Running Head: WEEK FIVE REPLIES 1

Week Five Discussion Replies

SPED 854: Family and Interprofessional Collaboration in Special Education

University of Kansas

Dr. Irma Brasseur-Hock & Naheed Abdulrahim

Brent Seager

June 12, 2017

WEEK FIVE REPLIES 2

Week Five Discussion Replies

Allie Davis:
Allie,
I also believe that flexibility is one of several different key factors to successful co-

teaching classrooms. General and special education teachers must be flexible in the co-teaching

classroom, as this will allow both teachers to be more effective in addressing the needs of

struggling students and any other concerns that could arise during any given lesson. One great

way in which both teachers in a co-teaching classroom can work together to maintain flexibility

in the classroom is to develop a plan of action ahead of time that addresses concerns and issues

that might arise during a lesson, unit, or activity and have the plan ready to implement as

necessary. While maintaining flexibility in the co-teaching classroom can seem overwhelming

and difficult to accomplish, the result of flexibility is worth the additional work and effort, as it

provides an environment that is more conducive to learning and addressing the needs and

learning styles of all students.

I would also agree that effective communication is perhaps one of the most important

factors in establishing a successful co-teaching classroom. To establish effective

communication, both teachers in a co-teaching classroom must be willing to work together to

solve and address concerns within the classroom; and be willing to share their perspectives and

experiences. During my experiences with co-teaching, most of my co-teachers were willing to

discuss certain aspects of instruction, but some were unwilling to communicate other than the

time that I spent in the classroom with the teachers. While last school year was my first year of

teaching and co-teaching, I am a firm believer that effective communication is one of the most

vital components of an effective co-teaching classroom. To promote effective communication in

the co-teaching classroom, school districts will need to provide more training and resources for

teachers to use the co-teaching environment more effectively.

Brent
Rose Strousse:
Rose,
WEEK FIVE REPLIES 3

While I did not mention patience as an important aspect of co-teaching, I can now

definitely see that it is vital; as the co-teaching, communication and collaboration, and planning

processes can be grueling and time consuming. Also, working with another teacher that you may

or may not get along with or agree with on certain methods or techniques can be challenging, and

patience will be vital to ensure that the co-teaching environment focuses on what is best for the

students. Patience will also be critical when lessons or activities do not go as planned when first

entering the co-taught classroom, as co-teaching is both an art and science and will take time for

both teachers to get on the same page. Therefore, it is vital that both teachers remain patient and

adapt lessons and activities for the first several weeks of co-teaching, as this will ensure the best

outcome for the students and teachers. While patience is not the only aspect of a successful co-

teaching classroom, it does help to provide a good foundation into developing healthy and

working relationships between co-teachers in the classroom.

I can also see why engagement is such a vital component of co-teaching, as both teachers

must be engaged and dedicated to the co-teaching process for it to be successfully implemented.

Despite the varied beliefs and feelings amongst general and special education teachers about co-

teaching and the effects of it for the students, co-taught classrooms have two highly trained

specialists that are working together to address and meet the learning needs of all students. In

order for students to be accepting of the co-teaching classroom and be engaged, the students need

to see that their teachers are also engaged in the process; this will promote buy-in from the

students and will help establish an environment for success. Even though teacher ideals and

philosophies about co-teaching differ between each teacher, it is imperative that each teacher

assigned to a co-teaching classroom put in the work to show that they are engaged and motivated

to making the co-teaching assignment successful.

Brent
Winston Gentle:
Winston,
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I agree that co-teaching is an all-around team effort by both teachers involved in the

process. From planning, to instruction, and assessing, both educators in the co-taught classroom

should have some input and be involved in the entire process from start to finish. When I was

assigned to three co-teaching assignments last year during my first year as a teacher, I took some

extra to meet each teacher and offered to establish a time in which we could plan for the

upcoming school year. Two out of the three teachers were ecstatic and spent additional time

collaborating and planning with me; while the other teacher did not take the time out of their

schedule for this. I can say that from first-hand experience, that taking the additional time to

collaborate and build the co-teaching relationship helped to establish a more effective classroom

that was more geared toward the learning needs of the students. In the other classroom, the

ineffective collaboration and communication made it difficult to establish an effective co-

teaching classroom, and I could see a major difference between this class and my other two

classes. Therefore, I would say that communication and building that relationship with your co-

teacher are some of the most significant factors to establish a successful co-teaching classroom.
Another important aspect that you mentioned was about co-teachers sharing

responsibilities, and that was the case in the effective co-teaching classrooms that I taught in.

The general education teachers and myself would take turns working with all students, general

and special education; as this allows for a seamless transition, no matter which teacher is

delivering instruction. Perhaps one of the most important aspects about the seamless transition

in my effective co-taught classroom assignments, was that when one teacher was absent, the

lesson could still be implemented as if both teachers were present. While I am not going to have

many opportunities to co-teach in my new job, I will have opportunities to work and collaborate

with other secondary teachers on behavior models and expectations, and the information that I

have learned throughout this course will be vital in allowing me to establish healthy and working

relationships with my new co-workers.

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Brent