paraeducators as co-teachers: a fantasy or reality?

Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Paraeducators as Co-Teachers: A Fantasy or Reality?

Dr. Ann Nevin, Visiting Professor

Florida International University

[email protected]

and

Jacqueline Thousand, Professor

Cal State San Marcos

San Marcos, CA

[email protected]


What Does Co-Teaching Look Like? Four Approaches Co-teaching has many faces. In a national survey, teachers experienced in

teaching in a diverse classrooms reported that they used four approaches to co-teaching – supportive, parallel, complementary, and team teaching (National Center for Educational Restructuring and Inclusion, 1995).

SUPPORTIVE Supportive co-teaching is when one teacher takes the lead instructional role and the other(s) rotates among the students providing support. The co-teacher(s) taking the supportive role watches or listens as students work together, stepping in to provide one-to-one tutorial assistance when necessary while the other co-teacher continues to direct the lesson. Teachers new to co-teaching or who are short of planning time often begin with this approach.

PARALLEL Parallel co-teaching is when two or more people work with different groups of students in different sections of the classroom. Co-teachers may rotate among the groups; and, sometimes there may be one group of students that works without a co-teacher for at least part of the time. Teachers new to co-teaching often begin with this approach. Key to parallel co-teaching is that each co-teacher eventually works with every students in the class.

COMPLEMENTARY Complementary co-teaching is when co-teachers do something to enhance the instruction provided by the other co-teacher(s). For example one co-teacher might paraphrase the other co-teacher’s statements or model note-taking skills on a transparency. Sometimes, one of the complementary co-teaching partners pre-teaches the small group social skill roles required for successful cooperative group learning and then monitors as students practice the roles during the lesson taught by the other co-teacher. As co-teachers gain in their confidence and acquire knowledge and skills from one another, complementary teaching becomes a preferred approach.

TEAM TEACHING Team teaching is when two or more people do what the traditional teacher has always done – plan, teach, assess, and assume responsibility for all of the students in the classroom. Team teachers share leadership and responsibility.

Team teachers share lessons in ways that allow students to experience each teacher’s expertise. For example, for a lesson on inventions in science, one co-teacher with interests is history explains the impact on society. The other, whose strengths are with the mechanisms involved, explains how inventions work.

In team teaching, co-teachers simultaneously deliver lessons and are comfortable alternately taking the lead and being the supporter. The test of a successful team teaching partnership is that the students view each teacher as equally knowledgeable and credible.


Examples of Parallel Co-Teaching Structures Activity - “In what ways might we (IWWMW) use each one?”

SPLIT CLASS Each co-teacher is responsible for a particular group of students, monitoring understanding of a lesson, providing guided instruction, or re-teaching the group, if necessary. STATION TEACHING OR LEARNING CENTERS Each co-teacher is responsible for assembling, guiding, and monitoring one or more different learning centers or stations. CO-TEACHERS ROTATE The co-teachers rotate among the two or more groups of students, with each co-teacher teaching a different component of the lesson. This is similar to station teaching or learning centers, except in this case the teachers rotate from group to group rather than groups of students rotating from station to station. COOPERATIVE GROUP MONITORING Each co-teacher takes responsibility for monitoring and providing feedback and assistance to a given number of cooperative groups of students. EXPERIMENT OR LAB MONITORING Each co-teacher monitors and assists a given number of laboratory groups, providing guided instruction to those groups requiring additional support. LEARNING STYLE FOCUS One co-teacher works with a group of students using primarily visual strategies, another co-teacher works with a group using primarily auditory strategies, and yet another may work with a group using kinesthetic strategies SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTION One co-teacher works with the rest of the class on a concept or assignment, skill, or learning strategy. The other co-teacher a) provides extra guidance on the concept or assignment to students who are self-identified or teacher-identified as needing extra assistance, b) instructs students to apply or generalize the skill to a relevant community environment, c) provides a targeted group of students with guided practice in how to apply the learning strategy to the content being addressed, or d) provides enrichment activities.


