Co-Teaching Strategies for Teachers

Written by Sasha Blakeley

Co-Teaching Strategies in the Classroom

Co-teaching is a way of running a classroom where two or more teachers work with the same class of students simultaneously. The two (or more) teachers can share the responsibility of a single classroom, often making it easier to ensure that all students remain engaged throughout the class.

Co-teaching is a significant part of most student teachers' educational journeys, so understanding how co-teaching works, its advantages, and its challenges can make it easier for student teachers to co-teach effectively. Some educators may discover that they prefer a co-teaching setup to an individual teaching system. It may not always be possible to work in a co-teaching classroom throughout one's career, but those who enjoy this setup can be on the lookout for opportunities that may arise.

This guide can also help teachers who have experience working alone but are about to start co-teaching for the first time. Understanding how to set up co-teaching is an important step in ensuring that the classroom runs smoothly with two teachers.

What is Co-Teaching?

Co-teaching is far less common than teaching a class individually; aspiring or new teachers should naturally be prepared to run a classroom alone. However, there are some circumstances where co-teaching makes sense. It is normal for student teachers to work in a co-teaching environment alongside a more established educator as part of their teacher training. Co-teaching can be a great way for student teachers to build up their confidence while still having the benefits of mentorship from another teacher.

Classes where a large number of students have unique learning needs, including special education classes, classes with a high number of English language learners (ELLs), or split grade level classes, may be more likely to use a co-teaching model. Some language immersion programs may also rely on co-teaching to guarantee that all students are able to understand the material.

A co-teaching classroom is structured differently from a single-teacher classroom. While co-teaching does not work in every situation, it can be a great way to take some pressure off an individual teacher while ensuring that students still receive a high level of attention and engagement.

The Benefits of Co-Teaching

There are many potential benefits of co-teaching for those who can set up this kind of education model. Some benefits are specifically for students, while others are excellent for teachers.

Personalized Education

For students, the primary advantage of having two teachers is getting more personalized attention. At any given time, it is less likely that a teacher's attention will be split in multiple directions, making it easier for students to ask questions, raise concerns, or have their work evaluated in real-time. Having two teachers also means there is a second educational resource for students; maybe one teacher's way of explaining a new math concept is not working for a particular student, but the other's explanation is a better fit for their learning style.

Class Sizes Feel Smaller

Depending on how the classroom is structured, having two teachers can also make it easier for students to access educational materials at their own level. One teacher might work with students who are struggling, while the other could work with those who are doing well or need extra enrichment. With two teachers, all students are more likely to have their needs met without feeling left behind or bored if they are not at the same level as the average student in the class.

For educators, co-teaching can make it easier to focus on a smaller group of students without feeling overworked or stretched too thin. If one of the teachers has more expertise in a given area, they can elaborate on a lesson in ways their co-teacher might not have been able to. Both teachers can play to their strengths, splitting educational material so that they each teach what they understand best.

Improves Learning

Similarly, having a second teacher in the class for support is a valuable way to improve comprehension and instruction of challenging subjects or run complex activities because there will always be someone else there who can help if things do not always go according to plan. For newer teachers, working alongside a fellow teacher is an excellent way to learn how to manage difficult situations gracefully, setting student teachers up well for their independent teaching careers.

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Effective Co-Teaching Models

Several recognized co-teaching models are proven to be effective ways of teaching students. Some models may work better in some classroom setups than in others. The most commonly recognized forms of co-teaching include:

• Teacher and observer
• Parallel teaching
• Teacher and assistant
• Differentiated instruction
• Group teaching
• Team teaching
• Supplemental and enrichment teaching

These seven options are by no means the only ways to co-teach, but they are among the most popular. Each strategy serves a slightly different function, meaning that each classroom will likely thrive on a handful of these co-teaching models; no single classroom needs to implement all seven. Teachers can use one setup or switch between co-teaching models several times throughout the day as the schedule and the students' needs dictate.

Teacher and Observer

The teacher and observer model is the co-teaching model that most closely resembles a single-teacher classroom setup. In this model, one teacher delivers a lesson while the other observes. Usually, this is done when one teacher has a particular interest or expertise in a subject that the other teacher lacks; it is typically combined with other co-teaching strategies and used quite sparingly. One teacher, for instance, might be better equipped to teach a lesson about South African history if they used to live in South Africa, while the other teacher might want to observe so that their co-teacher's experiences and knowledge are in the foreground for the students.

Although the second teacher observes, they will not just focus on their colleague. They will also pay attention to the students' reactions to the lesson. Are they engaged? Are there any behavioral issues? What kinds of questions are they asking? Having a second adult in the room can improve student behavior, making this strategy a good option for teachers who are struggling to maintain a cohesive class environment. While observing, co-teachers are not taking a break per se, but they may benefit from having some time off from teaching, making the job less energy intensive or draining.

Student teachers who work with established teachers will likely be familiar with this co-teaching model. Teachers may step back and allow student teachers to try out teaching independently during particular lessons or days of the week. This can allow student teachers to fully understand the pressures and nuances of independent teaching while still having an ally to rely on if they struggle.

Student teachers may also observe established teachers in a reversal of this setup. Observation can help student teachers see how other educators manage the class, how they pace their lesson delivery, how they answer student questions without getting off-topic, and more.

