I am thrilled to join the TES staff as your new Media Specialist! One of my many responsibilities (and interests) is co-teaching with you! So, what exactly is co-teaching? Watch this short video from Education Weekly for an accurately concise description.
"Collaboration" is definitely a buzzword in education nowadays. Yes, I know your quarterly pacing guides are on GoogleDrive and that I have access to them. But this is not the kind of collaboration required for co-teaching. In order to successfully co-teach we need to collaborate face-to-face, plan together, converse, and get to know each other better. Still not convinced about the benefits of collaboration? Check out this info graphic.
Our media center is not a place where you'll hear, "SHHHH," very often. The media center is not my space- it's yours, it's the kids', it's ours. It is my goal to broaden access to the media center at TES for individual students, small groups, and whole-group classes. Are your students working on research projects and need access to reference materials? Does your class need a larger space to conduct hands-on experiments? Are you in need of a space for your guided reading groups led by a teacher assistant? The media center can provide all of these things for you. Check out this article to get an idea of how school libraries are evolving.
How is collaborating with a media specialist different than collaborating with a classroom teacher in your grade level or a curriculum facilitator? And how will it help your students?
LRS has created this helpful infographic to display some of the benefits of working with the school media specialist.
In addition, I have a BS in Elementary Education, a MA in Reading Education (K-12), and am working to complete an MLIS. I have more than four years experience working as an elementary classroom teacher. I understand the demands our students are tasked to meet, I am knowledgeable about your curriculum, and I can help you access the materials and resources you and your students need. But most of all, I'm excited and willing to help you achieve all of these things! Let's face it- who wouldn't say "yes" to another pair of hands and eyes in the classroom to better help reach each and every one of your students?
Interested in seeing what co-teaching looks like? AASL provides an insightful webinar outlining different opportunities, activities, and outcomes of co-teaching. The two presenters do a wonderful job taking you through each step of the co-teaching process, from planning to reflection.
If you're interested in co-teaching because you'll have help wrangling in those problem kids or you'll have someone else in the room to watch the kids when you need to step out to use the restroom then let's take a step back for a second. That is not what co-teaching is about. Co-teaching is not taking turns, and it's not one person handling the instructional load while another handles the behavioral load. Not quite sure what co-teaching looks like, then? Check out Dr. Marilyn Friend's ideas for how educators can teach simultaneously.
More examples from SERC.
So you think you know how to collaborate? Co-teaching is not your normal collaboration experience. Looking at NEA's advice regarding co-teaching it becomes apparent that communication is the biggest factor influencing a successful experience!
Speaking of communication, Brookes Publishing gets us right to the point. Like many things, these just seem like "givens" or things that all professionals understand, but it is important to keep these expectations clear between the two individuals working together. Co-teaching isn't a competition, it isn't an opportunity to mark territory; co-teaching is an opportunity to leave egos at the door and give students twice as much to achieve double!
Want to know more? By all means, I am not the expert on co-teaching and I certainly don't have all the answers (but I am eager to get started!).
I have found The Co-Teaching Connection website to be very helpful in learning more about co-teaching. One part of the website offers possible problems and it offers insightful solutions. The webpage includes lesson plans and additional helpful links.