Activity: What are Co-Teaching Issues for Discussion and Planning?

Time for Planning

• • • •

Instruction • • • •

Student Behavior • • • •

Communication • • • •

Evaluation • • •

Logistics • • •

Other? • • • •

Other?


Similarities & Differences of Supportive, Parallel, Complementary and Team Co-Teaching Approaches

Similarities

Supportive Differences

Parallel Differences

Complementary Differences

Team Teaching Differences

Supportive Cautions

Parallel Cautions

Complementary Cautions

Team Teaching Cautions


Co-Teaching Issues for Discussion and Planning with Paraeducators Time for Planning

• How much time do we need? • Where will we find the time that we need? • How will we use our time together? • What records do we keep to help our planning? • How is a paraeducator included in planning or the results of planning?

Instruction

• Who plans for what content? • How is the paraeducator included in this planning? • What are the teaching responsibilities of the paraeducator? • Who adapts the curriculum and instructional and assessment procedures for select students? • What are each co-teacher’s strengths in the area of instruction and assessment? • How will the content be presented – which co-teaching approaches will we use? • How will we arrange to share expertise? • How will the paraeducator get instruction on how to deliver instruction for the lesson? • Do we rotate responsibilities? • How will we assess the effectiveness of our instruction?

Student Behavior

• What four to five classroom expectations or rules can we agree up? • What role does the paraeducator have in disciplinary procedures? • Who carries out the disciplinary procedures? • How will we be consistent in dealing with behavior? • How will we proactively addressing behavior?

Communication

• What types and frequency of communication do we each have with parents? • How will we explain this collaborative teaching arrangement to the parents? • Who will communicate with parents? Will there be shared responsibility for communication with

parents of students with identified special education and other specialized needs, or will particular members of co-teaching team have this responsibility?

• What types and frequency of communication do we each have with students? • Who will communicate with students? • How will we ensure regular communication with each other? • Who communicates with administrators?

Evaluation

• How will we monitor students' progress? • How will we assess student performance? • What role does the paraeducator play in monitoring and assessing student progress?

Logistics

• How will we explain our co-teaching arrangement to the students and convey that we are equals in the classroom?

• How will we refer to each other in front of the students? • How is space shared by co-teachers? • How will the room be arranged? • Who completes the paperwork for students identified as eligible for special education? • How is the decision made to expand or contract team membership?

How is decision-making shared with the paraeducator?


The SODAS IF Problem-Solving Template

SITUATION OPTIONS 1. 2. 3. DISADVANTAGES a. a. a. b. b. b. c. c. c. d. d. d. ADVANTAGES a. a. a. b. b. b. c. c. c. d. d. d. SOLUTION IF you agree to a solution, MAKE A PLAN.

(Who will do what, when? How you know if the plan is working?)


Teacher Actions During Co-Teaching If one of you is doing this…. The other can be doing this…Lecturing Modeling note taking on the

board/overhead Giving instructions orally Writing down instructions on board

Checking for understanding with large heterogeneous group of students

Checking for understanding with small heterogeneous group of students

Circulating, providing one-on-one support as needed

Providing direct instruction to whole class

Prepping half of the class for one side of a debate

Prepping the other half of the class for the opposing side of the debate

Facilitating a silent activity Circulating, checking for comprehension Providing large group instruction Circulating, using proximity control for

behavior management Running last minute copies or errands Reviewing homework

Re-teaching or pre-teaching with a small group

Monitoring large group as they work on practice materials

Facilitating sustained silent reading Reading aloud quietly with a small group; previewing upcoming information

Reading a test aloud to a group of students

Proctoring a test silently with a group of students

Creating basic lesson plans for standards, objectives, and content curriculum

Providing suggestions for modifications, accommodations, and activities for diverse learners

Facilitating stations or groups Also facilitating stations or groups

Explaining new concept Conducting role play or modeling concept Considering modification needs Considering enrichment opportunities If one of you is doing this…. The other can be doing this…


Strategies for Expanding Time for Planning BORROWED TIME 1. Rearrange the school day so there is a 50- to 60-minute block of time before or

after school for co-teachers to plan. 2. Lengthen the school day for students by 15 to 30 minutes on four days, allowing

for early student dismissal on the fifth, thus gaining a long (i.e., 1- to 2-hour) time block for co-teachers to meet.

