5 Collaboration Situations

Ideas from this article:
"Co-teaching in the ESL Classroom" by Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove
provided by Dr. Rios (click on title to read the entire article).

Collaboration Models:
1) 1 group: One lead teacher and One teacher "Teaching on Purpose" (mini-lessons)

• The mainsteam teacher and the ESL teacher take turns assuming the lead role, while the other teacher "teaches on purpose." This approach provides the teachers an opportunity to give short (1-5 min) mini lessons to individual students, pairs of students, or even a small group of students. Teaching on purpose may focus on a unique language need or take the opportunity to pre-teach or re-teach a concept or a skill.

2) Two groups: Two Teachers Teach Same Content

• The students in the class are placed in 2 heterogeneous groups; each teacher works with one of the groups. By learning in smaller groups, ELLs experience additional opportunities to interact with each other, listen to their peer models, volunteer responses, or receive feedback from the teacher.

3) Two groups: One Teacher Re-teaches or Assesses; One Teacher Teaches Alternative Information

• Teachers assign students to one of two groups, based on their language proficiency levels, knowledge, or skills for target content. During this type of flexible grouping arrangement, students are assigned to their groups on a temporary basis. As the topic and skills that are addressed change, so does the group composition. (Good for test review or re-teaching.)
  

4) Multiple Groups: Two Teachers Monitor / Teach

• Creating multiple groups allows teachers to facilitate and monitor student work simultaneously as they work on a designated skill or topic. As the same time, selected students can receive instruction targeting their unique needs. Learning centers, learning stations, and guided reading groups also can be incorporated into this model of co-teaching. (Good to use during labs in science or project in history.)
  

5) One Group: Two Teachers Teach the Same Content (Parallel teaching)

• Two teachers are directing a whole class of students, and both teachers are working cooperatively and teaching the same lesson at the same time. For example, a mainstream teacher presents a lesson, and the ESL teacher interjects with examples, explanations, and extensions of the key ideas. The ESL teacher can provide strategies to assist the students in better remembering and organizing the information that was presented. (For a working example of this check out Jan and Jenny's classrooms.)