In today's episode, Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker share information on how to adjust to the constant shift in coteaching due to the pandemic. Tune in as they share practical tips including strategies, scheduling, and much more!
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Lisa Dieker:
Welcome to practical access. I'm Lisa Dieker.
Rebecca Hines:
And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa, we've been working this season off of inquiries from teachers. So I understand you have something new for us today. Yeah, so
Lisa Dieker:
this one came through an email, so we can't play their voice. But it's a really great question. And it, I'll read it to you, it says, Dear practical access, we are curious what we should be doing with this constant shift in co-teaching, not the shift and co teaching, as I read it, this constant shift in co-teaching, from moving from being in a online brick and mortar hybrid. And now
Rebecca Hines:
that sound familiar? So Lisa, you and I talked about this a lot. And we presented on it a lot. And we've written about it, I always have to go to my my two fallbacks, which is to think differently about, about what coteaching looks like planning wise. And instead of thinking about planning around class periods, etc, I think we have to go back to planning around tasks in time. So
Lisa Dieker:
Yeah. And I love what you just said is, you know, I can come in and watch across general ed, and special ed. And you know, I'm surprised the myth is still out there. You know, it changed, I believe it was in 97. That said, special ed teachers can really work with anybody. However, their primary job has to be kids with disabilities. So I think when we start taking the labels off the dude, let's have a mini lesson instead of just letting you continue because that's hard when they're in in their home. But now they're back in the classroom. You could be monitoring computer screens and saying, you know, you three come over here for a mini intervention. And I think sometimes we think things have to be so planned, but I know you and I both believe great co teaching is improv. And
Rebecca Hines:
Well, I think that's, that's my motto in general. So that fits along the lines of what I always try to encourage teachers to do and what I try to practice myself when I'm collaborating with other people. And collaboration has to be the heart of our co teach partnership. So I would really encourage everyone to think about this as an opportunity really to sit down and think about what
Lisa Dieker:
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, we always your phrases, what's your A game? You know, what do you what do you do? Well, and I think that's a great place to start. Well, I'm going to go a little more type A, I know that shocks you into maybe something a little more structured to to think about, but I'm really big on just imagine in front of you right now are, you know, four buckets and is to say, Well, can that bucket serve more than one room at the same time? So if 2 3 grade teachers both have kids in that bucket, yeah, right now, with social distancing, we can't move kids over. But novel concept, I could be on zoom. And 1 3 grade group could also join me with a third group sitting in front of me, we have the technology. And I think as we move back and forth into
Rebecca Hines:
I agree. And again, let's just get if we could get away from thinking of it as you know, co teaching as a specific thing versus just sheer collaboration, and rethinking all of our partnerships. I'll give you my closing thought. For a specific example now and the type of direction I'd be thinking in specifically, because it can be done either remotely For face to face, teachers craft a really strong lesson and to keep an eye on individual kids who need support in a way that we can weave it into our instruction by reducing the student teacher ratio.
Lisa Dieker:
Yeah, and I'll end with my last statement of less is more and reminding you and again, to my parents, this is not saying I don't want your kids to get their services. But I don't know why we do four times 90 5 times 90, you know, to me, we should be putting on the IEP the minimum that a kid needs, and we can always over deliver. But I think sometimes we over commit, and then we make it
Rebecca Hines:
Well, I did. While you were saying that it did remind me that that probably during this pandemic, the thing that that I saw, personally, because I had some undergraduates doing this, we did almost what I would say is a help desk, in a classroom because my students couldn't go out into classrooms. And this is a good model for collaborating teachers as well. So literally, we made sure
Lisa Dieker:
I love it so creative and less than more it less is more. It's kind of a sorry for this session. So again, if you have questions, please send them to access practical or feel free to leave us a voicemail at 407-900-9305 Thanks