Duffard 1

Co-teaching Part I
Name: Megan Duffard
Date: 3/9/15
How does this project contribute to your understanding of co-teaching?
Thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each type of co-teaching and relating
them to my placement setting has given me insight into just how much effective communication
and collaboration is needed in order for co-teaching to work in the way that it is meant to work.
It has given me a newfound respect for teachers that utilize co-teaching within their classrooms
on a daily basis. There are so many benefits of co-teaching and I realize that it is important that I
learn these skills now in order to be the most effective teacher I can be in the future.
On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized
aid on this academic work.
Signature________________________

Duffard 2
Megan Duffard
EPSY 428
March 1, 2015
Co-Teach Part 1
Entry:
When I first entered my mentor teachers classroom my main objective was to observe
the way the classroom was run by familiarizing myself with classroom rules and procedures. I
also observed how my mentor teacher administered discipline and handled behavioral issues.
Watching my mentor teacher instruct the students and model effective disciplinary tactics
allowed me to gain the knowledge I needed to prepare myself for the actual experience of
teaching. The first day was a little overwhelming as I was not entirely sure what my role would
be within her classroom. At first, I struggled visualizing myself actually helping her instruct the
students since she already had a system down. I wondered if the students would respect me in the
same way that they respected their own teacher and if this would affect the learning process
when I taught. Although I had my concerns, my mentor teacher was very encouraging and
allowed me to take charge of various activities soon after my initial observation the first day. The
more I practiced and developed rapport with the children, the more I could visualize myself as
their teacher not just a guest in the classroom.
I do not believe that co-teaching will be difficult to implement within my mentor
teachers classroom. In fact the atmosphere of her classroom welcomes it. There are many
benefits of co-teaching especially for younger age groups. My mentor teacher instructs
kindergarteners that could definitely benefit with a more hands on approach due to their shorter

Duffard 3
attention spans. Having two teachers in the classroom allows for more effective monitoring of
student progress and makes smaller group interactions more feasible if necessary.
Communication:
Co-teaching requires effective communication and time for planning. Although my
mentor teacher has a very busy schedule I have not found it difficult to communicate with her.
Generally our methods of communication take place through email, during the free periods of
time the students are in specials (P.E., music, art etc.), or while I am helping her grade homework
after school. I have found the most effective means to communicate is through email because we
do not have the distraction of getting things prepared for class, discussing things that have
happened or will happen during the day or dealing with constant student interruptions. Although
email works best, this could be a potential barrier for completing this project simply because
miscommunication can happen if face-to-face interaction does not take place. Only being able to
communicate through writing can often result in the writing being misread or misconstrued.
Another potential barrier may just be lack of time to really fine tune the lesson plan. We have
very different schedules and I could see that being an issue.
Types of co-teaching:
The Teach/Observe type of co-teaching is generally done during the earlier stages. This is
where the more experienced teacher gives instruction while the other teacher observes in order to
gain knowledge, gather information and reflect on the experience. This is beneficial for new
teachers or paraprofessionals that need to see a model of teaching techniques. The one observing
also contributes to the overall planning of classroom instruction by being the eyes and ears for
the main instructor. The one observing can spot behavioral issues or identify students who may
need extra help. This information can be relayed to the main instructor and plans can be re-

Duffard 4
evaluated for future instruction. The plans changed could benefit the overall success of each
individual student. A disadvantage to this type of co-teaching is that the bulk of the
responsibilities fall on the main instructor rather than the observer.
The Teach/Support type of co-teaching is where one person teaches while the other walks
among the students and helps students who need additional instruction. This is generally done in
the early stages. It is helpful for identifying students that require extra support during instruction.
With one teacher giving the instruction and the other teacher readily available to provide that
additional support, the student struggling will have a higher chance of academic success. The
downside to this type of co-teaching is that if a student needs to be taken aside to catch them up
on certain instruction, they miss the instruction given to the whole group.
Station Teaching is where both teachers are responsible for equal amounts of instruction,
but the students rotate between the teachers to receive that instruction. This is very beneficial for
the students since the teacher can focus on the students more individually in a smaller group. The
negative aspect of this type of instruction is that there has to be a lot of careful planning
involved. The timing has to be right for both teachers to give specific instruction at the same rate.
There is also considerable instructional time lost during the transition between their rotations.
Parallel Teaching is where both teachers help plan instruction and deliver it
simultaneously to two separate groups of students within the classroom. This is helpful for times
that the students need to review material, work on projects or practice certain skills. It is not as
beneficial for giving new instruction because that would require both teachers to have equal
knowledge in whatever academic area was being presented and equal ability to use teaching
materials in an effective way.

Duffard 5
Alternative Teaching is developed in order to focus on the needs of individual students.
To accomplish this the teachers work together to reteach or pre-teach various material using
sensory models or providing basic foundational knowledge that might have been missed before.
The teachers split the responsibilities with one being in charge of the instruction while the other
teacher leads a larger group activity to support the material being reviewed or re-taught. The
downside to this method is that the teachers must clearly coordinate their instruction and
materials to best benefit the students. This can be challenging especially since different students
may have different needs. The teachers also must be sure to utilize time in the most effective way
possible, which can be challenging especially if there is a large number of students to instruct.
Team teaching is when both the teachers prepare the lesson together and have equal
responsibility for planning and presenting instruction. This can be a very versatile way to teach.
For example, one teacher may instruct while the other models the learning. They could also both
lead a discussion with the students or even demonstrate ideas with each other to allow students to
grasp the bigger picture of the lesson. This is beneficial as the whole class is learning as one unit
with the teachers seamlessly sharing their individual expertise. However, there are many
downsides to this type of co-teaching. There has to be certain level of trust between the teachers
involved as well as a shared commitment to the students. Both instructors have to be flexible
with one another and be equally aware of classroom conditions and both have to be able to adapt
and fix those specific conditions if need be.
Type of co-teaching with Mentor:
For this project my mentor teacher and I will be using the Teach/Support method of coteaching. This type fits well with how my mentor teachers classroom is typically run and
therefore seemed like the type best fit for this project. I do not think it will be too difficult to

Duffard 6
incorporate this type of learning plan into my setting. In my mind I can already anticipate which
students will most likely need that extra support during instruction and I can visualize how it
might look to help them. My mentor teacher already has great methods of reaching out to those
students and giving them the support that they need. I know that I will be able to give that
support as well.

Duffard 7
Co-teaching Part II
Name: Megan Duffard
Date: March 30, 2015
How does this project contribute to your understanding of collaboration with teachers through co-teaching?
Through this project I have become more aware of the time and effort essential for co-teaching. The most fundamental
component of co-teaching is the ability to communicate, which is not always easy to accomplish. It requires intentional effort from
both teachers and a shared purpose. When teachers do take the time to develop a co-teaching plan and can effectively communicate
and collaborate to meet shared goals, students benefit tremendously. It allows for more thorough instruction and better monitoring of
student understanding. Due to its benefits for students, I believe co-teaching is an excellent teaching method to incorporate into any
classroom. I enjoyed working with my mentor teacher to experience planning a co-teaching lesson plan and look forward to seeing its
implementation.

On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work.
Signature____________________________________

Duffard 8

Learning Plan
Intern Name: Megan Duffard
Sowell
Subject/Grade: Science, Kindergarten
Type of Coteaching: Teach/support

Lesson Plan
Objective:
Given a worksheet, the student will be able to recreate the order of colors in
a rainbow and write four facts about rainbows getting three out of the four
correct.

TEKS:
K.8 Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns
in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
A) observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over
seasons.
Background Information:

Mentor Teacher Name: Wendy

Date Taught:

Modifications: Description
of student

Coteaching: Type
used; roles

Jimmy struggles with written

assignments since he is on a
lower reading level than his
peers and has a slight vision
problem. He wears glasses, but
still struggles with focusing on
what he is trying to read or see
clearly during instruction. He
has a tendency to give up when
he is struggling with a task or
gets distracted easily if he is
overwhelmed. He is shy, but
enjoys being with his classmates.
He works well in groups, but
also benefits from one-on-one
help from the teacher.

