Collaborative Teaching in School Communities

Co-teaching or Team Teaching: #One Teach, One Observe 🔹 How to Implement: One teacher leads the instruction while the other observes specific student behaviors, participation, or learning outcomes. Pre-plan what to observe and how to use the data. 🔹 Example: In a Grade 5 science class, Teacher A teaches a lesson on ecosystems while Teacher B observes how ELL students engage with the vocabulary. After class, both reflect on supports needed. #One Teach, One Assist 🔹 How to Implement: One teacher instructs, while the other circulates to help individuals or small groups. Focus support on students with IEPs, ELLs, or those struggling with content. 🔹 Example: During a math lesson on fractions, one teacher delivers the concept while the other supports students who are behind or need translation into their native language. # Station Teaching 🔹 How to Implement: Divide the class into small groups and rotate them between different stations, each led by a teacher or working independently. Plan each station to target different aspects of the same topic. 🔹 Example: In a middle school English lesson on persuasive writing: Station 1: Brainstorming ideas (teacher-led) Station 2: Sentence starters and structure (teacher-led) Station 3: Peer editing (independent) #Parallel Teaching 🔹 How to Implement: Split the class into two groups; each teacher teaches the same material simultaneously. Great for large groups or when you want more participation. 🔹 Example: In a history class, each teacher teaches a group about the causes of World War I. Smaller groups allow more debate and questioning. #Alternative Teaching 🔹 How to Implement: One teacher works with a larger group while the other pulls a smaller group for remediation, enrichment, or assessment. Rotate students across weeks based on needs. 🔹 Example: During a reading comprehension unit, one teacher re-teaches inference skills to struggling readers while the other leads a discussion with the rest of the class on figurative language. #Team Teaching (Tag Team) 🔹 How to Implement: Both teachers actively instruct together, sharing the stage and exchanging ideas during the lesson. Requires high collaboration and mutual respect. 🔹 Example: In a Grade 9 integrated science and math project, both teachers model how to collect data during a science experiment and use statistics to analyze results. #Best Practices for Implementation ✅ Plan Together Regularly Use co-planning time to align objectives, strategies, roles, and assessments. ✅ Define Roles Clearly Decide who leads, who supports, and how transitions will be handled during lessons. ✅ Differentiate Instruction Use collaborative settings to better meet diverse learning needs. ✅ Reflect and Adjust After each lesson, debrief together on what worked and what didn’t. ✅ Maintain Consistent Communication Use tools like shared digital planners, Google Docs, or apps to stay aligned.

Jigsaw Reading: A Powerful Collaborative Strategy for ESL Classrooms Looking for a student-centered strategy that boosts communication and comprehension in your ESL lessons? Try Jigsaw Reading—a cooperative learning technique where every student becomes both a learner and a teacher. What is Jigsaw Reading? Students are divided into groups and assigned different parts of a text. They first become "experts" in their assigned section, then return to their groups to teach what they've learned. This approach promotes active reading, listening, and speaking skills—all essential in language acquisition. How to Implement It: 1. Divide students into home groups (4–6 students). 2. Assign each member a unique section of the text. 3. Students join expert groups to study and discuss their section. 4. Return to home groups—each student teaches their part. 5. Wrap up with a class discussion, quiz, or reflection activity. -Why It Works for ESL Learners: Builds communication and collaboration Encourages peer teaching and accountability Supports reading fluency and comprehension Boosts learner confidence with manageable text chunks -Pro Tips for ESL Teachers: Scaffold with vocabulary lists and sentence starters Use visuals to aid understanding Monitor and guide group discussions Choose level-appropriate, culturally inclusive texts Integrate speaking or writing tasks as follow-up -Bonus Tip: You can extend this strategy into a project-based task—students create a summary poster, infographic, or even a mini-podcast to present their topic! Let your students lead the learning—because when learners teach, they remember more. #ESLTeaching #CollaborativeLearning #JigsawReading #ActiveLearning #ELT #ESLStrategies #TeacherTips #TESOL #TEFL #LanguageLearning #StudentCenteredLearning #EnglishTeaching #ReadingSkills

Something unexpected has emerged in my AI literacy research that's challenging conventional wisdom: the critical role of acculturation patterns in how AI literacy actually develops in educational settings. Most frameworks treat AI literacy as a structured set of skills to acquire - a checklist of competencies to master. But what I'm observing in classrooms and teacher workshops is something far more organic and culturally embedded. It mirrors how communities have historically adopted and adapted to new cultural tools. Let me share a pattern I've seen repeat across multiple schools: It begins with personal experimentation, often kept private. Teachers and students explore AI tools on their own, testing boundaries and building personal comfort. This phase is marked by curiosity but also hesitation - a natural part of engaging with any transformative technology. Then comes a pivotal shift: tentative sharing with trusted colleagues or peers. A teacher mentions using ChatGPT for lesson planning in the break room. A student shows a classmate how they're using AI to brainstorm essay topics. These small moments of vulnerability and exchange begin building a shared understanding. The most fascinating stage emerges next: collaborative exploration and systematic integration. Once enough individual comfort exists, communities begin collectively reimagining their practices. I watched one department move from individual experimentation to co-creating AI-enhanced curriculum units within a semester. The key wasn't just training - it was trust and shared experience. What's particularly striking is how this pattern mirrors historical educational technology adoption, from calculators to computers. Yet AI adds a unique dimension: the tool itself participates in and shapes this acculturation process. It's not just a static technology to master but an interactive partner in the learning process. This raises profound questions about how we support this cultural transition. Should we focus less on formal training and more on creating safe spaces for experimentation? How do we honor the organic nature of this process while ensuring equitable access and development? #AIResearch #EducationalChange #TeacherDevelopment #EdTech Dr. Sabba Quidwai France Q. Hoang Pat Yongpradit Mike Kentz Phillip Alcock Doan Winkel Jason Gulya Marc Watkins Sonia Kathuria MA. Ed

