Then I was hoping about co-teaching.
Then I met with my co-teachers; they had varying levels of knowledge of co-teaching. One of my co-teachers was totally excited, had been to the same district training with my principal and volunteered to be a co-teacher. My other co-teacher had been hired for her position a week or so before school started and a few days later she was 'informed' that she would be co-teaching. Oh, and this is her first year as a permanent teacher.
Whoa ~ I don't envy her and totally understand that she had a much more limited frame of reference when I met with her and brought the 5 Key Questions and started blabbing about different models of co-teaching. But both teachers seemed enthusiastic and ready to give it a try. Me, too.
But by now, I've actually CO-TAUGHT for a couple weeks. It's been mixed, honestly. There have been days in both classes when my partner teachers and I pre-planned great lessons, divided the instructional time, supported each other and had a lot of fun. (Oh, and probably the kids learned a bit, too.) There have been more than a couple days, though, when pre-planning didn't really happen, that the Gen Ed teacher led the whole show and I've been a little stuck in the back feeling like a visitor.
The positives have been, as a new-to-the-school teacher, I've been able to meet & work with a lot of students 1:1 in the classroom whether they have Special Ed needs or not. I'm building relationships! I'm getting to know my co-teachers and on most occasions, when we have the chance to debrief and reset for the next day or week, we've been seeing eye to eye, which is a wonderful surprise! As a co-teacher, I'm learning to put my ego to the side a bit and collaborate so much more than I'm used to!
More details about the ups and downs to come. For now, here's a pic of me cracking up as students (respectfully cropped out) are trying to hide from the Assistant Principal's camera.
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| Laughing at kids builds relationships! |
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