COMMON TIME 3. Ask co-teachers to identify when during the day and week they prefer to plan

and redesign the master schedule to accommodate this with a block for common preparation time.

TIERED TIME 4. Layer preparation time with existing functions such as lunch and

recess times. RESCHEDULED TIME 5. Use staff development days for co-teachers to do more long-range planning. 6. Use faculty meeting time to problem solve common co-teaching issues of either

immediate or long-range importance. 7. Build into the school schedule at least one co-teacher planning day per marking

period or month. 8. Build in time for more intensive co-teacher planning sessions by lengthening the

school year for teachers, but not for students; or shortening the school year for students, but not teachers.

RELEASED TIME 9. Go to year-round schooling with 3-week breaks every quarter; devote 4 or 5 of the 3-

week inter-session days to co-teacher planning as professional development days. FREED-UP TIME 10. Institute a community service component to the curriculum; when students are in

the community (e.g., Thursday afternoon), co-teachers meet to plan. 11. Schedule "specials" (e.g., art, music, physical education), clubs, and tutorials

during the same time blocks (e.g. first and second period), so co-teachers have at least that extra time block to plan.

12. Engage parents and community members in conducting half-day or full-day exploratory, craft, hobby (e.g., gourmet cooking, puppetry, photography), theater, or other experiential programs to free up time for co-teachers to plan.

13. Partner with universities and have faculty teach in the school to provide demonstrations; give students campus experiences to free up co-teachers to plan.

PURCHASED TIME 14. Hire permanent substitutes to free up co-teachers to plan during the day . 15. Compensate co-teachers for spending vacation or holiday time planning with pay

or compensatory time during non-instructional school-year days. FOUND TIME 16. Strategically use serendipitous times that occasionally occur (e.g., snow day,

student assembly) to plan. NEW TIME 17. In what ways might the school administration provide co-teachers with incentives

that would motivate the use of their own time to plan?


Co- Teaching Daily Lesson Plan Date: Co-Teachers: ____________ ____________ ____________ _____________

(Names) Content Area(s): ______________________ Content Standards Addressed: ____________________________ Lesson Objectives:___________________________________________________________ Circle the Co-Teaching Model(s) Used: Supportive Parallel Complementary Team Teaching What is the room arrangement? Will other spaces outside of the classroom be used? (Draw a picture of the room arrangement.) What materials do the co-teachers need? How is student learning assessed by co-teachers? What specific supports, aids, or services do select students need? What does each co-teacher do before, during, and after the lesson?

Co-Teacher Name:

What are the specific tasks that I do BEFORE the lesson?

What are the specific tasks that I do DURING the lesson?

What are the specific tasks that I do AFTER the lesson?

Where, when, and how do co-teachers debrief and evaluate the outcomes of the lesson?

Paraeducators as Co‐Teachers – Fantasy or Reality?

Step on to the Yellow Brick Road

Ann Nevin

&

Jacque Thousand

SIGNAL ON

GOALS GOALS –– Getting on the Getting on the Yellow Brick RoadYellow Brick Road

*Four co-teaching approaches

*Detours and issues on the way

*Staying on the yellow brick road – professional development, problem-solving, lesson planning

*Ruby slippers – Advice from and for paraeducators in co-teaching classrooms

Source: A Guide to Co-Teaching with Paraeducators (Nevin, Villa, & Thousand 2009)

How have How have paraeducatorsparaeducators’’roles changed?roles changed?

