1. Co-Teaching as Best Practice in Student Teaching
St. Cloud State University – College of Education
Funded by a Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership Grant
from the U.S. Department of Education

2. Co-Teaching
is defined as two teachers (cooperating teacher and teacher candidate) working together with groups of students - sharing the planning, organization, delivery and assessment of instruction as well as the physical space.
Both teachers are actively involved and engaged
in all aspects of instruction
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

3. Benefits to K-12 Students
Increased student engaged time
Able to work in smaller groups
Receive more individual attention
Get questions answered faster
Get papers and grades back faster
Students behave better
Fewer class disruptions (for passing out papers, having projects checked, other housekeeping tasks)
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

4. Benefits To Teacher Candidates
Teacher Candidates indicated that Co-Teaching led to:
Improved classroom management skills
Increased collaboration skills
More teaching time - Being seen as a “real” teacher
Increased confidence
Deeper understanding of the curriculum through co-planning
More opportunities to ask questions and reflect
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

5. Cumulative Data Reading Proficiency
MCA Reading Proficiency
Co-Taught
One Licensed Teacher
Non
Co-Teaching
Candidate P
OVERALL
(4 Year Cumulative)
78.8%
N=1461
67.2%
N=6403
64.0%
N=572
< .001
Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible
65.0%
N=477
53.1%
N=2684
49.5%
N=222
Special Education Eligible
74.4%
N=433
52.9%
N=1945
46.4%
N=179
English Language Learners
44.7%
N=76
30.7%
N=515
25.8%
N=31
.069
Significance just between Co-taught and traditional student teaching is the p value provided, based on Chi Square test.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

6. Cumulative Data Math Proficiency
MCA Math
Proficiency
Co-Taught
One Licensed Teacher
Non
Co-Teaching
Candidate P
OVERALL
(4 Year Cumulative)
72.9%
N=1519
63.7%
N=6467
63.0%
N=597
< .001
Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible
54.2%
N=513
47.3%
N=2778
45.7%
N=232
.032
Special Education Eligible
72.0%
N=472
54.7%
N=1906
48.9%
N=180
English Language Learners
30.5%
N=118
28.8%
N=671
26.8%
N=41
.656
Significance just between Co-taught and traditional student teaching is the p value provided, based on Chi Square test.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

7. The Student Teaching Triad
Teacher
Candidate
Cooperating Teacher
University Supervisor
In student teaching, a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor support the development of a teacher candidate. These three individuals form a triad.
Each member of the triad has particular roles that provide the foundation for a successful student teaching experience. Because the triad works together it is important to know the responsibilities and expectations for each member.
Communication
What role does each person play?
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

8. Co-Teaching Strategies/Approaches
One Teach, One Observe
One Teach, One Assist
Station Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Supplemental Teaching
Alternative (Differentiated) Teaching
Team Teaching
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

9. Co-Teaching is not simply dividing the tasks and responsibilities between two people.
Co-Teaching is an attitude
an attitude of sharing the
classroom and students
Co-Teachers must always be thinking
We’re Both Teaching!
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

10. One Teach, One Observe
One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other gathers specific observational information on students or the (instructing) teacher.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

11. One Teach, One Assist
One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other assists students’ with their work, monitors behaviors, or corrects assignments.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

12. Station Teaching
The co-teaching pair divide the instructional content into parts. Each teacher instructs one of the groups, groups then rotate or spend a designated amount of time at each station.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

13. Parallel Teaching
In this approach, each teacher instructs half the students. The two teachers are addressing the same instructional material using the same teaching strategies.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

14. Supplemental Teaching
This strategy allows one teacher to work with students at their expected grade level, while the other teacher works with those students who need the information and/or materials extended or remediated.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

15. Alternative or Differentiated Teaching
Alternative teaching strategies provide two different approaches to teaching the same information. The learning outcome is the same for all students however the avenue for getting
there is different.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

16. Team Teaching
Well planned, team taught lessons, exhibit an invisible flow of instruction with no prescribed division of authority. Both teachers are actively involved in the lesson. From a student’s perspective, there is no clearly defined leader, as both teachers share the instruction, are free to interject information, and available to assist students and answer questions.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

17. Sharing Responsibilities
Cooperating
Teacher
Planning
Teacher
Candidate
Teaching
The teacher candidate and cooperating teacher will be working together throughout the experience. Communication will be the foundation that you use to share responsibilities in the classroom. These include: planning, teaching and evaluating.
In all three of these areas, sometimes the:
Cooperating Teacher takes the lead
Teacher Candidate takes the lead
Partners share the lead
As the student teaching experience progresses, the teacher candidate assumes more and more leadership in planning, teaching and evaluating even though the team is still co-teaching. This also includes directing other adults who might be in the classroom, such as paraprofessionals, special educators, ELL teachers, title I staff, literacy coaches, etc.
Assessment
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

18. The Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will share:
Sharing Planning
The Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will share:
What content to teach
What co-teaching strategies to use
Who will lead different parts of the lesson
How to assess student learning
Materials and resources
Planning is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the cooperating teacher leading and the teacher candidate contributing. Ultimately the teacher candidate will take over the lead in planning with the cooperating teacher contributing as needed.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

19. While Co-Teaching, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will:
Sharing Instruction
While Co-Teaching, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will:
Share leadership in the classroom
Work with all students
Use a variety of co-teaching approaches
Be seen as equal partners
Manage the classroom together
Make changes as needed during a lesson
Instruction is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the Cooperating Teacher leading and the Teacher Candidate contributing. Ultimately the Teacher Candidate will take over the lead and direct the role of the Cooperating Teacher and other adults in the classroom (paraprofessionals, etc.).
There will be times where both the Cooperating Teacher and Teacher Candidate will teach solo and be on their own.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

20. Sharing Assessment
While Co-Assessing, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will:
Both participate in the assessment of the students
Share the workload of daily grading
Provide formative and summative assessment of students
Jointly determine grades
Assessment is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the Cooperating Teacher leading and the Teacher Candidate contributing. Ultimately the Teacher Candidate will take over the lead in assessment and direct the role of the Cooperating Teacher.
Both the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher are expected to identify ways to modify instruction and assessment to meet student needs.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

21. What does this look like…
Teacher Candidates will be expected to:
Contribute ideas from the very beginning of the experience
Engage with students assisting with their learning from the very first day
Be expected to take on full leadership in all 3 areas (planning, instruction & assessment)
Demonstrate competencies as a teacher
Have opportunities to teach alone
Candidates must understand that they will be provided with the opportunity to solo teach and have full responsibility for the classroom. They are also expected to develop a collaborative working relationship with their cooperating teacher and university supervisor.
Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University,
Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant