Differentiated instruction is easier to do with two teachers in the classroom.
At all grade levels, students with disabilities can be educated effectively in general
education environments where teachers, support personnel, and families collaborate.
For special education students who are in inclusive settings, improvements are seen both
in academic and social skill relationship arenas.
All students benefit when their teachers share ideas, work cooperatively, and contribute to
one another’s learning.
Students experience less wait time to get assistance and increased time on task in a coteaching situation.
In a co-teaching situation, there are more opportunities to use a variety of strategies to
teach the content.
One person teaches the class while the other teacher prepares instructional materials at
the Xerox machine.
One teacher conducts the lesson and the other teacher stands or sits and watches.
One person’s ideas prevail for what is to be taught and how it will be taught.
One teacher conducts the lesson while the other teacher acts as a tutor.
Two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching all of the students assigned to a
classroom.
Shared responsibility among co-teachers for planning, instruction, and evaluation of
classroom students.
A fun way for students to learn from two or more people who may have different ways of
thinking or teaching.
A creative way to connect with and support others to help all children learn.
Co-teaching is like a marriage. Partners must establish trust, develop and work on
communication, share the chores, celebrate, work together creatively to overcome the
inevitable challenges and problems, and handle conflict in a constructive way.
Non-disabled students will be neglected if special education students are brought into the
general education classroom.
Test scores will go down if special education students are brought into the general
education classroom.
The curriculum will be watered down if special education students are brought into the
general education classroom.
Co-teachers should be on time, stay for the complete class, not be pulled to sub in another
class
Grading responsibilities should be shared
To be effective, co-teachers need time for joint planning
Paraprofessionals need training to be effective in the Supportive Instruction model