Co-Teaching the Co-Req
Stories, Successes & Strategies
Kimberly Hilton & Danielle Marshall
INADE & NADE 2015
Who are we?
 Kimberly Hilton
 Danielle Marshall
 Associate Professor with 15
years of experience
 Adjunct Instructor with two
years of experience
 B.A. English
 B.S. Psychology and B.A.
English
 M.S. Adult Education and M.A.
English (May 2015)
 Teaching Writing and Teaching
Literature Certificates
 M.A. English
 Teaching Writing Certificate
We taught together at Ivy Tech Community College
in Indianapolis, IN during Fall 2013 and Spring 2014
Origins of Co-Teaching
 Chapman and Hyatt define this practice:
“Co-teaching is an effective, evidencebased instructional strategy in which two
or more caring professionals share
responsibility for a group of students and
work collaboratively to add instructional
value to enhance their efforts.”
 Typically co-teaching is found in
elementary/middle/high schools and in
special education classrooms.
(Chapman & Hyatt 2011)
Co-Teaching the Co-What??
 A co-requisite enrolls students into a
developmental class along with the
corresponding college level class
 At Ivy Tech, students take English 073 along
with English 111, optimally with one
instructor
 Our initiative is based on the Accelerated
Learning Project (ALP) from the Community
College of Baltimore County in Maryland
 According to the ALP website, Indiana,
Michigan, Virginia, Colorado, and West
Virginia have adopted the model statewide
Ivy Tech’s Version of ALP
• English 073 has 10 Dev Ed students in a computer lab
• Assignments in 073 are designed to support the essays
in English Comp (Backward design)
• Additional time and attention is given in 073 to nonacademic/affective issues such as student finances,
employment, parenting, etc.
Student
places
below
English
111
• Enrolls in
073
• Companion
111
Attends
class with
same
teacher
Half the
class
tested into
English 111
Student
passes
English
111
•Satisfies
073 prereq
•Receives
credit for
English 111
Why teach Co-Reqs?
To increase retention
To increase graduation rates
073 supports the assignments in 111
Students see 073 in a positive light
instead of a negative/punishment
Mandated statewide for Ivy Tech
Indiana Mandates Co-Reqs
Former Governor Mitch Daniels won a $1
million grant in 2011 “Smarter Choices, Faster
Completion”
Redesign the delivery of remedial coursework at
Ivy Tech (Reading, Writing, and Math)
Co-requisite component that places students into
college level courses with supplemental support
(ALP model chosen)
(Indiana Commission for Higher Education 2013)
Why Co-Teaching?
 Ivy Tech increased
co-reqs to 75% of all
composition courses
offered
 Shortage of
credentialed teachers
for both levels
 One teacher for 073
 Same 111 syllabus as
non co-reqs
 Same books for both
classes
 Students receive a
grade in each course
 One teacher for 111
 Students must earn at
least a D in 111 and a
C in 073
Our Story
 Since Danielle had recently graduated and had
no teaching experience, we decided to create our
own mentoring strategy
 During fall semester, Kim taught English 111
and Danielle taught 073. She also sat in on all of
Kim’s 111 classes
 In spring, Danielle taught 111 and Kim taught a
pilot of 075 (Integrated Reading/Writing)
 For 075 we used a theme of literacy through both
courses (career, music, technology, educational)
 In both scenarios we planned the courses
together in person, communicated regularly via
email and text, and visited each other’s classes
Relevant Research
 We could not find any specific research on
co-teaching a co-requisite class
 We searched for best practices for coteachers in other settings; for example,
middle school/high school teachers
 There are guidelines for new co-teachers in
other settings that can be applied to the coreq teaching partnerships
 Allessandra’s Platinum Rule and Eisen &
Tisdell’s Relationship Styles
 Survey of Ivy Tech Indianapolis CoTeachers Fall 2014
The Platinum Rule
 Allesandra’s “The Platinum Rule” offers
four possible styles of co-teachers:
 1. Directors
 2. Socializers
 3. Relaters
 4. Thinkers
 All teachers can exhibit aspects of more than
one style, but one will be predominant
(2014)
Platinum Rule Styles
Positives
Negatives
Needs
Director
Task-oriented, work
quickly and alone
Dominating,
stubborn and
impatient
To control and
achieve
Socializer
Enthusiasm,
persuasiveness and
ideas
Short attention
To be with
span, aversion to others and in
working alone
the action
Thinker
Detail-oriented,
persistent problem
solvers
Over-critical,
perfectionists
Relater
People-oriented, good
listeners, loyal
employees
Risk-aversive,
Consistency,
prefer status quo agreement
Proof, caution in
making
decisions
Adapting to the Styles
 With Directors, be efficient and competent. Be
organized and get to the point
 With Socializers, be interested in them. They are
people-oriented, so give them time to socialize
 With Thinkers, be well-prepared, detail-oriented,
business-like, and patient. They need details, so
give them data
 With Relaters, be non-threatening and sincere.