1950/60s 1950/60s –– Clerical rolesClerical roles

1970s 1970s –– Instructional rolesInstructional roles1975, Education for All Handicapped Children Act1975, Education for All Handicapped Children Act

1990 1990 –– Increased classroom rolesIncreased classroom roles1997 IDEA Amendments: Access to general 1997 IDEA Amendments: Access to general education curriculum for all, call for collaborationeducation curriculum for all, call for collaboration

2121stst Century Century ––Inclusive classrooms & specialized Inclusive classrooms & specialized settings (ELL, special education)settings (ELL, special education)

NCLB & IDEIA 2004 NCLB & IDEIA 2004 ‐‐ Standards for employment, Standards for employment, district professional developmentdistrict professional development

When you hear the term When you hear the term ““coco‐‐teaching,teaching,”” what comes to mind?what comes to mind?

oo What is your definition of coWhat is your definition of co‐‐teaching?teaching?

oo What can effective coWhat can effective co‐‐teaching look like?teaching look like?

Partner Share

CoCo‐‐Teaching isTeaching is……(according to Nevin, Villa,& Thousand, 2009)(according to Nevin, Villa,& Thousand, 2009)

two or more people two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching sharing responsibility for teaching some or all of the students assigned to a classroom.some or all of the students assigned to a classroom.

a a fun fun way for students to learn from two or more people way for students to learn from two or more people who have who have different ways of thinking or teaching. different ways of thinking or teaching.

a a creativecreative way to connect with and support others to way to connect with and support others to help help all children all children learn.learn.

a way to make schools morea way to make schools more effectiveeffective..

Page 5

What is common to all 4 co‐teaching approaches?

What is unique to each approach?

What cautions are associated with each approach?

Where do you see YOURSELF?

See Page 5

Co‐Teaching:All Become the “Experts”

• Supportive

• Parallel

• Complementary

• Team Teaching

Become an Expert!Become an Expert!

Four quadrantsFour quadrants

Partner read assigned approach on page 2Partner read assigned approach on page 2

Be prepared to share out key features of your coBe prepared to share out key features of your co‐‐teaching approach and your good examples teaching approach and your good examples

Time = 2 minutes

CoCo‐‐Teaching Teaching ApproachesApproaches

*Supportive Co-Teaching

Share Out.

CoCo‐‐Teaching Approach Teaching Approach (Graphic Organizer)(Graphic Organizer)

*Supportive Co-Teaching?

One lead, other(s) support

-May provide individual support to students/groups

- May chart concepts

- May pass out/collect information

Cautions?Cautions?DVD 4:00DVD 4:00‐‐4:414:41

HovercraftHovercraft//velcrovelcro ““aideaide””

Supportive person onlySupportive person onlyDiscipline policeDiscipline policeStudents see supportive coStudents see supportive co‐‐teacher not as teacher not as ““realreal”” teacherteacher

Expert group?Expert group?

*Parallel Co-Teaching?

Many Faces of Parallel CoMany Faces of Parallel Co‐‐TeachingTeachingPartner Read Page 3 Partner Read Page 3

1. Split class1. Split class2. Station teaching & learning2. Station teaching & learning

center (students rotate)center (students rotate)3. Co3. Co‐‐teachers rotateteachers rotate

4. Cooperative group monitoring4. Cooperative group monitoring5. Lab or experiment monitoring5. Lab or experiment monitoring6. Learning style (ELL) focus6. Learning style (ELL) focus7. Supplementary instruction 7. Supplementary instruction

(learning strategy, enrichment, guided practice)(learning strategy, enrichment, guided practice)Examples of how youExamples of how you’’ve used?ve used?

WhatWhat’’s appealing? Select 1 or 2 to try!s appealing? Select 1 or 2 to try!

Cautions?Cautions?

