The relationships I’ve built with co-workers and students have been one of the most important aspects of this past year. It was very beneficial to have already built a foundation of trust with my co-teachers. We all understood the expectations in the classroom(s) so we were able to replicate it in our new online world. This relationship allowed everyone to be honest and realize that it was okay to make mistakes because, “We were all trying to do our best.” My strong relationships with students were also vital because they allowed me to try new things to keep them engaged.

Collaboration was also a key aspect in co-teaching. I appreciated that there were two sets of eyes in the Zoom meetings (me and the classroom teacher) and we were constantly communicating, reflecting and growing in this new online world to meet the needs of students. “As teachers, we all have our different roles, and it doesn’t work if we aren’t all working together.”

We are always reflecting and adapting our teaching practices. When a student is sitting next to you it’s very easy to respond quickly to their questions and needs. One thing I realized with Distance Learning is that students are able to work even more independently. This is something that I feel is important to foster and grow now that we are back in-person. Being flexible with my students was also very important. I was always reading my students, their interactions, and responses to guide my teaching in order to keep them engaged in their learning.