Married...

Oddly, a lot of talk about co-teaching uses the marriage metaphor.  But, since it's out there, I will go with it for this reflection.

The principal scheduled co-teach check in meetings for all the co-teaching partners in our building.  We met with him and our partner to discuss the ups and downs and for him to ask if we needed anything to move forward.  Like a couple's therapy session.

I hope you're humming "Love and marriage..." like I am.

This is the first year any of us have been involved in co-teaching so what we really need is more training, more outside consulting and more time for co-planning.  But, through the first quarter, it has become apparent that those things are not really happening.  Like a hesitant young couple, afraid to admit that anything is wrong, we both said, "No, we don't need anything."  

But, actually, Mr. B and I are doing pretty well with our co-teaching gig. I think the biggest key has been open communication.  We figure out together how to pace lessons, accommodate for struggling learners (not just the kids with Special Ed needs) and which parts of a lesson we'll each teach.  Open communication:  good for co-teaching, good for marriage.

At that meeting with our principal, he looked at a list of co-teaching models (similar to those I posted yesterday) with us and asked which we were doing.  Well, we've been using a mix of approaches.  Our default model is One-Teach / One-Assist (also known as Support Teaching). In this model it's typically Mr. B delivering instruction, with whatever accommodations, scaffolding or supports we pre-planned, and I swoop around the room offering assistance as needed.  We've made our seating chart so the kids with Special Ed needs are easily accessible, so I focus on them, but assist every student.  

We've also used Parallel Teaching where we each deliver the same instruction to smaller groups of students.   Alternative Teaching involves teaching different material to different groups.  We've used this, also, delivering specific content to different sections of the class who then "teach" it to the other part of the class.  Alternative Teaching will also start to come into play more as I "pull out" the Special Ed students for mini lessons focused on writing fundamentals or reading comprehension, per their IEP needs.  

One model we haven't used yet but really want to is the Station Teaching. Small groups rotate between independent work, a Mr. B station and my station.  This could be a way to slip in the Alternative Teaching in a more inclusive way.   As we met with the principal, we talked about all these approaches, based on what we think will best serve our students.  As a married couple, we realize that variety is the spice of life, I guess.  

I don't actually think of my relationship with my co-teacher as a marriage.  It's been a really cool, professional partnership that I think will only improve with time.

Co-Teaching Models

I realize I haven't explained the various models for co-teaching, although I think one of my previous posts linked to some information.  Here's an infographic from an Ohio educational support agency (lots of other co-teach info to explore there, too!):  

The obese ovals are teachers, the little blue dots are obedient children docilely sitting at desks.

Teams can decide on a guiding model that will serve their class most often or might decide on a lesson-by-lesson basis what would work.  Or, some mix of models or alternatives might emerge through planning or serendipity.  There are other models out there, but these represent the most common approaches.

Personal Goal Check

I started this blog with several goals in mind.  I am checking in to let you know how I'm doing.

1)  Reflective writing more often, perhaps every day?  Well, daily reflective writing hasn't happened for me.  I haven't journalled daily (school-wise or other-wise) but I did just update my hiking journal from August through today!  When I started this blog,  I really hoped I'd be able to scratch out some kind of entry each day but I haven't done that either. 

2)  Steer my practice based on reflection.   While I haven't written every day, what I HAVE done is talk openly with my co-teacher Mr. B about our plans and my concerns.  I think the accountability of my (imaginary) legions of readers has helped me be more active in taking steps to make improvements as soon as I notice a problem or need something to change. 

3)  Share the ups & downs of co-teaching.  I hope this has been successful so far. One thing I've learned already through this process is that every co-teaching story is different. Whether mine sounds similar or totally foreign, I hope my thoughts and stories are helpful to someone else.

4)  Connect with fellow educators.  My (imaginary) legions of readers keep mostly to themselves but I realize that knowing I am writing for the public has, I think, encouraged me to be more open with my fellow teachers in my new district.  I love meeting new teachers and sharing ideas!  A few weeks ago, I asked my principal to connect me with an experienced co-teacher at another school.  Meeting with her was quite helpful ~ in part because she acknowledged that her school's first year with co-teaching was rocky! Whether it's thanks to the blog or just thanks to a new school year starting, I'm feeling more confident than ever before in communicating with colleagues.

Tricks

My Co-teaching classroom has been one of the highlights of my day of late.  I'm feeling quite pleased with a supported writing project I did with a few students this week.  I was rewarded for my efforts by hearing students prompting each other about the elements of a "GREAT" paragraph.  (Our school's framework for citing evidence.) 

