Co-teaching: #ISSedu Twitter Chat
Let's chat co-teaching! Dive in with the #ISSedu April 23 #Twitterchat, 8AM Eastern/8PM China Standard Time. Special thanks to @bourgeois1 (PYP teacher, NIST, Bangkok) for lending her expertise to help us create & guide this conversation. We look forward to learning with you all! pic.twitter.com/t9MmEkeK2Q
— International Schools Services (ISS) (@ISSCommunity) April 6, 2019
We're still thanking Nicky Bourgeois (PYP teacher at NIST International School in Bangkok) for her help coordinating this conversation! A strong believer in developing shared pedagogy, Nicky views her students as competent, creative, and curious learners, and draws on her extensive classroom experience to also support international educators in their professional learning. We're grateful for her help brainstorming the questions, her engagement and support of other international educators during the chat, and all the great work she continues to do in international education.
As with every archive of these #ISSedu chats, we wish we could include every post and thread everyone shared. Still, we think this co-created resource of highlights from the chat give a great little window into the wisdom and encouragement shared. Enjoy!
A1: Over the past few years I have had up to 4 teacher in and out of the one ele homeroom throughout a day – a Thai Academic Assistant, an Enrichment support teacher, a learning support teacher and an ELL support teacher. It varies!
— Nicky Bourgeois (@bourgeois1) April 23, 2019
A1: In my current position/school, it means consulting with our learning support teachers to best meet the needs of my students. I am looking forward to next year when I will teach the same course as another teacher & will have more opportunities for this. #issedu
— Callie BushMiller (@learnboldly) April 23, 2019
A1: One rich form of co-teaching is to share the work of conferring with my students w/ another colleague (or visa verse now that I don’t have my own classroom). We also train all parents & TA’s to confer; classroom T passes on a focused conference record form #coteaching #issedu
— Laura Benson (@LBopenbook) April 23, 2019
A1: Co-teaching at NCPA means teaching lessons that are co-planned by an EAL specialist and content specialist. In the classroom this may look like parallel teaching, alternate teaching, station teaching, or one-teach one-assist depending on need. #issedu
— ChelseaKelsey (@ChelseaKelsey3) April 23, 2019
I co-taught a few interdisciplinary classes when I was working at a boarding school; o-teaching allowed us to dig deep into several disciplines b/c we all had different backgrounds. Students saw in real time when disciplines overlapped and when they conflicted. #issedu
— Liz Duffy (@DuffyLiz) April 23, 2019
Q2: What are some of the tangible benefits of co-teaching or co-planning?
A2: We are two sections of the founding Grade 4 team at our school #iNCIC. Our team leader, my co-teacher, previous worked in another grade level, so it's been nice to have someone guiding us as we co-plan everything. It's been a good bonding experience. #ISSedu
— Yau-Jau Ku (@yaujauku) April 23, 2019
A2: All too often, co-teaching seems like it must always be an end goal. But co-planning doesn’t always have to end in two teachers doing the instruction; the tangible benefit is having a well-designed lesson, scaffold, or other deliverable…regardless of who is teaching what.
— Rachel West (@uop_rachel) April 23, 2019
A2: Some of the tangible benefits of co-teaching & co-planning are: reduced student to teacher ratio, ss benefit from expertise of more than 1 teacher to receive more specialized or different models of instruction that can increase engagement. #ISSedu #coteaching
— Angela Campagna (@MsCampagna_) April 23, 2019
A2 Coplanning is (IMO) one of the best things about teaching – being able to share ideas either with colleagues IRL or PLN (who are typically beyond generous with sharing). Goal is moving toward more dynamic learning for students. #ISSedu #coteaching
— Sonya terBorg (@terSonya) April 23, 2019
A2: Increased expertise is brought to co-planned lessons. Co-teaching can lead to greater differentiation and more student feedback #issedu #coteaching
— ChelseaKelsey (@ChelseaKelsey3) April 23, 2019
Q3: Who could be considered a potential co-teacher in your context?
A3 I feel like Ss can also be like co-teachers especially when it comes to tech! Not sure if that's what you'd call them but we all know how good they are! I have had Ss give short tutorials to their classmates on how to use some of the tools. #ISSedu
— Huda Hassan (@Huda0829) April 23, 2019
A3: @ncpa_china all grade 7, 8, 9 and most grade 10 classes have a content teacher and a dedicated EAL specialist. All Ts that share a common course also engage in common planning with EAL, Chinese Language speaking TA, and the content teachers. More brains the better! #ISSedu
— Trish Merewether (@TrishMerewether) April 23, 2019
A3 – I think anyone can add value to your teaching. In fact I encourage cross departmental or cross divisional communication and collaboration. They can often add value in ways that we might not think of #issedu
— Ryan Persaud (@RyanPersaud23) April 23, 2019
Q3: Anyone willing to support our Ss is a co-teacher in my books. Going beyond our co-teachers in our classroom, the librarian to help with #inquiry, our ELL coordinator to help us think what strategies are best for language learners, our counselor, our PE, Art, Music Ts #issedu
— Yau-Jau Ku (@yaujauku) April 23, 2019
A3 In reading feedback about our personalized learning approach today, I think parents are seeking understanding as co-teachers #ISSedu #coteaching
— Sonya terBorg (@terSonya) April 23, 2019
Q4: What are some useful strategies that support co-planning or co-teaching?
