Co-Teaching as a New Trend in Education
Co-teaching is a teaching method that presupposes a cooperating teacher and a teacher candidate holding classes together. Both teachers plan, organize and hold classes together. This kind of cooperative teaching forces all students participate. A cooperating teacher attains additional help, and a teacher candidate learns how to organize and hold classes effectively.
Build Rapport with Students
The main aim of co-teaching is to create comfortable conditions for students’ learning. A cooperating teacher and a teacher candidate should feel comfortable with each other, have common ideas, and agree on the main things. Co-teaching is a great way to engage students and make them active participants.
Consider Drawbacks
Both teachers should thoroughly work on their lesson planning, in order to avoid any pitfalls. Teachers should create an atmosphere of compelling learning, so that they could perfectly understand the roles of both teachers and what instructions to await from them. The teaching styles should not be absolutely opposite, the best option is to complement each teaching style.
Work on Educational Goals
Follow educational goals and draft a variety of additional manuals. Do not forget to diversify lesson activities, so that every student could feel a part of a learning community. It could be difficult for one teacher to find out about every student personal peculiarities and consider them in every activity. Having 2 teachers enhances individual approach correlation in a learning process. And, the last thing is to consider students interests, so that group discussions and collaboration could foster all students engagement.
Give Time to Process Information
Although you hold a lesson together, give some time for students to analyze and process information, constant engagement and being stressed out focusing on a set of activities implementation might be too stressful and tiresome. Thus, students will have more time for any questions to check up understanding.
Work with ADHD Students
Co-teaching is beneficial for students with ADHD syndrome (lack of attention). Such students are difficult to cope with as they are full of energy, need to switch their attention frequently, and have constant short breaks, that is why a candidate teacher assists such students with directing their attention to learning, and individual planning of the common activities.
Increased Self-Esteem
Students have noticed their self-esteem increased. They say it has become easier for them to communicate with other and they understand themselves more. Students with disabilities find more appreciation and do not feel rejected by others. Students become more confident about their abilities, have higher aspirations, and are more inclined to study.
Conclusion
Co-teaching is a new way of teaching that involves two teachers, aimed at making learning process easier, comfortable for all students. It improves students socialization, increases self-esteem, and evokes aspirations for learning.