In my professional books on coteaching reading comprehension strategies, I use the coteaching models suggested by Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook. Their background in special education inclusion is a good fit for the kinds of instructional interactions that can address the needs of individual, small groups, and whole classes of students. These are the Friend and Cook coteaching strategies:
- One Teaching, One Observing/supporting (which, in my opinion, is important for special ed observations but not school librarian work)
- Center or Station Teaching (with educators facilitating some stations and students working independently in others)
- Parallel Teaching (dividing the class into two groups and engaging in the same processes and the same or similar content)
- Alternate Teaching (One educator teaches a smaller group of students who need to get caught up or need additional background knowledge or help before they join the entire group.)
- Team Teaching (working together with the entire class as in the coteaching videos in the “Coteaching: What Does It Look Like?” post)
Dr. Gail Kirby from Western Kentucky University created a “Co-Teaching Models” Prezi with embedded videos to demonstrate these strategies. Thank you to Dr. Barbara Fiehn for requesting permission from Dr. Kirby for me to share this presentation with my graduate students and here on our blog.
Youth learn from modeling and by imitation; adults learn in these ways as well. For educators who have not had opportunities to practice coteaching, seeing others engaged in these practices is a first step.
References
Friend, M. & Cook, L. (2010). Interactions: Collaboration skills for professionals. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Kirby, G. (2013, February 16). Co-teaching models. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://prezi.com/ggct4dh2swju/co-teaching-models/
Moreillon, J. (2007). Collaborative strategies for teaching reading comprehension: Maximizing your impact. Chicago: ALA Editions.
Moreillon, J. (2012). Coteaching reading comprehension strategies in secondary school libraries: Maximizing your impact. Chicago: ALA Editions.