Parallel Teaching

Parallel teaching is another form of co-teaching that works particularly well in large classes or during slow, tiresome lectures. In this setup, teachers split the classroom into two groups, usually (but not necessarily) of equal size. The two teachers then deliver the same material to the student groups simultaneously. Essentially, they are dividing the class into two miniature classes but teaching them in the same way. By the end of the lesson, two students from the different groups should be able to have a conversation with each other about what they just learned without anyone feeling confused.

Any lesson can be delivered through parallel teaching, but a particularly helpful application is for assignments that involve each student completing a relatively time-consuming task. For example, teachers might split a classroom when teaching them how to play a game. Each student in the group can then have a chance to try out the game mechanics with the supervision of a teacher, halving the time it takes for everyone to take a turn practicing. After the lesson, the entire class should be able to come together to play the game.

The major challenge with parallel teaching is pacing. If one group speeds through the material and the other lags behind, there can be a gap in the flow of the day. Teachers can rectify this in several ways. The first is practice; when teachers understand their students' needs and their co-teacher's teaching style, it will gradually get easier to match the timing and flow of parallel lessons. The other primary way to overcome this challenge is to have backup activities that the faster group can complete while waiting for the rest of their class to catch up.

Teacher and Assistant

In a teacher and assistant model, one teacher takes the lead while the other facilitates and assists. The primary teacher is responsible for delivering the majority of the lesson content, but the other teacher is not a passive observer. Instead, they might help the primary teacher with demonstrations, organize discussions, hand out materials, teach a small part of the lesson, or click through the slides of the primary teacher's presentation to ensure good timing and flow for the lesson. The teacher and assistant model does not have to be fixed; both co-teachers can take turns delivering a lesson as the teacher and facilitating as the assistant.

Teacher and assistant co-teaching is another good way for student teachers or less experienced teachers to increase their confidence and gain a better understanding of the way the classroom runs. This model can also work well for classes where one teacher has a particular specialization, like working with ELLs. During a lesson where the specialized teacher does not need to work with a smaller group of students, they can actively participate in the classroom by assisting with the current lecture.

When teachers work well together in this way, they can be good role models for students by demonstrating cooperation and mutual respect. When teachers have a harmonious co-teaching dynamic, students can comprehend how to treat their peers better and how to form meaningful relationships.

Differentiated Instruction

Some classrooms have students who have very different educational needs from one another. Differentiated instruction is a teaching style where students do not all receive the same information at the same time. It is also called the alternative instruction model. A common example of a classroom where differentiated instruction is necessary is split-grade classes. In these classes, some students might be in grade five, while others are in grade six. Teachers are responsible for delivering the appropriate curriculum for all students, which can be very challenging when there is only one instructor.

In the differentiated instruction co-teaching model, each teacher works with one grade level or learning group and provides different educational material. In a split-grade example, the fifth graders could work with one teacher on a math lesson while the sixth graders work with the other teacher to prepare for a quiz. Usually, all the students in the class will cover the same subject simultaneously. For instance, if half of the class is learning fifth-grade math, the other half will usually be learning sixth-grade math. In these classrooms, it is normal for both teachers to work with both grade levels, switching back and forth according to their interests, expertise, or other factors. In a split-grade classroom, there may be some lessons where all students learn together; in those cases, co-teachers could use a teacher-observer or teacher-assistant model instead of differentiated instruction.

Group Teaching

Group teaching is also called station teaching. In this model, teachers split the class into two or more groups. Each group completes a different activity. For example, in a lesson about the structure of the Earth, one group might learn about the various layers leading down to the planet's core. Another group might work on making a model of the Earth out of foam, while a third completes a worksheet answering questions about the lesson. One teacher would help the group that is learning about the four layers while the other would instruct the students doing the crafts — the third group would work independently. After a pre-determined amount of time, the groups would all rotate to a new station, but the teachers would remain in place. They would then repeat the lesson for a new group of students before moving on to the final phase of the cycle.

This co-teaching style is effective for multi-part, complex lessons where students need dedicated help completing different tasks. Station teaching is possible with just one teacher, but it can be challenging to manage so many groups of students without assistance. There can, in theory, be any number of groups of students; it will depend on the complexity of the lesson, how independent the students are, and the resources at the teachers' disposal. This co-teaching model can be effective with just two groups that switch to the other station at the end of the lesson.

Team Teaching

The team teaching model is one of the more challenging kinds of co-teaching to utilize. It takes practice and trust between teachers. In this model, both teachers deliver the same lesson simultaneously to the same group of students. They may ask each other and the students questions, share grading responsibilities, take turns speaking, or deliver the material collaboratively in some other way.

Team teaching is excellent for conveying complex material while keeping a large group of students engaged. It can be particularly useful for reading a story to young students, acting out a debate, or performing a demonstration that requires two participants. This model is used more rarely than other co-teaching styles, largely because it is challenging to share students' focus without lapsing into a teacher-assistant dynamic.

Supplemental and Enrichment Teaching

In any given class, there will be some students who excel and some students who fall behind. Supplemental and enrichment co-teaching is a great way to ensure that everyone is able to participate in a lesson. In this model, one teacher will deliver the primary lesson content. The other teacher will work with a smaller group of students to present remedial content or help those who have questions. Students who are ahead and need an extra challenge may also work with the smaller group, though they will receive enrichment content rather than remedial content from the co-teacher.

In a literacy lesson, for instance, the main class group might read and discuss one chapter of a novel. The students who need extra help might complete reading or vocabulary exercises to ensure their understanding, while students who need enrichment might read ahead or start a second book report alongside the main curriculum. A co-teacher would oversee these processes without taking away from the primary lesson.