Teach/Support. Sowell is
general education teacher;
Duffard is Special
education intern.

Duffard 9
The student can read and write simple words and understands how to
construct short sentences.
The student can recognize different types of weather such as rainy/sunny
days.
Materials:
Rainbow worksheet
Colored markers
White board
Book about rainbows:
"What Makes a Rainbow" by Maggie Ribbon
YouTube song about colors of a rainbow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI46AbAWzLw
Prisms for extension activity and worksheet
Video for elaboration activity and rainbow chart

Duffard assesses Jimmy's

current understanding of
types of weather.

Larger print on worksheet for

Jimmy.
Book shared during instructional
time is an appropriate level for
Jimmy.

Duffard makes sure all

materials are present.
Retrieves book from the
library.

Equipment:
Projector and computer to show YouTube video
Classroom Management/Environment:
Students sit crisscross apple-sauce on the rug facing the teacher
Students sit in small groups at their tables to complete assessment

Jimmy should get preferential

seating. Jimmy should have his
glasses during activity.

During main instructional

time, Sowell is responsible
for disruptive behavior but
Duffard helps as backup.
Duffard makes sure Jimmy
is in a good location to see
the board/book.

Engagement/Focus:
Good afternoon class!
We have been learning about different types of weather over the past two
weeks. We have talked about rain, snow, clouds, the sun and the wind.

Sowell calls class to order

and gives engagement.

Duffard 10
Today we are going to learn all about rainbows.
It is important to learn about the types of weather and recognize things in the
sky so that we can better understand the world around us.
By the end of the lesson, you will be able to recognize the order of colors in
a rainbow, describe how a rainbow is formed and list four facts about
rainbows that you have learned.
While I'm teaching stay seated on the rug with your hands in your lap. If you
have a question raise your hand and wait for me to call on you.
Explanation/Procedures:
1. Has anyone ever seen a rainbow before? Show book cover with the
picture of a rainbow. Turn and talk with your neighbor about what
you notice about this rainbow. Call on a student to share what he and
his partner discussed.
2. Introduce book. This book is all about what makes a rainbow. Read
book.
3. Ask questions about the book, but begin by discussing the various
types of weather where we see the sun. What happens when clouds
come out? They cover the sun. What happens when the clouds are
dark and full of water? It rains. When the sun comes out after it rains
what do we see? A rainbow.
4. Light is actually made up of colors. When we see a rainbow we are
seeing the colors that make up sunlight. We can see the colors
because the water is bending the light. Discuss those colors: Red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
5. Show the video about a rainbow's colors.
6. I do: Today we are going to recreate the rainbow using our
fingerprints! I will show you my example. First I am going to color
my thumb with the first color of the rainbow and I am going to print
my fingerprint in a big arc on the paper. Then I'm going to color my
pointer finger with the next color and fingerprint that color under the
first arc I made.... (Explain why you alternate fingers) If I used all the
colors on one finger the colors would mix and my rainbow would

Ask Jimmy a question to help

keep him focused if he is getting
overwhelmed. If he struggles tell
him that he can phone a friend
for help. Have them discuss the
answer and then have Jimmy tell
what they discussed.
Make sure Jimmy is in a place
that he can see the pictures in the
book and see what is written on
the board.

Sowell gives main

instruction.
Duffard monitors class for
understanding and passes
out materials when needed.
Duffard handles all
equipment. Duffard plays
the video and holds bucket
of markers for students to
choose from during "we
do" portion of lesson.
Sowell reads book and asks
questions. Sowell calls on
students to answer
questions with Duffard's
help.
Sowell explains assessment
after giving closure.

