Careful planning and effective communication are the two most significant factors in a co-teaching job. A teacher can create an extremely wonderful and valuable experience from the onset of a co-teaching assignment if two teachers work as a team. It is particularly vital if this is done in order to facilitate students with disabilities learn comfortably with the rest.
For example, in a class of sixteen, six of them with disabilities, it is extremely essential to have two teachers co-teaching together. One of them may be a normal teacher, while the other must be a teacher with specific training on special needs of persons with disabilities.
In order for these two teachers to discharge their duties effectively, they need to develop a rapport between themselves, maintain a cohesive classroom whose curriculum has been synchronized and provide a formulation for teaching the students in a unified way. This is essential because if the two teachers teach the students with different techniques and methods, they may end up confusing them.
Learning process also need to be inclusive. For example, all students should participate in class presentation, procedure and experiments without discrimination. Moreover, even extra-curriculum activities should be undertaken by all students. It is vital for the co-teacher with special skills on persons with disabilities to motivate, encourage and inspire disabled students. In is also essential that normal kids should be advised to treat their less fortunate ones with respect and dignity rather than feel sorry for them. Co-teaching provides teachers with valuable experience, skills and techniques to teach a diverse class of students. However, it is vital to have a uniform way of conducting business.
Works Cited
Haynes, Diana L. Understanding General/special Education Collaboration: A Naturalistic Study of Secondary Co-teachers' Experiences. New York: ProQuest, 2006.
