This past 2022-23 school year, we were assigned to co-teach a grade 9 science class at Vientiane International School (VIS) in Laos. Among the class of 23 students, about one-third qualified for either English Language Acquisition (ELA), Individualized Learning Support (ILS) support, or both.
Despite one of us being new to the school (and not having taught science in several years), we decided to give it a try. What resulted was a successful partnership that benefited both our students and us as professionals. Given the positive outcomes, we wanted to share some tips with fellow educators interested in co-teaching.
Tips for Co-Teaching Success:
- Use the co-planning meeting time wisely: We scheduled a co-planning meeting at least once every two weeks. We used the time productively by having goals for what we wanted to accomplish during the session. We only canceled meetings if absolutely necessary.
- Analyze student data frequently: Early in the first semester, our co-planning meetings included reviewing data from our students’ previous year science class and ILP or ELA support teams. We created lists of students that might need added support. This helped focus our interactions in the classroom. Later in the semester, we analyzed students’ summative and formative assessments. The latter was particularly important in helping us target resources and triage support where we could make gains through extra intervention.
- Decide together on student interventions and follow through accordingly: Once we knew which students needed support and for what topics, we encouraged them to seek help during the school’s homework time. We sent calendar invites and tracked down students if they forgot to meet with us. One student reflected, “I think by having two teachers we were able to ask questions and get answers efficiently.” The increase in students deciding to seek help, and following through on receiving that help, improved grades.
- Create flexible groupings to teach specific skills: Based on student data and observations in class, we sometimes decided to take students out of class at critical points in the assessment cycle where specific, direct small-group support in a different setting was deemed optimal. Analyzing student data regularly helped us learn students’ study habits and learning approaches throughout the year. Based on the growth we observed, at times we reduced support for some students while increasing it for others.
- Maximize the rapport between teacher and students: We made an extra effort to connect with our students during break time, lunchtime, and before and after class. Since Paul is the school’s badminton coach, he was able to form close connections with students who were also on the team. We kept it light in the classroom, regularly making jokes, laughing with students, and talking about their likes and dislikes. Students felt comfortable and safe with us and could see that we were there to help. In an end-of-year reflection, one student said, “Both of my teachers gave me good feedback. They gave me a chance to expand my learning and encouraged me to do better.”
- Be realistic about the content and activities for your varying student groups and differentiate content accordingly: For example, in the chemistry unit, we decided that it would be better for the class to work at individualized paces to allow for differentiation. As a result, we copied packets of work into different colors. This allowed students to group up and work at the speed and academic level that was appropriate and challenging for them. Having two teachers helped enable multiple different activities to take place at the same time during a lesson.
- Scaffold and edit assignments to increase accessibility for assessments: We reviewed and edited most of the assessments for the school year. This was one of the major advantages of having an ELA specialist as a co-teacher. The summative labs chosen in Grade 9 offered a wide range of entry and exit points. We relied on sentence starters to help students formulate ideas. As one student said, “I liked having a supportive Google document, this made the work easier.”
Challenges and Opportunities:
Forming connections with each other: Make sure you get to know and feel comfortable with your co-teacher, especially if one of you is new to the school. If the students are going to take risks with you they need to see that you are working in harmony and are comfortable in each other’s company.
Playing to each other’s strengths: It is a growth journey to be able to recognize and utilize what each teacher brings to the classroom and then maximize these strengths throughout the year as opportunities arises.
Scheduling issues: Be ready for scheduling conflicts and your co-teacher perhaps being unavailable at times. It will make you appreciate them more on their return.
Embrace the opportunity: Two teachers working together provides additional support for enhanced learning, especially with students requiring small groups or individual attention.
Recognize the skill set of your co-teacher: Learn from each other so that next time, if you require support strategies on your own, you have more to choose from. You do not need two subject specialists – for us it was advantageous to have an ELA specialist co-teacher to help meet the needs of the class.
Enjoy the increased engagement with your co-teacher: It can be stressful in the beginning and you may not be used to having someone else in class, but the educational gains for the students make it all worthwhile.
Remember that co-teaching is rewarding: We loved when our students made a strong connection with the other co-teacher, especially when perhaps they may have been more reluctant to do so with you. When you see evidence of learning, hear laughter, and see increased engagement amongst students, you will know that you are doing co-teaching right and you will see the benefits of it.
We’d like to end with a thank you message we received from a student on the last day of school. The student wrote, “I’d like to thank Mr. Paul and Ms. Megan for giving me a lot of new knowledge and skills. Thank you for giving me support throughout the year. Thank you for helping me with everything. I liked both of your styles of teaching. I enjoyed science class the most.”
It doesn’t get any better than that. We wish all of you good luck on your co-teaching journey!
Megan Vosk teaches MYP English Language Acquisition and Paul Browne teaches MYP and DP Science at Vientiane International School. Megan is the Chair of AMLE’s Teacher Leaders Committee.