Coaching cycles are “co-laboring”
activities, with coach and teacher working in concert to ensure that students
have the best-possible learning experiences.
That co-laboring can take many forms.
Near the end of a coaching cycle, co-teaching may be the right
move. Kids really benefit and coach and
teacher see each other in action in this side-by-side scenario.
I’ve had many opportunities to
observe co-teaching, but one stands out in my mind. Sue and Sherri worked seamlessly together as
they co-taught lessons. It’s easy to put
two teachers to use in a classroom during guided reading, with each having a
group, but what impressed me about this dynamic duo was the way they shared the
air during whole group instruction. The
class held meaningful discussions, with teacher and coach posing thoughtful
questions as needed to keep things going.
When it was time for a quick table talk, both instructors leaned in to
hear the conversations. When the flow of
whole-group discussion was punctuated with a stop-and-jot moment, each of them
zeroed quickly in on students who they knew would need extra scaffolding. Like bees buzzing in and out of the hive, it
ran like a perfectly orchestrated activity.
I wondered how much planning it took
to pull this off. When I checked in with
Sue and Sherri about it, their answer was surprising. “Not much,” they said. “We plan a general outline for the lesson
and go from there.” What made their
partnering work was the shared vision they had already created and the
understanding of individual needs that had developed during the time they spent
together. Specific instructional
routines they’d worked on previously came together as they joined their efforts
in co-teaching the class.
Co-teachers are co-laboring –
working together, side-by-side, for the benefit of students. Sue and Sherri’s co-teaching approach is just
one of many possibilities. When
co-teaching, some coach/teacher combinations like to divide the lesson into
clear segments, taking turns with who is leading and who is supporting. Others prefer a more free-form, ping-ponging
of instruction, with both teachers actively teaching at the same time. As co-teachers, each partner brings unique
skills and perspectives to the learning experience.
Co-teaching is high-voltage
collaboration! Coach and teacher are in
sync in this interactive, interdependent enterprise. Although co-laboring in the form of teaching
together can be very effective, few educators have the luxury of co-teaching as
an ongoing approach, but it can be a productive phase on the road to
interdependence and collaboration, which is the end goal for the GIR coaching
model.
Whether co-teaching or working
together in other forms, collaboration is a shared creation that surpasses what
individuals could have produced on their own.
Co-teaching and other forms of collaboration are possible when educators
are united in purpose and share an understanding of instructional
best-practices. If you haven’t already tried co-teaching, you might consider
giving this high-voltage collaborative approach a try!
This week, you might want to take a look at:
Free
digital non-fiction texts to download and use:
A
free webinar from NCTE about formative assessment:
A
middle-school teacher/coach details the steps in modeling her thinking – an
effective instructional approach in any subject:
An
article about helping students evaluate online video for research:
A
digital interactive timeline and accompanying lesson:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
