These non-hierarchical strategies can be used in any order and can also be combined to best meet the needs of classroom students.
One Teach, One Support
One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other teacher assists students, monitors behaviors, corrects assignments, or gathers specific observational information on students.
- Both teachers must understand their respective roles
- Useful when teaching new material/concepts or when one teacher has greater content expertise than the other teacher
- Example: One teacher leads instruction while the other teacher is a “voice” for students who don’t understand, asking the lead teacher to clarify any developing student misconceptions.
- Note: If used too often with same teacher taking the instructional lead, students will likely see one teacher as having authority over the other teacher.
Station Teaching
The co-teaching pair divides the instructional content into parts and the student into groups, and groups spend a designated time at each station. An independent station may be included.
- Reduces the student-teacher ratio
- Helps to increase student participation; all students can engage in multiple related activities
- Example: One teacher leads a station where students play a money math game and the other teacher leads a station where students purchase items and make change in a mock store.
- Note: Requires high degree of communication and timing; generally not used for differentiation purposes as all students participate in all stations
Parallel Teaching
Co-teachers divide the class in half and instruct them on the same material.
- Benefits include reduced student-teacher ratio and increased instructional intensity
- Typically, each co-teacher is responsible for implementing the same lesson to a group.
- Example: Both teachers lead question and answer discussions on potential economic impacts of specific current events.
- Note: Timing and pacing are important when using this strategy. Co-planning is essential. Two teachers must work together to develop the parallel structure and assure that groups receive quality instruction.
Differentiated (Alternative) Teaching
One teacher leads a larger group while the other leads a smaller group for a specific instructional purpose (e.g. enrichment, remediation, assessment, etc.).
- Students benefit by receiving different approaches to learning the same information
- Teachers must work together to determine the groups, objectives and expected outcomes / activities / assessment for the content they are teaching to their individual groups
- Example: One teacher leads a group in predicting the plot of a story by looking at the book cover and illustrations; the other teacher leads a group in predicting the plot by pulling specific items and/or story clues from the bag.
- Note: If the same group of students is always separated for alternative instruction, it works against the benefits of inclusion/collaboration.
Team Teaching
Both teachers are often in the front of the classroom, sharing the responsibilities of lead instruction, with equally active (but possibly different) roles in a well-planned lesson.
- Benefits include enhanced teacher creativity and energized students
- Teachers can "play off" each other while sharing the lead instructional role
- Example: Both instructors can share the reading of a story or text so that the students are hearing two voices.
- Note: This strategy requires both teachers to be equally prepared and knowledgeable about the lesson content. Co-planning is essential!