so true #coteaching is more than just naming, listing activities and content it involves discussing Ss growth, interests and needs #issedu #coteaching
— AlejandraCruzMilano (@TeacherMsAle) April 23, 2019
Adaptive School protocols and D. Sweeney’s student centred coaching work are invaluable sources of support and paint edifying portraits of possibilities for co-teaching! Also love Katherine Carey’s coaching thinking# #coteaching #issedu
— Laura Benson (@LBopenbook) April 23, 2019
A4: #coplanning and #coteaching seems to work best when both parties are bringing a skillset/ different lens to the table. Leads to a richer unit. #ISSedu
— Jessica Davis (@JessBlueDavis) April 23, 2019
A4 The work @bourgeois1 and @BQDressler have done on #conceptualcoteaching is my go-to #goldstandard when it comes to getting started with #coteaching. Shared beliefs about students and learning and positioning yourself from there, for me, is where it is at. #ISSedu #coteaching
— Sonya terBorg (@terSonya) April 23, 2019
A4: We co-plan over food! Haha. It's our way of getting to know each other once a week informally while dreaming big for our Ss. It's been good synergy and also doesn't hurt when you have a teammate that is an excellent baker. @kristawiberg. #coteaching #ISSedu #iNCIC
— Yau-Jau Ku (@yaujauku) April 23, 2019
Q5: Successful co-teaching can be significantly dependent on the quality of the team’s relationship. What do you pay attention to in order to foster positive relationships?
A5: Identity matters. What you indicate to your students through your relationships, especially in regards to equity, can be subtle but important – who do the students perceive as the main teacher? How is the ownership shared? #ISSedu #coteaching
— Nicky Bourgeois (@bourgeois1) April 23, 2019
A5: I try to notice and comment on the little things. Recognizing individual efforts and acknowledging the work people are doing. I do what I say I am going to do. Assume positive intentions. #iSSedu
— Trish Merewether (@TrishMerewether) April 23, 2019
A5: Make sure to honor agreements (meeting times, what you say you’ll do). Understand that your colleagues may not have the same process as you and that’s not bad, just different. Remember that it’s ok to not be best friends, but you’re both there for the Ss. #ISSedu
— Rachel West (@uop_rachel) April 23, 2019
A5 Know your learners. "Get personal" by sharing personal stories. Listen to them, to their stories. Share the learning journey, yours and theirs #ISSedu #coteaching
— Leticia Carino (@leticarino) April 23, 2019
A5: To foster positive relations, never use the word "but" with your co-teaching partner – or with any colleague. It's an effortless dismissal of their ideas. #ISSedu
— Matt Kelsey (@mbkkelsey) April 23, 2019
Q6: What are some online resources that can assist with co-teaching?
A6: Some great online resources to assist with co-teaching can be found here: https://t.co/43KalbklLe … follow them on Twitter @readysetcoteach #ISSedu #coteaching
— Angela Campagna (@MsCampagna_) April 23, 2019
Yes, I have published Listen, Name, & Nudge in books and articles & it is widely available thru our ISS Padlets. Email me for ex. & copies lbenson@iss.edu #coteaching #ISSedu
— Laura Benson (@LBopenbook) April 23, 2019
A6: Kanban tools like @Kanbanchi or @trello can be useful to #coteaching teams #issedu
— john burns (@j0hnburns) April 23, 2019
Q7: How can you build capacity in others to be effective co-teachers?
A7: Celebrate learning and teaching. Attend workshops with your co-teacher. Facilitate or attend a book club/PD. Read, stay informed, be open to new learning opportunities. Share with others your success moments/stories. #issedu
— Ana Arana (@MsAnaArana) April 23, 2019
A7. By highlighting their strengths and assigning roles that can bring out the best in them. By offering to be reflective which would encourage the co- teacher to do the same #ISSedu
— Huda Hassan (@Huda0829) April 23, 2019
A7: Be willing to talk through and admit things you aren’t good at or are struggling with. Model the process. Empower others to help you and students, even if they might be uncomfortable at first. And snacks always help meetings go better. #ISSedu
— Rachel West (@uop_rachel) April 23, 2019
Q7. Learning together: book study, PD together, sharing resources can help to build capacity and help with group efficacy #iNCIC #coteaching #ISSedu
— Keisha La Beach (@KeishaLaBeach1) April 23, 2019
Q8: Where do you see potential opportunities for developing co-teaching in your context?
A8: I’d love to see interdisciplinary communication & co-planning systemically incorporated and honored as co-teaching; too often people only think of it as EAL + content. HS students share lots of different Ts. English is one thread that carries through them all. #ISSedu
— Rachel West (@uop_rachel) April 23, 2019
Q8: Growing of practice with local staff in international schools – taking their lead on learning communities – how do they think this might best look for them? See @ToscaKilloran's work on this!
— Nicky Bourgeois (@bourgeois1) April 23, 2019
A8: Potential opportunities for developing co-teaching in my context: continued honest & open dialogues to develop shared understandings, developing co-teaching agreements, increasing co- planning time or maximizing effectiveness of co-planning time. #ISSedu #coteaching
— Angela Campagna (@MsCampagna_) April 23, 2019
A8: I'll refer to trust again. It might be helpful for co-teachers to know which of the 5 faces of trust our partners value the most. Ex: my honesty may not get me very far if I'm not showing enough benevolence to someone who really values that. PD? #iNCIC #ISSedu #coteaching
— Brian McCoubrey (@mccoubrey43) April 23, 2019
A8: It's our first year, and we're already looking forward to making #coteaching stronger. We are also very keen to incorporating #innovatormindset #inquirymindset, #metacognition, language acquisition strategies, #stuvoice and agency. Dreaming big! #ISSEdu #iNCIC
— Yau-Jau Ku (@yaujauku) April 23, 2019
Thank you to all who joined to explore co-teaching with the wonderful #ISSedu family of global educators.