Clinical Model

Co-teaching Overview

Contemporary best practice includes increased opportunities for teacher candidates to co-plan, co-teach and co-assess during student teaching.

The seven strategies listed below represent a continuum of co-teaching. Each can be utilized as the partners determine what will best meet the needs of the learners in the classroom.

1. One teach; one observe – One has primary instructional responsibility while the other gathers data regarding teaching and/or learning as specified before the lesson.
2. One teach; one assist – One has primary instructional responsibility while the other assists students with their work, monitors behaviors or reviews assignments.
3. Station teaching – The co-teaching pair divides the instructional content into parts. Each teacher instructs one of the groups at a designated station. Often an independent station will be used along with a teacher led station.
4. Parallel teaching – Each teacher instructs half of the students. The two teachers address the same instructional material and present the materials using the same instructional strategy.
5. Supplemental teaching – This strategy allows one teacher to work with on-grade level students while the other teacher works with students who could benefit from remediation, re-teaching or extension related to the instruction material.
6. Alternative (differentiated) teaching – the two teachers use different approaches to delivering content.
7. Team teaching – Both teachers are actively involved in delivering the lesson by sharing instructional delivery as deemed appropriate for the context.