Duffard 11
look brown. (Explain what types of sentences the students will write
on the back. Give an example of a fact they could write: "Rainbows
are in the sky after it rains" or "light is made up of colors")
7. We do: Call on students to come up and help recreate the rainbow on
the white board. Ask questions like "What color comes first?" "What
color comes next?" etc. Let them choose the color out of a bucket of
markers.
8. You do: Have students go to their tables. Pass out worksheets and
markers. Students can complete the assessment individually or with
the peers at their tables.
Extension/Elaboration:
Extension: Have prisms that the students can look at and shine light through
to make rainbows. Talk about what a prism is and how it bends light. Have
them identify each color of the rainbows they see and write sentences about
their observations.
Elaboration: Have a chart labeling the colors of the rainbow. Play a YouTube
video that talks about rainbows.
Closure:
Let's review.
Call on students to answer questions:
What is the first color of a rainbow? Red.
What is the last color of a rainbow? Violet.
When do rainbows appear in the sky? After it rains.
Jimmy what is light made of? Colors.
Great! You really have a good understanding of rainbows. The next time you
see one in the sky you can tell your parents all about them.
Thank you for sitting quietly during the lesson!
Now we will move on to the assessment!

Make sure Jimmy gets a chart to

help him recreate his rainbow
during the assessment. Make
sure Jimmy watches the video if
he is struggling with the concept
of rainbows.

Duffard is responsible for

facilitating extension and
elaboration activities as
needed.

Ask Jimmy a specific question

that you know he can answer to
give him confidence.

Sowell gives closure and

asks specific question of
Jimmy.

Duffard should be attentive

to Jimmy in case he needs
assistance.

Duffard 12
Assessment:
Students get a worksheet to recreate the rainbow using their fingerprints.
They put ink from the markers on their fingers to make prints. They must get
the rainbow's colors in order.
Once finished making their rainbow, the students write four facts on the back
of the worksheet about what they learned.

Jimmy gets elaboration chart and Duffard passes out

has a peer buddy to work with.
worksheets. Stays near
Jimmy's table in case he
needs assistance and
specifically checks
Jimmy's work periodically
for understanding.
Duffard plans for reteaching if necessary

Brief Paragraphs
1. Co-development of lesson plan
This lesson plan was developed between Mrs. Sowell and I. We communicated via email to plan the lesson and communicate
about what we would each be responsible for. We took a lesson plan she already prepared and changed it to fit the co-teaching style we
wanted to use. We decided that the Teach /Support type would work the best during the science period and I could immediately think
of a student that would most likely need a lot of extra support. The barriers that we discovered were mainly schedule conflicts. It was
hard to sit down together face-to-face in order to plan, so we had to resort to communicating via email.
2. Instructional management
Generally Mrs. Sowell had the bulk of the responsibility. She taught the lesson, but I was there to support her as well as assist
with the student that needed the most help. I was in charge of materials and helping the class run smoothly. I passed out papers and ran

Duffard 13
the YouTube video. Together we came up with specific questions that she could ask Jimmy and decided that I would be responsible for
being near him in case he needed extra assistance during independent work. We also designated a peer buddy for him to help keep him
on track. I handled the extension and elaboration activities as well.
3. Classroom management
For classroom management, I was in charge of making sure that Jimmy received preferential seating so that he could be sure to
see the materials Mrs. Sowell was presenting during instruction. I also made sure that the materials for the independent activity were
large enough for Jimmy to see easily. As for the rest of the class, they were expected to sit crisscross-applesauce on the rug facing Mrs.
Sowell. I monitored the students from the sidelines and redirected misbehavior when needed.
4. Student assessment
The students were required to complete a handout about rainbows. On the front they were to fill in the colors of a rainbow
using marker ink and their fingerprints. The colors had to be in the correct order. Then for the writing portion, they were to write four
facts about rainbows getting at least three out of four correct.

Duffard 14

Rainbow Worksheet

Write four facts about a rainbow:

1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________________________________________________

Duffard 15
4. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Duffard 16

red
orange
yellow
green
blue
indigo
violet

Elaboration Rainbow Chart and link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGY9jV11FuU

Duffard 17
Extension Activity

Activity: Give students a prism. Discuss with student what a prism is and how it forms a rainbow by bending light. Let them play with
a prism to make rainbows. Have them record their observations below:
1. How many colors can you see? ____________________________________

