Inclusive learning teachers as co-teachers: improving planning and implementation for purposeful co-instruction in inclusive classrooms
Subject
Abstract
Alternate models of service delivery in Special Education can be used to support students with diverse needs within inclusive classrooms. Co-teaching is a service delivery model where generalist teachers and special education teachers work together in a collaborative partnership to co-plan, co-instruct, and co-assess students within the same physical space. Each of these three factors is considered as instrumental for effective co-teaching to occur. There are six coteaching models that outline the placement or role of each teacher and the arrangement of students. The co-teaching models can be utilized to organize students strategically into heterogeneous or homogeneous groups so that differentiated instruction may be delivered more successfully to meet the needs of all students including those with special needs. This self-study investigates how co-teaching may be used to improve special education service delivery in inclusive primary classrooms. As part of this research, the frequency of use of the co-teaching models was also explored. The collaborative nature of co-teaching can be beneficial to the professional growth of teachers as well as to the learning of students when planning is shared and the model is implemented well. For true inclusion to occur during co-taught lessons, there must be purposeful organization, instruction, adaptations and supports for students with complex special needs to be successful. Furthermore, achieving successful co-teaching demands that the necessary factors of co-planning, co-instructing and co-assessing are present. Given the potentially demanding roles of special education teachers, and for co-teaching to be effective, consideration must be given to teacher compatibility, ideal scheduling, and optimal models service delivery to meet the diverse needs of students.