Dr. V.K. Maheshwari, Former Principal
K.L.D.A.V(P.G) College, Roorkee, India
Teaching is a dynamic and well planned process to acquire maximum learning experiences. In order to achieve this great objective various methods and techniques are developed. Newer inventions are taking place in the field of instructional technology ,which occupy their own specific dignity and importance. Changes in all fields of education have resulted in new forms and assimilation of new innovations in educational technology. Therefore, all those changes means and resources which opens the new vistas of development and which have inclined educators towards new tendencies after seeding in him novel facts ,novel concepts etc need to be strengthened. Among the many ideas and options for meeting these diverse yet somehow related challenges, one that is receiving widespread attention, is team-teaching.
Concept of Team -teaching
Team-teaching is an instructional situation where two or more teachers possessing complimentary teaching skills cooperatively plan and implement the instruction for a single group of students using flexible scheduling and grouping techniques to meet the particular instruction.
Team teaching is an organisation whereby two or more teachers with or without teaching aids , cooperatively plan instruct evaluate one or more class groups in an appropriate instructional space and given length of time so as to take advantage of special competencies of the team members.
Two (or more) educators or other certified staff to share instructional responsibility ,for a single group of students , primarily in a single classroom or workspace , for specific content (objectives) with mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint accountability.
Team teaching is a form of organisation in which teachers decide to post resources , interests and expertise in order to devise and implement the scheme of work suitable to the need of their students and facilities of their school.
In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same instruction at the same time. Some teachers refer to this as having “one brain in two bodies.” Others call it “tag team teaching.” Most team-teachers consider this approach the most complex but satisfying way to co-teach, but the approach that is most dependent on teachers’ styles
This implies that each speaks freely during large-group instruction and moves among all the students in the class. Instruction becomes a conversation, not turn-taking.
The team-teaching approach is affected more than any other by individuals’ teaching styles This is the most interpersonally complex co-teaching approach
This approach is generally used;
• When two heads are better than one or experience is comparable
• During a lesson in which instructional conversation is appropriate
• In co-teaching situations in which the teachers have considerable experience and a high sense of comfort
• When a goal of instruction is to demonstrate some type of interaction to students
• One teacher talks while the other demonstrates note-taking on the board or an overhead projector.
In the rapidly evolving world of special services and supports for students ,terminology often becomes an issue. For clarification, these are some terms often used in confusion with team-teaching:
Collaboration
Although it is generally preferred that co-teaching be collaborative, it might or might not be. Collaboration generally refers to how individuals interact, not the activity they’re doing.
Thus, any activity—including co-teaching, and problem solving, consultation–may or may not be collaborative.
Co- teaching
The term team teaching is often used to describe the situation in which two general education teachers combine classes and share instruction. In an elementary school, this might occur when two fourth grade teachers decide to open the portable that divides their rooms and teach the entire group as one. In a secondary school, this might occur when an English teacher and a history teacher combine two classes to present a content unit. Co-teaching is different from this type of team teaching in two important ways: First, in co-teaching the teacher-student ratio is drastically improved. Second, in co-teaching, two significantly different orientations toward teaching are blended. Finally, team teaching in the middle school literature often refers to a process for planning interdisciplinary instruction, but not sharing instructional delivery.
Inclusion
Although team-teaching is integral to the inclusive practices in many schools, it is not a requirement for inclusion to occur. Inclusion refers to a broad belief system or philosophy embracing the notion that all students should be welcomed members of a learning community, that all students are part of their classrooms even if their abilities differ.
Types of Team- teaching
- A Team Of Teachers from a Single-Department
In such classification, teachers come from a single department. This arrangement is made for secondary and higher secondary classes. It is possible only if there is more than one teacher for one subject
- A team of teachers from various departments of single institution.
In this classification, a team of teachers from different subjects is formed such as teachers in psychology, philosophy and sociology etc. Now the teaching task is organized very easily. Thus, team teaching encourages interdisciplinary teaching.
