student work.

Co-Teaching vs. Supporting One staff member is a non-certified professional who works with a specific group of students with special needs. Support staff does not lead whole-group instruction. Support staff has a limited overall classroom role. Support staff is responsible for small-group instruction of specific students with special needs.

Why Co-Teach? Co-teaching improves instruction for all students, for the simple reason that having 2 instructors thinking about instruction is better than one. Instructors can collaborate on all students having difficulties-academically, emotionally, behaviorally, etc. Instructors often have different teaching styles, which helps reach more students in the classroom.

Why Co-Teach? Blurs boundaries between general education and special education No “Your kids” vs. “My kids”-- they're all “Our kids” Special education stigma is reduced because students are all in the same classroom OR in mixed groups. Encourages people to think of special education as a continuum of services, not a place

Why Co-Teach? Increases communication, coordination, and collaboration among professionals Reduces fragmentation of the curriculum and duplication of services If students with special needs are pulled out of the general ed setting for instruction, they often miss some of the content being taught, but also. . . If students with special needs are pulled out of the general ed setting for instruction, but still receive some instruction in the general ed setting, they get duplicate instruction in some areas.

Why Co-Teach? Allows for innovative teaching strategies and methods With 2 or more certified instructors in the classroom setting, students can be split up into smaller groups and more complex activities can be completed. Instructors can learn different strategies and methods from one another.

Why Co-Teach? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) Part B (for students ages 6 -21) has been studied by the Michigan Department of Education The state set a goal that ≥ 63% of students aged 6 -21 with IEPs would be in the general education classroom for 80% or more of the day by the 2012 -2013 school year. Co-teaching is one way to make sure that students can access general education content while keeping them in the general education classroom as much as possible.

Why Co-Teach? Co-teaching allows more students with IEPs to be in their Least Restrictive Environment.

Preparing for Co-Teaching The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requires that instructors be highly qualified to teach their content area. This comes into play very strongly in middle school and high school. Secondary teachers MUST have content endorsement to teach subject matter or provide services through a collaborative model. Therefore, make sure all instructors involved in co-teaching have the correct certification/qualification.

Preparing for Co-Teaching Approach administration to ensure support for co-teaching. Request that instructors have input on the class list and class size. It is very helpful to have schedules for students with IEPs created first, so that they are sure to get the necessary special education services as per their IEPs. Make sure administration realizes that simply because there are 2 teachers in the room, that does not mean that the class size may be larger than normal or that one of the teachers may be pulled at any time for miscellaneous responsibilities (substituting, etc. )

Preparing for Co-Teaching Select a compatible partner (or partners) with whom to co-teach. Voluntary participation is preferable-- find someone who wants to participate in coteaching and is willing to work hard. Remember-- co-teaching is all about student success and professional growth, not becoming best friends with the co-teacher! Good organizational skills and flexibility are strengths to look for when finding a coteaching partner.

Preparing for Co-Teaching When figuring out co-teaching teams, it may be helpful to complete some selfexaminations to discern each person's teaching, learning, and communication styles. Examples: The Di. SC Personal Profile System; various learning style inventories that are available online (see “Additional Resources” for examples). Also, a mission statement for co-teaching may be helpful (see “Additional Resources”).

Preparing for Co-Teaching Creating class lists Assuming classes have approximately 30 students, it's best for there not to be more than 7 -10 students with IEPs. Co-taught classes should NOT be filled with at-risk general education students -- this leads to more behavioral issues and poor modeling for the students with special needs.

Preparing for Co-Teaching Choose a teaming model to use Make sure all educators have an active role in the class-- this can be as simple as having one person model how to ask clarifying questions or organize information more effectively. The special education teacher is first and foremost accountable for helping students with special needs reach their IEP goals and objectives, but is also there to help other students. The model and roles may evolve over time, and will be different in each co-teaching setting.

Models of Co-Teaching Complementary Teaching I (one teach, one observe) Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) Alternative Teaching Parallel Teaching Station Teaching Shared/Team Teaching

Complementary Teaching I (one teach, one observe)

Complementary Teaching I (one teach, one observe) One instructor provides the main instruction; the other instructor observes a specific student or groups of students. Generally used when someone is new to co-teaching, for developing Response to Intervention (RTI) groups, or to observe for problems/progress Should be used sparingly, as the observer tends not to be seen as an equal educator

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one drift/support)

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) One instructor provides the main instruction; the other instructor circulates among students, answering specific questions, keeping students on task, etc. Often used when one of the instructors has particular expertise in a certain area or in lessons where student work needs lots of monitoring. This can easily turn into “one teach, one observe”– the instructor in the “support” position needs to make sure he/she is moving around the classroom and supporting as necessary.

