Special Education Seminars “The What, Why and How of Collaboration”

Special Education Seminars“The What, Why and How of Collaboration” UFT Teacher Center Networks, Conferences & Seminars 2006-2007 52 Broadway New York, New York 10004 Sunday October 22, 2006

Agenda “The What, Why and How of Collaboration” • Overview of the Session • Vocabulary Lesson • Lessons from Hollywood • Defining Characteristics of Collaboration • Collaborative Team Teaching Is/Is Not • Six Models of Collaborative Team Teaching • If We Have Time…Putting Our Beliefs on the Table 2

Outcomes for Our Work “The What, Why and How of Collaboration” Participants will: • Explore the concept of “collaboration” from a variety of perspectives; • Examine the underlying beliefs of collaborative team teaching; • Learn about six models of collaborative team teaching. 3

Framework for Collaborative Team Teaching • NCLB: Students with disabilities and standards • Access to general education curriculum • IDEA 2004 reinforces NCLB concepts

Special Education… …is a service, not a location.

Vocabulary Lesson • Mainstreaming • SETSS • Collaborative Team Teaching

Mainstreaming • The placement of a special class student with a disability in the general education classroom with age appropriate peers for those areas of instruction in which the students academic and behavioral performance is within the range of his or her non-disabled peers. • Appropriate mainstream placement does not and should not require any additional supports. New York City Department of Education Continuum of Services for Students with Disabilities

Special Education Teacher Support Services - SETSS • Specially designed and/or supplemental instruction by a special education teacher to support the participation of the student with a disability in the general education classroom. • Services are provided for a minimum of two (2) hours a week up to a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the school day. • Services may be provided within the general education classroom or in a separate location. New York City Department of Education Continuum of Services for Students with Disabilities

Collaborative Team Teaching • Students with disabilities are educated with age appropriate peers in the general education classroom with the full-time support of a special education teachers throughout the day to assist in adapting and modifying instruction. • The general and special education teacher meet to co-plan and prepare lessons, activities and projects employing a range of instructional methodologies. • The number of students with IEPs may not exceed forty percent (40%) of the total class register. New York City Department of Education Continuum of Services for Students with Disabilities

LESSONS FROM HOLLYWOOD “Remember the Titans” What lessons can we learn?

Defining Characteristics of Collaboration • Collaboration is a style for interaction between co-equal parties engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal including: • Parity • Mutual Problem/Goal • Shared Responsibility • Shared Accountability • Shared Resources

Collaborative Team Teaching Collaborative Team Teaching is a service delivery structure in which teachers with different knowledge, skills and talents have joint responsibility for designing, delivering, monitoring and evaluating instruction for a diverse group of learners in general education classrooms. Both professionals are simultaneously present in the classroom. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is... • Determining what two teachers can do together that one person cannot easily do alone. • Mutual planning and evaluation of learner outcomes and proposed strategies. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is... • Determining and defining roles and responsibilities for working together in different capacities, such as sharing, enhancing and adapting instruction. • An attitude of sink or swim together and learn by sharing. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is... • Use of effective communication, conflict management and peer coaching skills. • Supporting and enhancing each other’s learning. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is... • Taking time to debrief and reflect on instructional practices, roles and responsibilities. • Sharing ideas, strategies and techniques to create better instruction for all students, not just some. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is Not... • Integrating students but adults still maintain responsibility for their own populations. • One person delivering content while the other person is solely responsible for crowd control and on-task behavior. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is Not... • Homogeneous grouping of all students who are at-risk in one classroom with two teachers. • Parallel play where “you do your thing and I do my thing” without communication. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

Collaborative Team Teaching Is Not... • Pulling out students with disabilities in the back of the room, rather than forming groups according to needs. • Getting students through school without an education -- getting passing grades but not achieving standards. Anita DeBoer & Fister, Working Together: Tools for Collaborative Teaching. 1995

ACTIVITY: Take a Moment . . . Work individually and answer the following: • “What are the three (3) most important points that have been made during the just-completed segment of the workshop?” • “What two (2) points do you wish to remember to take back to school to share with others?” • “What is one question you have at this time?” Share insights with a partner

Classroom Practice: Six Approaches • One Teach, One Observe • Station Teaching • Parallel Teaching • Alternative Teaching • Teaming • One Teach, One Assist Marilyn Friend, 2005

There are many variations of the models. No single best way to co-teach. Instructional goals Teacher style Classroom Practice: Six Approaches, cont…

Analyzing Co-Teaching Approaches Adapted from: Marilyn Friend, 2005

One Teach/One Observe One teacher instructs the class while the other teacher observes the students engaged in the learning process. Teachers decide together what specific observational information to gather during instruction. Teachers analyze the information together after the lesson to: determine what other lessons need to be taught; and/or formulate additional small group instruction. Marilyn Friend, 2005

Station Teaching • Teachers divide the content and students. • Each teacher then teaches part of the content to one group and subsequently repeats instruction for the other group. • This can be used to teach material that is difficult but not sequential or when several different topics are important. • If appropriate a third “station” could give students the opportunity to work independently. Marilyn Friend, 2005

Parallel Teaching • Teachers divide the class and teach the same information simultaneously. • Teachers are able to lower the student-teacher ratio and provide greater supervision and feedback. • Teachers can introduce new material or review and practice what has been previously taught. Marilyn Friend, 2005

Alternative Teaching • One teacher takes the responsibility for the large group. • The other teacher works with a smaller group of students. • Teachers can pre-teach, re-teach and offer enrichment based on students’ needs. Marilyn Friend, 2005

Team Teaching • Both teachers are delivering instruction at the same time. • Teachers blend their talents, styles and expertise in order to best meet students’ needs. Marilyn Friend, 2005

One Teach/One Assist • One teacher has primary responsibility for teaching the class and the other teacher circulates through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students as needed. • Teachers use the information gathered from the assistance to further plan and modify instruction. • It is used on a limited basis and should be the primary approach. Marilyn Friend, 2005

Understanding Our Beliefs • Our beliefs, or mental models, are perhaps the single most powerful idea that influences our work. • Our beliefs drive our actions and our actions then reinforce our beliefs. • If we believe that “all children can learn” then we act in certain ways -- give students individual attention, more time to work, modify instruction. Our students learn better and so our belief is validated.

Creating Shared Beliefs for Collaborative Team Teaching • Collaborative team teaching requires teachers to talk together and explore their beliefs. • Teachers need to go beyond big beliefs and get very specific about their: • beliefs about the role of the teacher in the classroom; • beliefs about the role of the student; • beliefs about discipline; and • beliefs about curriculum and instruction.

Activity: Put Your Beliefs on the Table • Use the graphic organizer, Putting Your Beliefs on the Table. • Individually jot down your beliefs on the following: • When you think about your students what are your three most important beliefs? • When you think about teaching, what are your three most important beliefs? • When you think about classroom climate what are your three most important beliefs? • Share your beliefs with a partner. • Together discuss your answer to the last question.

Putting Our Beliefs on the Table What might happen if your beliefs are significantly different? Adapted from Marilyn Friend, 2002

Special Education Seminars “The What, Why and How of Collaboration”