3. A team of teachers from a single department of various institutions.
In such team teaching, specialists from various institutions are invited at every level and for every topic. This provision proves such useful where there is only one subject teacher. Such team- teaching encourages cooperative teaching. The effective use of this team-teaching becomes more possible in a city where there are more than one training institutions.
Rationale for Adopting Team-Teaching
Here are some of the reasons experienced team-teachers provide:
1. Team-teaching is one way to deliver services to students with disabilities or other special needs as part of a philosophy of inclusive practices. As a result, it shares many benefits with other inclusion strategies, including a reduction in stigma for students with special needs, an increased understanding and respect for students with special needs on the part of other students, and the development of a sense of heterogeneously-based classroom community.
2. In team-taught classrooms, ALL students can receive improved instruction. This includes students who are academically gifted or talented, students who have average ability, students who are at risk for school failure as well as students with identified special needs.
3. In team-teaching, the instructional fragmentation that often occurs in other service delivery options is minimized. Students benefit by not having to leave the classroom to receive services. At the same time, the special service provider or other co-teacher has a better understanding of the curriculum being addressed in the classroom and the expectations for both academics and behaviour.
4. Co-teachers often report that one of the most noticeable advantages of sharing a classroom is the sense of support it fosters. Co-teachers report that when they have a spectacular lesson, someone is there to share it, and when they have a particularly challenging day, someone really knows just how difficult it was.
Requisites in a Teacher for Team-Teaching
A teacher occupies a very important place. He is the medium who transmits the acquired knowledge to the next generation. The following are the few requisites which are expected to be in a team- teacher;
I. A Common Philosophical Belief
The members of successful team-teaching, teams share several common beliefs that constitute a philosophy or a system of principles that guide their practice.
II. Individual Prerequisite
Individual teachers voluntarily bring certain characteristics, knowledge, and skills to the team-teaching situation. Team-teachers have personal characteristics that enable them to work effectively with another teacher; they have sets of common knowledge and skills. Team-teaching is voluntary.
III. The Professional Relationship
Team-teachers have unique professional relationships , built on parity, communication, respect, and trust. Co-teachers make a commitment to building and maintaining their professional relationship.
IV. Classroom Dynamics
The interactions in a co-taught classroom are unique to this teaching arrangement, as they clearly define classroom roles and responsibilities. Team-teachers’ instructional interactions reflect their professional relationship.
Team-teachers successfully maintain the instructional flow of the whole class by providing support to individual students. The curriculum in co-taught classes explicitly addresses academic, developmental, compensatory, and life skills and reflects the needs of students in the class. Team-teachers monitor their efforts.
V. External Supports
External support facilitates successful team -teaching. Administrators support to team-teaching is an essentiality. Appropriate professional development activities enhance team-teaching.
Dimensions of Team-Teaching
In most schools, team-teaching cannot exist alone as the means through which inclusive practices are implemented. Instead, team-teaching should be one out of a wide variety of service delivery systems , that provide supports to students with special needs. These are some of the other service delivery options that need to exist:
Consultation
In consultation, professionals skilled in working with students with special needs meet on a regular basis with teachers to problem solve. A school psychologist, behaviour specialist, speech language therapist, or special education teacher might serve as a consultant. By meeting to identify a problem, systematically developing an intervention, gathering data , and judging the intervention’s effectiveness, teachers and consultants can maximize student learning.
Teaming
Grade-level elementary teams (or primary -intermediate teams), middle school teams, and interdisciplinary or department school teams meet regularly to discuss curriculum and problem solve about students. Special educators and other support providers can join these teams to help create strategies and interventions as well as to address issues related to curricular adaptations. This helps to make communication more consistent and more efficient.
Informal problem solving
Teachers in inclusive schools often need to meet one-to-one to proactively or reactively problem solve regarding students they share. For example, a classroom teacher and a special education teacher might meet to discuss whether a student with an IEP who has violated a school rule should receive special consideration or be excluded from the upcoming excursion
Instruction in a separate setting
Although the goal in an inclusive school is for most instruction to occur in general education settings, occasionally student needs indicate this is not appropriate. Examples of situations in which instruction in a separate setting might be indicated include a student needing physical therapy that cannot be integrated into classroom routines, a student who needs highly specialized articulation therapy, and a student not learning as expected so that diagnostic teaching is needed.