Another big pay off came along yesterday.  During a whole group situation with my partner teacher leading paragraph writing on the board, I interrupted because I noticed that many students hadn't indented.  (Did I interrupt the flow of writing to talk conventions?  Yes, in this case I did.  Here's why.  First, the quicker you notice a student needs to indent the less stressed they are about it.  Second, paragraphs have a certain shape.  That shape includes an indent at the first line.  If someone glances at a boxy paragraph with no indent, the first thing they might think is:  this kid doesn't know what a paragraph is, before even reading a word! Since these students' work will be read throughout the year by other teachers and eventually by state test readers, it's important to me that they make a great first impression.  So, of course we are working on the big ideas like, making a claim, citing evidence, word choice, transition, etc.  But, the details like format, handwriting and spelling are also crucial to a reader's perception of the writing.)  (Please notice that I don't indent my paragraphs on this blog.)

Anyway, I interrupted and remarked that some students hadn't indented.  And noticed that the teacher hadn't indented either ~ I wasn't calling him out, he was just writing the words on the board and they were all over the place, just for the kids to see the sentences.  I said, "Don't worry, I have a trick for that!"  A kid blurted out, "You have a trick for everything!"  Yessssss!  I'm the strategy lady, the tricks with learning teacher, the here's-how-you-make-it-work-for-you person in the room.  That is actually a big part of what I'm doing here and it seems like at least one student noticed!  Yesssss!  Total satisfaction on my part.

The trick is, just erase the first three words and re-write them just a teensy bit smaller so you have room for an indent.  Students who struggle with writing HATE to erase any of their hard-fought work so I try to help them avoid it at all costs.  No one has to erase and re-write the whole sentence or group of sentences they've already written, not stress.  

After I told the kids the trick, many of them did it and my co teacher modeled it very nicely on the board.  

Reflective Teaching Challenge: Day 27

Day 27:  What role do weekends and holidays play in your teaching?

I was just talking with a teacher friend about her summer plans to visit Vancouver, BC for the Women's World Cup.  She seemed a teensy bit embarrassed that, in the middle of September, in the first month of the school year, she's making plans for next summer.

I say, go for it! 

I think breaks are necessary for engaged teaching!  I think travel is so needed to recharge our minds, spirits and the informational well from which we draw daily in our profession. Teachers are molding citizens of the world and we must be part of that world.  Time to pause, reflect and plan only increases our excitement and preparedness for instruction.

So, for me, weekends and holidays are sometimes great for getting a huge unit of planning done all at once, a major classroom redecoration, or serious mid- or end of quarter grading catch up.  But more often than not, weekends and holidays are opportunities for me to connect with friends and family, read, travel and recharge.  The week (or school year) ahead will be upon us soon enough.  A few moments or hours of relaxation are always needed for this special educator.  

Reflective Teaching Blog Challenge: Day 21

I haven't been blogging every day.  I hit a little bump in the road (I'm tired of my baseball pitching analogy) that came in the form of a major schedule and philosophical change at my school.  I'm still reflecting and adjusting with that.  But, I'm also moving forward, as all of us must do.

TeachThought initiated a 30-day blogging challenge this month to get teachers writing and sharing.  Besides linking back to their page, I don't really get how to connect with them blog-wise.  So, for now, I will be content to draw inspiration from them.  

Day 21:  Do you have any other hobbies / interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain.  

First and foremost, I have to state that I think educators are some of the most fascinating people around.  When I have started working at new schools I have always felt confident that I would meet people I like because, geez, teachers are just the best, aren't we?!  So, this prompt almost sounds silly to me because:  OF COURSE teachers have other hobbies and interests. We're interesting people!  We do interesting things!  We have interests!!  

But for the sake of the challenge, I'll mention one hobby that I at least like to talk about all the time in the classroom.  Travel.  I love to hike, camp, drive, eat, drink and generally explore all around.  I have made a number of great trips over the last couple years (thank you, summers off!!) and in my last classroom I would return in the fall with a new poster of an incredible location I'd visited.  I don't have my own classroom this year but I have a poster of Landscape Arch by my desk (in someone else's classroom!) to commemorate this year's trip.  

Landscape Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Talking with students about travel helps them realize there is a much bigger world out there than what they already know. While many of my students' families don't travel much now, I hope that my adventures help them know that travel is an attainable hobby when they get older.  These conversations also help make some of the places or cultures they study seem more real and relevant.  