Inclusive instruction in secondary classrooms often falls short—not because teachers don’t care, but because systems aren’t designed for collaboration. In many secondary schools, special education teachers are grossly underutilized in inclusive classrooms. Too often, they are scheduled from bell to bell with little time to plan with their general education partners. During class, they are frequently used as behavior managers or “extra adults in the room” rather than instructional specialists. In some classrooms, special education teachers are even perceived as the person who handles paperwork rather than someone who teaches. But special education teachers bring deep expertise in differentiation, scaffolding, and targeted instruction. When that expertise is not used intentionally, students miss out. 💡If we want inclusion to work, we have to rethink how we use our special education staff.💡 Some possibilities include: ➕ Building protected collaborative planning time between general and special educators ➕Allowing special education teachers to pull small instructional groups during lessons ➕ Avoiding schedules that place special education teachers in classes from bell to bell with no planning time ➕Reorganizing lesson progression so inclusion support aligns with the schedule ➕Utilizing paraprofessionals for routine in-class support, allowing special educators to focus on instruction and planning. In many cases, the tasks currently assigned to special education teachers could be handled by a paraprofessional. What cannot be replaced is the instructional expertise that special education teachers bring when they are fully included in planning and instructional design. If we want inclusive classrooms to succeed in secondary schools, we must stop treating special education teachers like assistants and start using them like the instructional partners they are. 💡Inclusion works best when both teachers are empowered to teach.💡 #SpecialEducation #InclusiveEducation #TeacherCollaboration #CoTeaching #InstructionalLeadership #EducationLeadership #DifferentiatedInstruction #TeacherSupport

I know schools are operating with less—less funding, less staffing, more stress. But the one thing you can control? How you develop your teachers. The hard part? Thinking creatively about that while juggling a million other things. So, let me share two practical and actionable ideas. When I was a high school principal, I didn’t have a curriculum team or a talent development department. But I still needed a team that could execute with clarity and consistency across classrooms. Because here’s the thing: once you’ve taught the basics—your vision, your systems, your expectations—the real work begins. That’s when you need your team to: ✅ Apply what they’ve learned ✅ Pick apart the nuance ✅ Think through what it looks like in practice And that’s exactly where most PD falls short. Here are two low-lift, high-impact strategies that helped us bridge the gap between theory and action in summer PD and beyond (and if you're not a school leader? These 100% translate, with a few alterations) ✅ Lesson Study + Problem-Solving Protocols- Don’t just ask teachers to “collaborate.” Give them routines that help them plan, look at student work, and tackle shared challenges together. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s collective learning. (see link below with a few) ✅ Case Study PDs- Your team won’t master your approach to transitions, discipline, or culture after one session. At the end of every PD, I started asking: “What do you anticipate being hard about doing this?” “Where do you still feel uncertain?” Then I used their responses to create case studies we could workshop together. Real dilemmas. Real conversations. Shared judgment. None of this required a budget. Just time, intention, and a commitment to learning in community. 💬 What’s one move that’s helped your team turn vision into practice?

Team teaching, when thoughtfully implemented, transforms the classroom into a dynamic, inclusive, and responsive learning environment. For co-teachers, it offers a chance to share the workload equitably, whether through alternating planning responsibilities or dividing instructional roles reducing burnout and fostering mutual respect. This collaboration allows educators to leverage their individual strengths: one might lead a whole-class discussion while the other supports a small group with targeted interventions, ensuring all learners are met where they are. Students benefit from seeing adults model constructive communication and compromise, especially when teachers navigate decisions together in real time, like choosing project guidelines or adapting lesson flow. Families, too, gain clarity and confidence when both teachers maintain open lines of communication, share observations, and highlight the unique benefits of a co-taught classroom. These team teaching tips like scheduling planning time, involving parents, and building community aren’t just logistical strategies; they’re the scaffolding for a classroom culture rooted in trust, adaptability, and shared growth. #TeamTeachingTogether