Collegial staff development
A hallmark of inclusive schools is the sense that there is always new information that can help teachers better address to student needs. If teachers and administrators attend workshops, classes, or other staff development opportunities, they share what they have learned with colleagues. Topics might include instructional techniques, approaches for responding to student behaviour, and strategies for promoting staff collegiality
Factors to be considered in selecting a team-teaching approach
Team-teaching is most effective when the approaches used are deliberately selected. Here are some factors to weigh in selecting a team-teaching approach:
Student characteristics and needs.
The first considerations in thinking about team-teaching approaches are student characteristics and needs. For example, if students tend to become disruptive during transitions, an approach should be selected that minimizes transitions. Conversely, if students need extra motivation, an approach with frequent changes might be preferred.
Teacher personality and needs.
Team-teaching will be different in different classrooms and at different times of the school year based on teacher characteristics and needs. For example, if team-teachers vary significantly in their teaching styles, it might be best to select approaches that enable them to teach independently. Alternatively, if team-teachers work easily together, a more shared approach might be appropriate.
Curriculum and instructional strategies.
The content to be taught and the instructional strategies that are most effective for addressing the content are additional considerations in selecting team-teaching approaches. Highly structured content and procedures, such as teaching steps in a process, would require one approach while less structured content, such as a discussion of ideas, would suggest another approach.
Pragmatic considerations.
The preference for team-teaching approaches should also be tempered by the pragmatics of the setting. For example, in an open school, noise is a consideration in selecting an approach. In a crowded classroom, an approach not particularly dependent on space might be the best choice.
Team-teaching Approaches
Team – teaching approaches can be classified as follows;
One Teach, One Observe Approach . One of the advantages in team-teaching is that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning process can occur. With this approach, for example, team-teachers can decide in advance what types of specific observational information to gather during instruction and can agree on a system for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together. This approach is generally used
• In new team-teaching situations
• When questions arise about students
• To check student progress
• To compare target students to others in class assignment?
To make this approach more effective use blank NCR form or carbon paper, make two copies of your data at once and share immediately.
Once you’re experienced team-teachers with a mutual sense of comfort, observation of each other can serve as a form of coaching
One Teach, One Drift Approach . In a second approach to team-teaching, one teacher would keep primary responsibility for teaching while the other professional circulated through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students as needed. This approach is generally used
• When the lesson lends itself to delivery by one teacher
• When one teacher has particular expertise for the lesson
• In new team-teaching situations–to get to know each other
• In lessons stressing a process in which student work needs closemonitoring
This approach is not particularly useful to help focus student attention. Instead, it has the risk of distracting students during large-group instruction.
Each teacher should have the opportunity to lead instruction and drift if this approach is used
Parallel Teaching Approach . On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, the teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and do so simultaneously.
• When a lower adult-student ratio is needed to improve instructional efficiency
• To foster student participation in discussions
• For activities such as drill and practice, re-teaching, and test review
This approach gives each teacher an active–but separate– instructional role in the classroom. Any topic with multiple dimensions can be presented using this approach if the groups are then brought back together for discussion. Students can be strategically placed in the two groups
Station Teaching Approach . In this team-teaching approach, teachers divide content and students. Each teacher then teachers the content to one group and subsequently repeats the instruction for the other group. If appropriate, a third “station” could require that students work independently. This approach is generally used
• When content is complex but not hierarchical
• In lessons in which part of planned instruction is review
• When several topics comprise instruction
For this approach to be successful;
Variations of station teacher, carried out across two days, are sometimes more appropriate in secondary settings with traditional class periods.
If students cannot work independently, two groups can be formed. If a student teacher is available, four groups might be arranged.
