In the concept of collaborative team teaching, instructors share the duties of lesson design, instruction, and evaluation in a classroom setting. The educators have equal responsibilities and are answerable for the schoolroom in a co-teaching situation. In an attempt to establish a more educational program, co-teaching occurs between general and special tutoring staff instructors. This paper will elaborate on the coordination between special and general educators in ensuring inclusive learning in grade 7 to 12 high school students.
Observation and Interview
In 2021, I went to Stuyvesant High School to have an interview with a certified special educator for grade 7 to 12 students. When I got to the school, the management had already assigned me to the special tutor. I expected to see much confusion because we were two teachers, general and special tutors, in a class. However, we used to meet once a week at the school office for arrangement purposes and partnership. Before we began our co-tutoring collaboration, we decided that one teacher would watch and evaluate learners’ performance while another would instruct the class. However, teachers can divide the students into two teams and simultaneously provide identical material to both groups (Johnson et al., 2022). We had effective communication and discussed our needs, including learning outcomes. I enjoyed the co-teaching because we shared a variety of ideas. However, collaborative team teaching is tiresome because it takes time to develop.
Role of the Co-Teacher
Field knowledge changed my view about co-educator duties in an inclusive schoolroom because I thought they only tracked curriculum progress. However, co-teaching provides learners with additional support services, including teaching and mentoring (Johnson et al., 2022). Additionally, co-tutoring gives students information concerning their development and assists them in setting improvement objectives. Co-planning exercise encourages co-tutors to share thoughts to teach effectively and produce innovative lessons. Co-teachers face challenges working with people whose educational philosophies and approaches differ.
Research
The special tutor and I agreed to delegate duties to ensure the success of the teaching practice. The special educator agreed to monitor and assess students’ performance while I taught them and vice versa. We created time to meet and discuss our collaboration and preparation for the teachings in the inclusive classroom. On the other hand, some co-teachers start by agreeing to work together to differentiate instruction for children with difficulty in learning (Johnson et al., 2022). The co-tutors can concur in teaching more professionally as a team to ensure their learners grasp more ideas.
Application to the Future Practice
I will use my research connected to co-teaching in my future career practice to work as a team to assist students with hardship in learning to improve their academic performance. I will ensure that learners get immediate feedback concerning their progress in the classroom. Training styles and techniques can improve students’ engagement and development (Johnson et al., 2022). Instructions should adopt co-teaching practices because it brings together tutors with different expertise and talents to enhance the overall efforts in the classroom.
Reference
Johnson, T. M., King-Sears, M. E., & Miller, A. D. (2022). High school co-teaching partners’ self-efficacy, personal compatibility, and active involvement in instruction. Learning Disability Quarterly, 45(2), 96-107. Web.