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) The support teacher provides content support-- additional examples, new ways of presentation, and so on, to help students who don't understand the way the lead teacher presents. Example: The lead teacher explains how to multiply fractions; the support teacher gives additional examples or writes further explanation on the board or students' papers.

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) Tiered note-taking works well with this model—depending on students' abilities, some students have more detailed notes to take; others have fill-in-the-blank or less detailed notes.

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) Benefits • • Teachers become used to working together Instructors take turns taking the lead and support roles Students' questions get answered without interrupting the flow of the lesson Supporting teacher can closely monitor students Negative Aspects • • Support person can be viewed as a paraeducator If one instructor takes the support position more often than not, he/she could be viewed as having an unequal work load or not being an equal colleague

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) Lead Teacher is Doing This: Support Teacher is Doing This: How this Benefits Students: Presenting new information to class Modeling note-taking or filling in a graphic organizer See information visually, rather than only hearing it Collecting/reviewing homework Taking attendance; checking in with students Increased instructional time and individual attention to students Explaining directions, answering questions, modeling problems Handing out papers, writing down instructions/model problems on board/overhead; asking clarifying questions Use of visual representations to help students understand

Complementary Teaching II (one teach, one support) Lead Teacher is Doing This: Support Teacher is Doing How this Benefits This: Students: Working with a large, heterogeneous group of students during project-based learning Working with a small group of students in need of more scaffolding or teacher direction Increased personal attention to students; more differentiated instruction; errors and misunderstandings are quickly caught Providing direct instruction or checking for direct understanding with a large group of students Providing one-on-one support; checking for understanding with a small group of students; helping manage behavior Increased personal attention to students; more differentiated instruction; errors and misunderstandings are quickly caught Administering assessments to a large group of students Administering assessments to small groups of students; modifying/accommodating assessments Testing accommodations are provided; students take tests in a smaller-group environment Planning lessons aligned to core standards Develop Increased differentiation modifications/accommodations to lesson plans; preparing plans for intervention groups; developing enrichment opportunities

Alternative Teaching

Alternative Teaching The lead teacher teaches a large group; the other teacher works with a small group that needs specialized attention. The small-group instruction often takes place prior to or following large-group instruction, so that students receive information in multiple ways. The support teacher teaches using a different method than the lead teacher. Very useful in lessons where a high level of mastery is expected, but students' current levels of mastery are varied.

Alternative Teaching Also useful when enrichment is desired Examples: Large-group instruction=practice exercise; small-group instruction=additional direct, explicit instruction (re-teaching) Large-group instruction=going over HW; small-group instruction: preteaching the next lesson's vocabulary

Alternative Teaching Benefits Small groups for more individualized attention to students Meets individualized needs Provides necessary preview or review/reteaching Negative Aspects • • Students who are repeatedly grouped together become segregated Teachers don't have the opportunity to circulate among individual students

Alternative Teaching Strategies include: Peer tutoring Reciprocal teaching Predicting Portfolios Note-taking Use of manipulatives

Parallel Teaching

Parallel Teaching Teachers split the class in half (approximately). Each teacher works with his/her group for a designated period of time, teaching the same content and using the same activities, but with smaller groups. Useful when a smaller student-teacher ratio is needed or for drill/practice, review, reteaching.

Parallel Teaching For example, one teacher could use a more visual teaching style; the other could use more of a kinesthetic style, depending on the needs of each group. Smaller groups tend to get more involved in discussions, and each student gets more individualized attention.

Parallel Teaching Benefits Both teachers have the same credibility Negative Aspects • Smaller groups • Students are strategically grouped Information is broken down into chunks, which helps students gain a deeper understanding • More explicit planning is needed before the lesson is delivered If parallel teaching takes place within one classroom, there is a lot of noise/distraction~ when we used this model, the special ed teacher took her group to her classroom Both teachers must know/teach the same content

Parallel Teaching Strategies include: Think-pair-share Choral reading Splitting students into groups by learning styles Small-group discussion Scaffolding Test review

Station Teaching

Station Teaching Instructors divide content into various stations, which are set up around the room. All students rotate through all stations. Stations may be teacher-led or independent. Useful when content is not hierarchical, when various topics make up the instruction, or when technology is limited. Example: Various ways to multiply fractions— one station uses manipulatives, another uses the area model, etc.