As some 4th graders were half-heartedly reading about different types of homes in an inclusion classroom last year, I noticed a photo almost identical to one I'd taken of cliff dwellings the year before in Mesa Verde National Park.  "Oh!!  I've been there!" was a super easy hook to get kids more connected to the text.  I described climbing down a ladder to see the ruins and watching as park archaeologists continued to excavate and study sites in the park.  They kids were immediately engaged, asking questions and realized the photo and passage represented REAL people and places.  Places they might one day get to know first hand.  

Many of my conversations about places I've visited end with kids saying either, "I want to go there some day!"  Or "I want to go to ___________________ (some totally random place I've never been nor heard of)!"  To both, I say, "Awesome!  You should go!"  

Change Up

I haven't posted all week.  It's not that I haven't been teaching, co-teaching, reflecting and adjusting.  I have been doing all of that.  And then some.

Teaching / Co-teaching:  We are finally getting into the real deal curriculum for the year and I am excited!  There's only so much getting-to-know-you and baseline-gathering one can do before the call of a fresh text book is too much to deny!

Adjusting:  I have been making good on my plan to steal (learn?) strategies from my co-teachers. I started doing "the hand thing" or "Give me 5" with one of my classes as they are such engaged chatters that audible attention getters are just not working.  This is not a new approach but after I saw it work well with 7th graders, I decided to use it with my 8th grade class.  So far so good.  

Reflecting:  There's been much reflection this week.  Not all of it super positive for my teaching mentality.  Here's why:  Several changes to our co-teaching and inclusion model have been made.  (Notice the passive tense?  This was one of those "from above" type decisions that a teacher and principal can do little more than say ok about.)

About 2 dozen kids who have Special Ed needs and were previously included in the Gen Ed classroom with Special Ed support were pulled out of 1 or 2 Gen Ed classes and put into Special Ed-only classes.  Or, as I like to say, "excluded from Gen Ed."  

After getting totally pumped up about inclusion (remember my "Hopes" post?) this was a difficult blow.  I continue to feel pretty deflated about the whole thing, especially since it was a blanket decision that did not involve much / any individualized decision making.  It was a bummer.  

BUT, I'm a Special Education teacher and I love teaching students who have special needs and I was actually a bit excited to have 2 of my OWN classes (1 math and 1 LA).  I am enthusiastically planning for both classes.  So, that's the bright side.  

It's been hard to write about my feelings on this because it is conflicting.  I believe some kids need a special environment and special instruction sometimes, but I just keep thinking about the messages of exclusion that are being sent to Special Ed and Gen Ed students.  I will leave you with a student response from a survey I gave to my new classes.

What has been your proudest moment in middle school?  "When I got out of [the special ed class] but now I'm back in.  :( "

Reflective Blogging Challenge

While I was cultivating the idea of starting a blog, this Reflective Teaching: A 30 Day Blogging Challenge for Teachers came through my Pinterest feed.  (Actually, I have a group of educators who all pin to the same "Teachery" board together and a friend pinned this.  I highly recommend following your friends and having a shared board.  Seeing what others are interested in at that moment or passing along ideas can be so inspiring!)

I was, in fact, inspired.  Since I want to get into a regular habit of writing, reflecting and blogging, and since I didn't think I could actually write about co-teaching each day, I plan to use their suggestions as posts occasionally, too.  Here goes.

Day 1:  Write your goals for the school year.  Be as specific or abstract as you'd like to be!

Well, I did just meet with one of my grade level teams and our goal is:  "Between September and February, students will improve their ability to state a claim and support it by citing text-based evidence as measured by district Common Assessments and other teacher measures. Blah blah blah."  OK, for some of us this makes some sense but for non-educators that probably sounds pretty boring and bizarre.  Luckily, I have some other goals.

 Reflection.  This blog is part of that.  My plan is to write more, think back and look for patterns.  Also, I will need to use this reflection as a basis for discussion, clarification and adjustment with my co-teachers.

Integration.  I wrote this a few weeks ago thinking about integrating myself into my new school home.  I signed up for a committee and am trying my best to reach out & connect to my coworkers.  This year, integration is easier than typical as I'm not only part of the Special Ed team, but also 2 different grade level teams.  Of course, being a co-teacher means I'm also facilitating the greater integration of Special Ed students into the Gen Ed setting!

Questioning & Discussion.  I'm working on upping my game as far as group discussion and student questions go.  My attempts to move out of fact-based questions have sometimes stopped short right around, "And what do you think about that?"  My goal would be moving toward more analysis, connection between topics and capitalizing on student curiosity, letting them develop questions .

I'll let you know how I do with my goals through the year!  What are your goals for this year?