Collaborative Team Teaching

1. Collaborative Team Teaching Dr. Susan Mobley, History Dr. Brian Harries, English

2. Primary Goal The ultimate goal of collaborative team teaching is to allow the students to benefit from the complementary expertise of two different instructors.

3. Misperceptions Team teaching means half the load • Each instructor only has to show up for half of the classes • Each instructor can take half the semester Two teachers split up the responsibilities of tasks • One teacher conducts class and the other grades The division of labor means a smaller time commitment • Since each person does half the work, it only takes half the time Team teaching puts disciplines in competition • Having a second person in the classroom is a challenge to the other’s authority and/or ability to teach alone These misperceptions represent cooperative teaching rather than collaborative teaching.

4. Benefits of Collaborative Team Teaching For Students • A Teaching Team Reaches a Wider Variety of Learners • Team Teaching Models Respectful Disagreement • Team Teaching Embraces Risk and Exploration • Team Teaching Confronts Students with a Broad Variety of Perspectives • Team Teaching Demonstrates Synthesis, Connection, and Integration For Instructors • Team Teaching Provides Emotional and Creative Support • Team Teaching Develops Truthful Relationships • Team Teaching Creates a Built-in Critically Reflective Mirror • Team Teaching Provides an Opportunity for Scholarly and Professional Development* From Stephen D. Brookfield, The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the classroom (Wiley, 2014).

5. Best Practices • Team Members Plan, Conduct, Evaluate, and Debrief All Activities Together • Team Makes Explicit Their Approach to Working Together • Teams Exercise Joint Authority in the Classroom • Both Instructors Attend and Participate in All Class Periods • Instructors Respect the Schedule and Teaching Plan • Team Members Remain Flexible

6. A Sample Lesson Plan—Day 4 Chronology work in pairs (10 min)--Susan Bede (25 min)--Brian • What is the view of human nature? Same as Genesis? • How does he focus this on the “English”, specifically? • Summarize each of the four sections. • What is important? What is “worthy” of his attention? --description of Britain --arrival of the English --Coifi/Paulinus --conversion of Edwin? --Hilda of Whitby? --Caedmon? [students work in doubled pairs, evaluating how each contributes to Bede’s project] Based upon these selections, what is the purpose of history according to Bede? What is the point of writing?

7. Alcuin (15 min)--Susan • 2 letters in groups • What is the appropriate response in the face of hardship? • What is the purpose of history in these situations? Aelfredthe Great [Background on Aelfred] (5 min)--Brian Aelfred’s letter to Wurferth (15 min) • What is Aelfred’s project in light of the situation we’ve seen in Bede and Alcuin? • Why does he have the Pastoral Care translated and distributed? What is the “aestel”? What is it for? • Look at the Aelfred jewel Augustine--question for next time What is Augustine’s understanding of time?