1. Establish co-teaching goals and objectives:
Both teachers should work together to establish clear goals and objectives for the co-teaching classroom. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
2. Define roles and responsibilities:
Each teacher should carefully define their role and responsibilities within the co-teaching classroom. This includes duties such as managing the classroom, teaching specific subjects or skill sets, providing support to students, and assessing student learning.
3. Develop a co-teaching plan:
The co-teaching plan should outline how the two teachers will work together in the classroom. This should include a schedule of when each teacher will be teaching, as well as how they will collaborate during instruction.
4. Create a classroom environment that supports co-teaching:
The environment of the classroom should be conducive to co-teaching. This includes having enough space for both teachers to work together, having materials accessible to both teachers, and establishing clear expectations for behavior.
5. Assess student learning and provide feedback:
Both teachers should assess student learning regularly and provide feedback to each other about student progress. This can help ensure that all students are meeting the goals set for them in the co-teaching classroom.
6. Adjust the co-teaching plan as needed:
The co-teaching plan should be adjustable as needed based on student needs and changing circumstances in the classroom. Both teachers should be able to adapt their plans as needed to best serve the students.
7. Collaborate with other professionals as needed:
Co-teachers may need to collaborate with other professionals outside of the classroom in order to best meet the needs of their students. This could include working with specialists such as speech-language pathologists or occupational therapists.
8. Reflect on the co-teaching experience:
Co-teachers should routinely reflect on their experience working together in order to identify ways they can improve their collaboration in the future. This reflection can be done individually or as a team.