I have the opportunity next year to co-teach two science classes with a special education teacher. Approximately one-third of each class will be special education students. We’re both interested but a little apprehensive. How do we make this work?
—Devon, Pompano Beach, Florida
The March 2009 issue of The Science Teacher was devoted to the theme “Science for All.” A principal of mine used to say “All means all—not some or most.” As noted in NSTA’s position paper on Students with Disabilities, it’s critical for all students to have quality science experiences.
A co-teaching model of inclusion, such as the one you’re considering, teams the content knowledge of a science teacher with the expertise of the special education teacher to differentiate instruction and deal with a variety of learning issues. Both teachers are in the classroom at the same time. I’ve had many special needs students included in my classes, but I never had the opportunity to co-teach. So I shared your question with several teams to get their suggestions.
They all said that getting the right match of personalities is crucial. The teachers should agree on classroom management routines and procedures. But it’s not necessary for the two teachers to be identical in their personalities. For example, a detail-oriented teacher may complement a big-picture one. Even with professional development, one team noted they still had a lot of trial and error the first year. But they had a commitment to make it work for all of their students.
The teams also noted it’s important that everyone (including the principal) understand the concept of co-teaching and the appropriate roles for the teachers. They shared a few horror stories, such as the science teacher who considered the special education teacher as his teaching assistant. He assumed that the special education teacher would perform clerical work, grade assignments, and set up and put away lab equipment. In another extreme example, the special education teacher did most of the work (notetaking, writing, etc.) for the students and gave it to them to hand in. These unpleasant experiences could have been avoided if the expectations had been determined ahead of time.
On one team, the special education teacher has the role of a tutor. She monitors the class and assists special education students during independent and cooperative group work. But on the other teams, both teachers present and review content, assist all students, and conduct formative evaluations. One teacher noted there are no “your” students and “my” students—they are all “our” students. The roles of teachers switch during the class period. The special education teacher will often take the lead in reviewing a topic or describing a procedure. The science teacher usually introduces new content.
One special education teacher mentioned her greatest concern was her lack of content knowledge in science. The first year of co-teaching, she was more of a tutor. But now in the second year of their teamwork, she feels comfortable with the content of the curriculum and with basic laboratory procedures.
One science teacher’s greatest concerns were whether the students could handle advanced topics and whether they would be able to do as many topics during the year. He found there were fewer interruptions for discipline problems with two teachers in the room. When he was out of the classroom on sick days or for conferences, the special education teacher was able to continue with the lessons. With another teacher in the room, the students also were able to get more individualized attention.
The co-teaching teams emphasized the need for time to collaborate, plan, revise, and assess student work. They emphasized the importance of having common planning time several times each week, if not daily. Above all, they suggested you give yourselves time to make this work and give yourselves permission to make mistakes (and learn from them).
NSTA has some resources. The portal Students with Disabilities has NSTA’s position statement and links to strategies for inclusion. On the NSTA Learning Center, use the search term “inclusion” to find journal articles that suggest strategies for helping all students. If your special education colleague wants to brush up on content, Science Objects are free online courses on a wide variety of topics.
Do you have colleagues who are already involved in co-teaching whom you can observe and who can share their insights and experience? If you don’t have any in your school, join the NSTA Community professional networking site to find virtual colleagues and mentors.
You have an excellent opportunity to document your experiences, perhaps as a blog or an action research project. I’m sure others would be interested. Good luck!