Talk in terms of feelings, not facts. Take things
slow, earn their trust, support their feelings, and
show sincere interest
(Allesandra 2014)
Using the Platinum Rule
 Know yourself &
your primary style
 Get to know your CoTeacher’s style
 Identify what your
needs are
 Ask your partner what
he/she needs
 Kim primary style is
Director , then
Socializer
 Danielle’s primary
style is Socializer, then
Director
Types of Relationships
Committed Marriage:
Team members select
each other voluntarily &
commit to working
closely over time.
Extended Family:
Individual teachers
exchange ideas, observe
each other &
commiserate.
Blind Date: Strangers
are matched by a 3rd
party. This could lead
to a committed marriage
OR a one-night stand!
The Village: The team
is composed of learners
& teachers who seek to
foster a broad-based
learning community.
(Eisen & Tisdell 2000)
The Survey
 We asked full and part-time faculty about their
co-teaching experiences at Ivy Tech
 A survey was presented via Survey Monkey and
all responses were anonymous
 Number of respondents was 16
 While 37% reported having 2 to 5 years experience
teaching at Ivy Tech, 25% were first year teachers
 Only 25% had over 10 years of experience
 Seventy-five percent of respondents had no
previous experience co-teaching, while 19% said
they had previous experience at the college level
 Only 6% had previous experience at the K-12 level
How Did They Communicate?
Method of Communication
Attending class
2
Phone
5
Texting
2
Blackboard IM
0
Email
15
In Person
14
0
5
10
15
20
Instructor Comments on Challenges
 My first challenge was not understanding what I
was supposed to teach the 073 students
 My co-teacher was a brand new adjunct so she had
to learn all the ins and outs of the College,
Blackboard, the courses and the Co-Req all at once
 Scheduling convenient times to communicate faceto-face and/or via phone was challenging
 I was partnered with someone who was not
engaged in the class and ended up leaving midsemester. This caused real issues since I didn’t
know what was happening in 111 other than what
the students told me after I took over her class
Benefits of Co-Teaching
 The students liked having two different
perspectives. It helped them see their work in
a different light
 Working together, we could re-emphasize core
concepts and reinforce each other’s messages
 Students liked having another teacher to ask
questions, especially if they find one teacher
less approachable
 I learned new techniques and ideas from my
co-teacher
 In sharing information, we were both able to
get to know the students much better
Suggestions from the Co-Teachers
 Get together with your partner early and often;
trade notes about student work and share
perspectives
 Meet prior to the course beginning to plan
 Sit in on each other’s classes now and then. I
think having an experienced teacher paired
with a less experienced one is definitely
helpful as a mentoring aspect
 If you are the 073/075 instructor, be willing to
make changes to help reinforce the 111
learning
More Suggestions
 Working together with personal contact makes
all the difference in maximizing the benefits
of the Co-Req experience for students and for
teachers
 The stipend helps, but it really isn’t enough
when you factor in all the work that is done
 Place more emphasis on professional
development for co-teachers. The co-teaching
relationship is overlooked because there is so
much focus on the classes themselves
 Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Toni & Michele’s Story
 Toni is an adjunct with 12 years experience
teaching developmental reading and writing at
Ivy Tech
 She has taught the developmental side of the CoReq with three different co-teachers
 Michele is an adjunct on her 5th year teaching
Composition 1 and 2 at Ivy Tech with no
experience teaching the developmental writing
stand alone or co-req
 She has only co-taught with Toni
They taught together Spring 2014 semester and met
every week for an hour and a half to adjust their
courses according to student needs
In Their Own Words…
 “For all of us, instructors and students, communication
became the cornerstone of our Co-Req experience.” – T
 “Although Toni and I teach differently, I feel the
students were MORE engaged because our approaches
were different.” – M
 “I like the Co-Req classes as a co-teacher. I can spend
more time with each student on their particular writing
problems and I can reinforce what is being taught in the
English 111 class.” – T
 “Without a supportive Co-Req partner, I’m not sure my
positive teaching experience or student retention would
have been the same. I feel it critical to expend the time
to select and coordinate Co-Req teams for success and
use them.” – M
Let’s Hear from the Students!
