Julie+Arender-+Co-teaching+in+Language+Arts

== ** Co-teaching: What It Takes **


 * Rationale: This workshop offers insight into the world of "Co-teaching." **** Due to No Child Left Behind Act, teachers must teach students in the least restrictive environment. Paired with the IDEA act, teachers are to provide instruction that effectively reaches each child, including but not limited to special education students. With this in mind, collaboration, differentiated instruction, and co-teaching was developed. Along with the development of this new instructional method comes questions such as: How do I do this?, What does it involve?, and Why is this information necessary for me to know? **
 * After completing this workshop, teachers should have a better understanding of Co-teaching and the components that make up the classroom for Co-teachers. **


 * How do I do this? **
 * ** Easy- Most of the time, teachers are paired together to teach in a classroom. Sadly, the majority of the teachers who are placed in this position haven't a clue as to what is required in a co-teaching classroom. To clarify, co-teaching can come in five forms. Some of these are great ways to teach and some may not capitalize on the potential effectiveness that a co-teaching classroom can create. Out of the five ways, the co-teaching model we will touch on today is the Alternative teaching method. **


 * Alternative teaching method- involves a small group of students taught by one teacher while the remaining group of students are taught in a whole group instruction setting by the co-teacher.This model is most useful when students need a preview of material that will be taught in the classroom or as a review for learners struggling with a skill that has already been introduced to the students. This can also be used as a enrichment activity for students who have mastered certain skills. With this method, groups are based on formative assessments.**

**Components critical to the success of a Co-teaching environment**
 * What does co-teaching involve? **
 * **Sharing the workload of responsibility, accountability, and opportunity to meet the needs of the students**
 * **effectively implementing classroom management**
 * **working well with a partner**
 * **Sharing ideas to enhance lessons**
 * **Being open to suggestions and changes**
 * **Making sure the needs of the students are top priority**
 * **Setting aside at least one hour per week to co-plan**
 * **Teacher modeling of collaborative and cooperative skills with co-teacher**
 * **Co-teaching offers teachers ways to take advantage of using their unique way of teaching.**
 * **Teachers can effectively structure their classes to use the strategies of No Child Left Behind when co-teaching.**
 * **Co-teachers can effectively plan innovative ideas to solve problems that traditional classrooms often fail at achieving.**
 * **When co-teaching, teachers feel that they can collaboratively make decisions that are based on the needs of the students and will help the students to have the least restrictive environment possible.**

**Why is this necessary for me to know?**
 * Every educator should at least know the basics for co-teaching. Now that we have reviewed some of the components of co-teaching, let's address some concerns that come along with this teaching method as well.**

It is necessary for all to know the basics of co-teaching because in the education world, you may be asked to step up to the plate and co-teach. It should not be something that we have no knowledge of, but embrace when the time comes for us to participate in a co-teaching environment. __ **Lesson Plan** __
 * Concerns include:**
 * **Difficulty sharing a classroom if the partner is not willing**
 * **Difficulty in co-teaching for Special Ed. teacher and also being responsible for inclusion students outside a specific classroom**
 * **Lack of training and planning time**
 * __Teacher:__ Julie Arender, Tammie Flowers **
 * __ Grade: __ 4**
 * __Subject:__ Language Arts**
 * __Lesson topic:__ Unraavel the Answer**
 * __Standard:__ Refer to details and examples in a text when**
 * explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from text;**
 * Determine the main idea of a text and explain**
 * how it is supported by key details; summarize the**
 * text.**
 * __Objective:__ TSW use the unraavel method to find details, examples, main idea and to summarize the story from the basal reader during reading time.**
 * __Materials:__ copies of passage from basal reading book; copies of short stories on individual reading levels; Unraavel sheet**
 * __Instruction__: The teacher will give whole group instructions on how to use unraavel method to find details, examples, main idea in story. TT will assist students with the unravvel method by ensuring they understand the steps that need to be followed. Co-teacher will use alternate teaching method by taking small group that need preview/reinforcement of directions to assist them on an individual basis to ensure understanding. TSW answer questions pertaining to details, examples, and main idea by using the unraavel method. To show understanding, students will summarize the story that is read to assess for comprehension of what was just read.**
 * __Evaluation__: TSW summarize what they read in story. TTW check for main components that should be in summary.**
 * __Guided practice-__ Both teachers will model using the unraavel method with a story that students will not be using today. Teacher will assist students in the process with their individual reading books.**
 * __Closure__: Students will read summaries aloud in class when finished. TTW offer guidance on summaries when students are finished and reinforce the need to use unraavel method in the order that was given to them.**
 * __Independent practice:__ Students will be given a short passage to use with unraavel method on a story of their choosing instead basal reader. This must be one on the reading level of each individual child. Students will then give teacher an oral summary of story read after using unraavel method to find examples and details of story.**
 * __Differentiated Instruction__: Each child will be allowed to use unraavel method and summarize on their individual reading level.**

[|jc-schools.net/powerfulwords/unraavelreading.ppt]
 * reference page for unraavel-**