2. What does a prism do with light? __________________________________

3. What makes up light? ___________________________________________

Duffard 18
Co-teaching Part III
Name: Megan Duffard
Date: 4/6/15
How does this project contribute to your understanding of how co-teaching works in real life
settings?
Through this project I have learned that there are multiple strategies for reaching a
diverse range of students with various educational needs. Co-teaching is one of those strategies
and it helps create an environment for learning that best benefits the students. The experience I
gained in developing a lesson plan with my mentor teacher showed me what co-teaching looks
like in action. When we co-taught our lesson plan, I witnessed how it affected the students that
typically struggle. I saw that they were much more engaged and were able to get the assistance
they needed. I realized how beneficial co-teaching truly is for those students that may be a little
behind their peers.
On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized
aid on this academic work.
Signature____________________________________

Duffard 19
Evaluation
Not every student learns in the same way or at the same time. This can be challenging
when a teacher has a classroom full of twenty or more students and not enough time to give them
the assistance they need individually. This is when strategies such as co-teaching can make all
the difference in the world for both the teacher and the students who are falling behind.
This project provided an excellent opportunity to experience what it is like to develop and
co-teach a lesson plan, as well as see that plan implemented in an actual classroom. The first step
in the process was finding the time to communicate with my mentor teacher. Her schedule is
very busy, so we ended up planning together mostly through email or during the time when the
students were at P.E. I found it most helpful to communicate through email because we could
send each other attachments of ideas and links to resources. My mentor teacher plans her lessons
several weeks in advance, so we used one of the lessons she already had and manipulated it to fit
the co-teaching style we wanted to use. We collaborated on finding different resources to
enhance the lesson as well as developed the activities together.
The next step was identifying which students would likely need the most assistance.
There was one student in particular that we decided would need the most support, so we tailored
the lesson to fit his individual needs. For example, some of the adjustments we made for this
student were to incorporate specific questions for him throughout the lesson in order to keep him
on task, give him preferential seating and assign him a peer buddy during independent work.
The last step was figuring out what each of our roles was and what we would be
responsible for before, during and after instruction. Since we were using the teach/support style
of co-teaching, my role was mainly to handle all the materials, monitor student progress and
assist the students that needed help.

Duffard 20
We had a very detailed co-teaching plan and so when it came time for giving the actual
lesson everything went very smoothly. We knew exactly what each of our roles consisted of and
the materials we were responsible for. I believe the students received the lesson well because the
instruction was very clear and interesting. The students seemed to have a good understanding of
the material learned as evidenced by their excellent work on the assessment. Overall, I believe
my mentor teacher and I worked well together to develop this lesson.
We did a good job of communicating our expectations to the students up until the part
where we explained the independent activity. Even though we explained what was required of
them, we did not model it for the students as well as we could have. Particularly the portion of
the assessment where they had to write sentences about what they learned. This was not modeled
adequately. Some of the students seemed to have a hard time knowing exactly what to write, so it
took them a long time to complete and we had to go around and explain it to the students as they
worked. Modeling is a super important component of any lesson plan so in the future this would
be an important area to work on.
We did a good job using engaging materials as evidenced by the students' participation.
We had a picture book, a YouTube video and a fun activity for the students that presented the
information in different ways. We have a lot of visual learners in the classroom so that was very
beneficial for them. In regards to the engaging materials however, I did notice that we had some
issues with transitions. For example, the students had trouble re-focusing their attention from the
video back to my mentor teacher. The students were so interested in the video and wanting to
watch it again that they had trouble getting back on task. I think we should have set aside more
time to talk about the video, ask questions and get the students' input on what they thought about
it. For co-teaching plans in the future, discussing the most effective transition strategies would be

Duffard 21
extremely helpful, as well as figuring out a plan for how to re-focus students' attention in the
event that they get off-task.
Despite these issues, the lesson went extremely well. What I really like about co-teaching
is that it not only benefits the students that are falling behind, it benefits everyone involved. With
two teachers available, more one-on-one assistance can be given to all students. The teacher is
not as stressed and all the students are able to get the help they need. This project showed me
how collaboration and communication are key to developing an effective co-teaching plan. This
project also taught me that the real focus is always on the students and what would best benefit
their learning environment. In the future I hope to gain more experience developing my
communication and collaboration skills through co-teaching.