 The (co-req) helped me tremendously,
not to mention I had two great English
instructors that helped me through my
semester. I was never lost or confused
 I was able to ask questions without
feeling dumb or a bother to the
instructors. I also enjoyed having two
teachers because it made me separate
the two courses from each other
 I would recommend that advisors and
counselors be more aware of the classes
and how they work
More Student Comments
 The best thing about taking 073/111 is the fact
that you get them both done in one semester
and get credit for both
 The two teachers worked well together and
they were both helpful whether it was 073 or
111. The work we did in the 073 class helped
with the papers we wrote
 It would be better if both classes were
scheduled in one room so we don’t have to
move
 The 073 part was too long and could be
shorter
So You’re Going to Co-Teach
a Co-Req
 Jane Sileo writes that, “Teachers must first
know the meaning of co-teaching, as well as
logistics involved with the process.”
 Also important is whether the instructor
chose to co-teach or if it was chosen for them.
A majority of Ivy Tech Indianapolis
instructors are matched by an administrator
based on availability
 Parity, or equal status, requires that all
responsibilities are shared equally. (In our
case, planning the curriculum was the
primary focus
(Sileo 2011)
Get to Know Each Other
 What are our styles? (Platinum Rule)
 What out of school responsibilities do we
each have? Child care, full time job, family
issues, other classes?
 What do we have in common? How are we
different from each other?
 How often and where will we meet to
plan?
 How will we communicate?
 How will we resolve differences?
Co-Create Your Courses
 Who has experience with teaching either or
both courses and/or Co-Reqs?
 How will the 073 class support the 111
assignments?
 What are the major papers in 111?
 What teaching strategies will we use?
(Lecture, discussion, group activities)
 What forms of assessment will we use?
(Rubrics, quizzes, informal writing)
 How will we use technology? (Learning
Management System, e.g. Blackboard)
Reflect and Assess
 Solicit feedback from your students via
journals or surveys
 Exchange feedback with your co-teacher
 Assess what worked well and what flopped
 Decide if you would/could/should co-teach
together again
 If so, make a proactive plan to let your chair
know you would like to be assigned together
the next semester
 Begin to make any changes in the courses
ahead of time to ensure co-teaching and
student success
Recommendations
 New instructors, even if qualified to teach both
courses, should only teach one class first with an
experienced co-teacher
 Mentoring program/handbook
 Get acquainted with your co-teacher before
classes start
 Create a habit of constant communication
 Stipend for co-req team teachers to compensate
for their extra time ($680 in 2014)
 Maintain teams that work. A committed
marriage is better for the students than a one
night stand!
For copies of this
presentation, please take a
business card and we will
email it to you.
Thank You!
Works Cited
 Allesandra, Tony. "The Platinum Rule." Alessandra.com.
Allesandra & Associates, Inc., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.alessandra.com/abouttony/aboutpr.asp>.
 Chapman, Carrie, and Cate Hart Hyatt. Critical Conversations
in Co-teaching: A Problem-solving Approach. Bloomington, IN:
Solution Tree, 2011. 1-165. Print.
 “Co-Teaching the Co-Req.” Survey Monkey results from
faculty. Sep 2014.
 Eisen, Mary-Jane, and Elizabeth J. Tisdell, eds. Team Teaching
and Learning in Adult Education. Fall 2000 ed. Vol. 87. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 1-94. Print.
 “Reaching Higher, Achieving More." State of Indiana. Indiana
Commission for Higher Education, n.d. Web. 10 Apr 2013.
<http://www.in.gov/che/2713.htm>.
 Sileo, Jane. "Co-Teaching: Getting to Know Your Partner."
Teaching Exceptional Children 43.5 (2011): 32-38. Print.