Another resource on DI for educators! Check out these practical tips for keeping differentiation alive in your school. This document offers simple yet powerful ideas to help teachers reach all students in their classrooms by teaching in different ways to meet their unique needs. Many of these suggestions align strongly with effective teaching methods like those emphasized in the IB standards and practices 2020 for approaches to teaching. Here are some key ways these tips connect to good teaching practices: • Working Together and Sharing Ideas: The tips encourage teachers to share their successful strategies in meetings, form groups to solve teaching challenges, and exchange ideas through email, mailboxes, or shared online folders. This teamwork helps everyone learn and improve. • Learning and Growing as Teachers: The document suggests activities like Q&A sessions with experts, book study groups, and expert groups focused on different teaching methods. This ongoing learning helps teachers become even better at supporting their students. • Thinking and Improving Teaching: The idea of modifying shared activities based on your students' needs and then sharing your new version promotes careful thought and continuous improvement in teaching. • Watching and Learning from Others: The tips suggest encouraging teachers to observe colleagues in their classrooms and having experienced teachers coach others. This helps teachers see different methods in action and get helpful feedback. •Planning Together: The document recommends committing meeting agendas to discussing differentiation or collaborative planning and determining times for specific topic-alike planning. This ensures that teachers have the time to think about how to best teach their students. • Creating Useful Materials: The suggestion to have make-and-take work sessions to create differentiated materials directly helps teachers build resources that cater to various learning styles. By using these tips, schools can help all students learn better because teachers will have more ways to teach effectively! If you find these ideas valuable and think they could help other educators, please repost this to share the resource! I believe that effectively implementing these differentiation strategies can significantly contribute to meeting various educational standards and practices aimed at enhancing teaching and learning. In the comments below, I invite you to share your insights on which specific educational standards and practices you think these tips would best support in your context. For example, which aspects of teacher effectiveness frameworks, student learning standards, or accreditation requirements do you see these strategies aligning with? Let's discuss how focusing on differentiation through these practical approaches can help schools achieve their broader educational goals!

Exciting news for school and district leaders looking to modernize their classrooms, and I love seeing the work of TWO founding members of The Pathways Alliance highlighted! The U.S. Department of Education just released a "Dear Colleague" letter (Feb. 9, 2026) that formally encourages states and districts to move away from the "one teacher, one classroom" model. For the first time, federal guidance explicitly highlights how Title II, Part A (and in some cases Title I) funds can be used to support Strategic Staffing. Why This Matters: The Department noted that traditional Title II spending has consistently improved recruitment or retention, and by shifting toward team-based models, districts can: Differentiate Pay: Reward lead teachers for taking on extra responsibilities. Strengthen Pipelines: Fund teacher residencies, "grow-your-own" programs, and apprenticeships. Support Novices: Provide job-embedded coaching and collaborative environments. The Impact is Already Real: Organizations like Public Impact, Education Consultants, and the Next Education Workforce initiative at Arizona State University have already proven this works: Public Impact's "Opportunity Culture": Now in 1,000+ schools, with data showing these schools are 2–3x more likely to exceed learning growth expectations. Next Education Workforce: Research shows that teachers in team-based models are significantly less likely to leave the profession than those in traditional settings. With $2.2 billion allocated for Title II in FY2026, the door is wide open for districts to innovate. It’s time to move from "isolation" to "teamwork" in our schools. Read the full guidance to see how your district can leverage these funds. https://lnkd.in/gDhfPtGP Congratulations Carole Basile and Brent Maddin as well as Bryan Hassel!

The early moves we embody help us more easily design and build learning walls alongside our learners and before you even begin adding documentation to your vertical spaces here are a few habits to consider at the start of your academic year or term… 1️⃣ Build essential agreements and create a space to set goals that helps define qualities of the skills you hope to build across time together across the year. Return to this often, use it as you reflect together during community circle time & revise it as you grow together as a class 2️⃣ Take inventory of your students interests, ask them preferences for learning and use their feedback RIGHT AWAY so that way your learners see their voice immediately making a difference 3️⃣ Leverage collaborative students that encourage learners to dig into topics and concepts together. Lift of patterns and celebrate the collaboration that’s already occurring right before you! 4️⃣ Co-design learning with question and thinking routines. These structures provide you with clear next steps and express and interest in student thinking and ideas right away 5️⃣ Co-create indicators of success criteria for non-academic areas first (i.e. What does collaboration look like and sound like for us as a community? OR Build a bank of sentence stems to be used during partner sharing or giving and receiving feedback) While there are many more things I could add to this list, begin your year with co-design in mind. Take a look at your lesson plans and routines and ask yourself how you might start with your learner voice first 🥳 #inquiry #inquirymindset #learningwalls #teacherprofessionaldevelopment #studentagency

Creating Inclusive Classrooms with Co-Teaching and the Station Rotation In today’s educational landscape, the emphasis on inclusion and creating the least restrictive environments for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) has significantly reshaped classroom dynamics. This shift has led to the growing adoption of co-teaching models, where general and special education teachers collaborate to meet the diverse needs of their students. Among the various co-teaching approaches, the use of teacher-led stations within a station rotation model stands out for its ability to consistently deliver targeted, differentiated, and personalized instruction. In this blog, Noelle Gutierrez and I explore five strategies to utilize co-teachers in a station rotation model to enhance the co-teaching experience and ensure that all students, including those with IEPs, receive the support they need. https://lnkd.in/g2RSqYQ4 #UDL #Inclusion #CoTeaching #Education #StationRotation