Practical Access Podcast

S9 E3: Co-Teaching Part 2: How to Make it Work

• Eric Imperiale • Season 9 • Episode 3

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Co-taught inclusion classes can look wildly different depending on how the model is implemented, and there's no silver bullet on how it's done. In today's episode, Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker continue their conversation on co-teaching and share some tips on how they've collaborated successfully to help build an effective teaching partnership. 

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Lisa Dieker:

Welcome to Practical Access. I'm Lisa Dieker.

Rebecca Hines:

And I'm Rebecca Hines. And it's my turn today. I hope it's all about me

Lisa Dieker:

It is. So so we're doing, you know, I have to call it a few of our favorite things. And shocking for those of you who don't know us, we don't really have a lot in common, except core philosophies. And we're really good friends. But we happen to both like co teaching and inclusion. So I'm going to ask you, similar to some discussions we had with me about your favorite tip.

Rebecca Hines:

My favorite co teaching tips. Well, I will tell you everything I know about co teaching, I learned on the job. And I first my very first experience, you know, I was interviewing for a job they they wanted. They said, We were co teaching. And I said, Well, what's that? And they're like, Oh, don't don't know. But good luck, you guys are gonna create it. And I'm like, what? They said, yeah. And they were horrible. Yeah. Everybody's fighting, you know, arguing. But once they were in, you know, with their peers, they didn't necessarily exhibit those same behaviors. Sidenote, I'm not saying there were never any behaviors, as you know, as but from the beginning, it was clear. So as I have advanced in my field, one of the things that I have tried to do is to give teachers the

Lisa Dieker:

it's funny, because, you know, I was the first in my building, but I had done my master's thesis on it. So I was pretty sure I knew what I was

Rebecca Hines:

talking about. She's always sure she knows what she's talking about.

Lisa Dieker:

But what was funny is nobody wanted me because of the kids I worked with. So you know, again, it was that time of tension of saying, I want to be in there. And same thing, the kids magically, I think my favorite statement was when we went into a science class, the kids are like, all misbehaving in the science class. And my students said, there's a new sheriff in town, you will

Rebecca Hines:

so I developed you know, a pattern that was very workable for me, and it's the one that I share with everyone and I probably get the most feedback on Wow, at least that makes it doable. Yeah. So I am a nobody was saying the new sheriff was coming because I'm not that person.

Lisa Dieker:

But well, you weren't co teaching with my science teacher? And that would be why. The best science teacher ever. But no behavior manager.

Rebecca Hines:

Yeah. So yeah. I'm taller and louder. So I guess. So, I am good at getting kids ready. I understand establishing anticipatory set and want getting kids in a place where they're ready to hear something new. So I created a system where I was always the first one to talk. Every every class period. And we established this before school even started, I said, this is your classroom and

Lisa Dieker:

I'm absolutely, I'm Miss Hines. I'm

Rebecca Hines:

thrilled to be in here, you know, this year with Ms. Dieker. And together we're going to be teaching that because just hearing me first sets the stage that I'm a teacher here, and I see so many classrooms. I have walked in co taught classrooms where I'm observing, and I'm like, okay, so which one is Mr. Hicks? And they're like, Oh, he's that one. I said, Okay, great. What's What's and saying, Brian, absolutely. And he's like order of operations. I've got, you know, got a problem on the board for you to introduce. So I don't have to show them how to do it. I just have to say, Hey, everybody, glad you're here. Let's get started. Let's get going. You know, Mr. McAveck is over there. He's taking attendance. He's doing all these other things. But I'm the one who's saying, let's get ready to get this out. Let's try this problem. First, I'm

Lisa Dieker:

And I know one of your ideas that you often suggest to is like a mini menu. Yes, yes. Of you know, here's some things I could offer that you might not be doing in the lesson in the first place. I love that. Yeah, a menu

Rebecca Hines:

approach to co planning that is my biggest planning tip, I would write down for my colleagues, here's all the things I can do. check which ones you want me to bring to your class? Great idea. Because that way, you know what I'm bringing, you know, another tip that we used, I never I did not have time to co plan content. So I did have some co teachers who were plan in advance type of

Lisa Dieker:

And you know, one of the things I'm going to ask you a question there that often I get asked is so now the speech therapist comes in for 30 minutes, and the PT comes in for 15 minutes. How do you pivot in your highlight in your structure, when those are predictable patterns, but they're somewhat unpredictable, too. Right?

Rebecca Hines:

Well, I I'm glad you asked that. Because in in what I just described, it sounds like I'm talking about a lecture style classroom and you're not and I'm not because the truth is those those chunks of time. That's what I'm planning around. So it's like okay, I know this person's coming at 1130. So I did kind of do the air traffic control. Okay, so I know this person is coming at

Lisa Dieker:

Yeah. And one of the things I'm really big on is to have an extra, like, enrichment station absolutely should so that kids can do a repeat station. Yeah. Because I think often if the speech person is coming in working on decoding, why can't the kid stay with him for all three rotations? That really means decoding? Because Wow, we have this person for one time a week. So Right.

Rebecca Hines:

Yeah. And the extension piece, I will say, I'm glad you mentioned that. Because when I do observations of any classroom, whether it's co taught whether it's, you know, single teacher, extension is the piece I see people missing. co teaching, offers an opportunity to customize. Yes, and I'm not I am just as concerned about the kids at the top needs as I am the ones who are

Lisa Dieker:

my Yeah, and I'll close my tip just kind of aligned to that is I have this great teacher that she has a help station, which she goes to when kids are doing more. And she has a go to college station, that if you get everything done and it's perfect, you get the chance to go do this stuff. But if you need help, you can't go love

Rebecca Hines:

it. And I love I love the language. And the important thing is anybody in the class bracket

Lisa Dieker:

chose to go to college. And you know, people often say, Well, kids feel bad if they don't go to college and like wonderful because they say I'm not ready. I don't I don't want to work out that love for me. So anyway, but that's, that's yeah, so well. We hope that was some great advice. A great test. Becky. Thanks for that structure and routine. If you have questions, please send us a Tweet @access practical, or join