Station Teaching Benefits Students can be strategically grouped (higher-functioning mixed in with middle-functioning and lower-functioning) Each instructor has a clear responsibility Difficult material can be split into chunks so it's more accessible Negative Aspects • • • More planning is needed Noise/distraction levels can be high Pacing can be difficult

Station Teaching Strategies include the following: Lesson overview Individual/small-group instruction Identifying key concepts/terms Manipulatives Hypothesizing Reflection time

Shared/Team Teaching

Shared/Team Teaching Two teachers share all of the teaching responsibilities of the classroom. There is spontaneous exchanging of lead and support roles throughout the lesson. This model takes a while to develop, especially if both instructors are new to coteaching. Example: One teacher presents information while the other demonstrates note-taking, then they switch.

Shared/Team Teaching Benefits Teachers interjecting ideas Teachers modeling effective communication & teamwork Conversation, problemsolving, moving around Repetition Information presented in various ways Both instructors seen as credible leaders Negative Aspects Lack of small-group instruction

How Co-Teaching Helps All Students All students get more individualized or smallgroup opportunities, no matter what model of coteaching is being used. All students are exposed to different models and strategies of teaching. All students have the opportunity to work with other students. With two or more instructors in the classroom, students are usually able to work with the instructor with whom they feel most comfortable.

How Co-Teaching Helps All Students have the opportunity to observe two instructors working together as a team. More students have the opportunity to take advantage of the general education teacher's content knowledge and the special education teacher's knowledge of differentiation/accommodations/modifications. For example, we discovered that many students without IEPs benefited from modified assignments and assessments this year in co-taught math.

Responsibilities Taken by Each Co-Teacher All staff members are responsible for planning and preparing instruction and activities, no matter which co-teaching model is being used. All staff members are responsible for classroom management, as well as grading. Staff members may alternate lead teacher and support teacher roles, depending on which model is being used and the comfort level each staff member has with each content area/lesson.

Responsibilities Taken by Each Co-Teacher All staff members involved are responsible for modeling cooperation and effective communication. Students need to perceive both teachers as equals—make sure instructional duties are shared by both teachers. Be flexible with grouping and instructional strategies.

Tips for Effective Co-Teaching Find or make time for co-planning-- as much as possible. It doesn't have to be face-to-face; you can use the phone, email, Skype, etc. Analyze yourself before you begin-- use learning style inventories, etc. Open lines of communication! Share positive thoughts and constructive criticism. Get to know your co-teacher. Be ready, able, and willing to share—ideas, workspace, and so on.

Tips for Effective Co-Teaching Remember-- there are no “my kids” and “your kids”. All kids in a co-taught classroom are “our kids”. Not all co-teaching relationships work the same way. Find ways to make each one work as well as possible. Co-teaching relationships take time to build, just like any other partnerships. Find ways to build a trusting, safe environment in the co-taught classroom—students can always tell when there is hostility.

Tips for Effective Co-Teaching Be familiar with all material being taught every day. Make sure all instructors are informed about students' special needs. Put all instructors' names on communication and make sure all instructors have access to gradebooks, etc.

The same things that make inclusion work also make co-teaching work!

Additional Resources The Bureau of Education & Research offers resources and PD opportunities on co-teaching and many other educational topics http: //www. ber. org Dr. Elizabeth Whitten—professor of Special Education at Western Michigan University, specializing in co-teaching whitten@wmich. edu

Additional Resources Learning Style Inventories: http: //www. engr. ncsu. edu/learningstyles/ilsweb. html http: //www. learning-styles-online. com/inventory/ http: //ttc. coe. uga. edu/surveys/Learning. Style. Inv. html Personal Profile by Di. SC: http: //www. discprofile. com

Additional Resources Mission Statement Builders: http: //www. nightingale. com/mission_select. aspx http: //www. franklincovey. com/msb/

Additional Resources The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning has a project called SIM (Strategic Instructional Model) that provides many great graphic organizers that help with tiered note-taking, vocabulary, and other strategies: Content Enhancement: http: //www. kucrl. org/sim/content. shtml Learning Strategies: http: //www. kucrl. org/sim/strategies. shtml General information: http: //www. kucrl. org/sim/index. shtml

Contact Information Martha Roelofs mroelofs@otsegops. org roelofs@weebly. com Shannon Ter. Meer stermeer@otsegops. org Brandy Goodwin bgoodwin@otsegops. org