Cautions?Cautions?Homogeneous grouping Homogeneous grouping ‐‐ ““bluebirdsbluebirds”” vs. vs. ““crowcrow”” stigmatizationstigmatization

Avoid Avoid paraeducatorparaeducator only working with select only working with select studentsstudents

Parallel coParallel co‐‐teaching is NOT leaving the teaching is NOT leaving the room; thatroom; that’’s segregated pulls segregated pull‐‐out instruction out instruction (No monitoring or check(No monitoring or check‐‐in possible)in possible)

CoCo‐‐Teaching Teaching ApproachesApproaches

*Complementary Co-Teaching?

Share Out.

Examples:

One delivers content, one clarifies, expands, complements, restates

May demonstrate graphic organizer, note taking, study guide

May color code, simplify information

Cautions?Cautions?Not monitor as closely as both Not monitor as closely as both ““on stageon stage””

Step on one anotherStep on one another’’s s ““toestoes””

DVD ClipDVD Clip

Which form of coWhich form of co‐‐teaching teaching do you detect? do you detect?

@ 2 minutes, 5 seconds@ 2 minutes, 5 secondsTo 2 minutes, 26 secondsTo 2 minutes, 26 seconds

Team Teaching- What distinguishes it from the other 3 approaches?

CoCo‐‐Teaching ApproachesTeaching Approaches*Team Teaching

Experts Share Out.@ Equitable distribution of duties

@ Move in and out of all 4 approaches based upon studentneeds

@ Can/should paraeducators team teach? (page 62)

Checking for UnderstandingChecking for UnderstandingDifferent Different ParaeducatorParaeducator Roles Roles

Page 8Page 8

Getting around detoursGetting around detoursto making coto making co‐‐teaching a teaching a

reality vs. fantasyreality vs. fantasy

What are the barriers?What are the barriers?

Issues to discussIssues to discusspage 4page 4

*Time for Planning

*Instruction

*Student Behavior

*Communication

*Evaluation

*Logistics

Task instructions:

Identify at least onequestion YOU must discuss with your co-teaching partner for each of these 6 areas.

Be prepared to share out with the group.

Time: 3 minutes

Sample questions to askSample questions to ask

*Time for Planning

*Instruction

*Student Behavior

*Communication

*Evaluation

*Logistics

*ANY OTHER CATEGORIES?

Page 6 CollaborativeCollaborative

S.O.D.A.S. Solution FindingS.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding

**SSituationituation**OOptionsptions**DDisadvantagesisadvantages**AAdvantagesdvantages**SSolutionolution

(page 7)

Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION

CollaborativeCollaborativeS.O.D.A.S. Solution FindingS.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding


(page 7)

Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION

Question: What is the #1 Question: What is the #1 resource we have the least resource we have the least

of in education?of in education?

Dilemma: We donDilemma: We don’’t have t have time to even go to the time to even go to the bathroom!bathroom!

CollaborativeCollaborativeS.O.D.A.S. Solution FindingS.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding


(page 7)

Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION Sizzling Issue PrioritySizzling Issue Priority

Time to Meet Time to Meet –– page 9page 9

““MeltingMelting”” the Barriersthe Barriers

TOOLS FOR YOUR COTOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐‐TEACHING TOOLBOXTEACHING TOOLBOX

TOOLS FOR YOUR COTOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐‐TEACHING TOOLBOXTEACHING TOOLBOX

SODASPlanning time ideasProfessional Development – Andrea @ 4:40, Ch. 6

Carlos Castenada

Lesson Planning: A TemplateLesson Planning: A Template

Blank Form Blank Form Page 10Page 10

If one is doing thisIf one is doing this……The The other can be doingother can be doing……

Trying on different rolesTrying on different rolesSee Page 8See Page 8

Why is it worth the effort?Listen to Andrea

Your turn!

ParaeducatorNational Survey

No one ever said it was going to be easy! What does it take?

@ 52 1:06

Thank You!

Gracias!

Vielen Dank’! Mille Grazie!

Merci!

Ann Nevin

[email protected]

Jacque [email protected]

paraeducators as co-teachers: a fantasy or reality?

Education

providing guided instruction

learning centers

learning strategy

specific tasks

disciplinary procedures

2nd ed

corwin press

practical tips