Alternative Teaching Approach : In most class groups, occasions arise in which several students need specialized attention. In alternative teaching, one teacher takes responsibility for the large group while the other works with a smaller group. This approach is generally used
• In situations where students’ mastery of concepts taught or about to be taught varies tremendously
• When extremely high levels of mastery are expected for all students
• When enrichment is desired
• When some students are working in a parallel curriculum
For this approach to be successful, the purpose for the small group and its membership should vary
Procedure of Team –teaching:
A systematic procedure can be followed through following steps / phases-
Planning
A comprehensive plan of team- teaching is prepared keeping in view the following activities;
- Determine the objectives of team-teaching.
- Write the objectives of team-teaching in behavioural terms.
- Identify entering behaviour of the students.
- Decide the topics for teaching.
- Prepare an outline for teaching a topic.
- Assign duties to the teachers looking at the interests of the students and their skills . Determine the level of the instructions.
- Decide the evaluation techniques
- Create learning environment and instructional material.
Organisation
The following activities are suggested while organising team-teaching ;
- Teacher asks some initial questions to decide the level of the instruction. Only then can he set the level of the instruction.
- Keeping in view the student’s knowledge of the language, communication technique is selected.
- The teacher delivers lead lecture while the other member teachers of the team listen to it. They note down the important points specifically those which are difficult for the pupils to understand.
- Then other teachers of the team also deliver lectures and clarify various elements.
- Pupils’ activities are reinforced. The teacher encourages the pupils.
- The pupils are asked to perform certain tasks in the class during these lectures.
Evaluation of the result
In this step, the evaluation occurs with the reference to the achievement of objectives on the basis of performance of the pupils. It is examined whether the objectives have been achieved or not. The following activities are performed in this step:
- Decision is taken regarding the achievement of objectives and performances by the pupils.
- Necessary modifications are introduced in the planning and organization phase on the basis of evaluation.
- For evaluation, oral and written questions and practical methods are followed. Each question evaluates some objectives.
- The shortcomings and problems of the pupils are diagnosed and remedied.
The results of the evaluation phase function as reinforcement to the pupils and the teachers. Various institutions adopt the process of team teaching according to their own resources and objectives.
Suggested Topics/ Areas for Team-teaching in Education
- Planning, including time to do it and who does which part. Instructional format, including who will do which part of the instructional delivery.
- Parity or how it will be clear that both educators have the same status in the classroom.
- Space, related to both students and teachers. Noise and each educator’s tolerance for it.
- Instructional routines. Organizational routines. Confidentiality
- Discipline procedures for the classroom. Safety matters . Instructional content and expectations for students
- Feedback, including when and how to discuss issues with each other.
- Student evaluation, including grading. Teaching chores such as grading, duplicating, assignment preparation, and so on.
- Responsibilities and procedures for substitutes.
Some Other Important Considerations in Team-teaching
Below are some important dynamics of team-teaching which needs serious consideration
Parity among Team-teachers ;
The most important factor responsible for the success or failure of team-teaching is parity among team-teachers. If not properly established it will lead to dirty competition, which will ruin the entire concept of team work. You and your team-teaching partner must convey to students that their teaching relationship is truly collaborative, that it is a partnership based on parity? The following checklist might help , to think through ideas about how you, your teaching partner, and students can observe parity or its absence.
- . Both teachers’ names on board.
- . Both teachers’ names on report cards.
- . Both teachers’ handwriting on student assignments.
- . Both teachers with space for personal belongings.
- . Both teachers with adult-size furniture.
- . Both teachers with a lead role in the classroom.
- . Both teachers talk during instruction.
- . Both teachers give directions or permission without checking with the other teacher.
- . Both teachers work with all students.
- . Both teachers are considered teachers by the students
Making Collaboration for Team- teaching
Majority of professionals express concern about the time needed to form collaborative working relationships with their colleagues, particularly for activities such as team-teaching. They also worry about setting realistic expectations regarding time for collaboration .Here are some of the ways– professionals are making the most of the time:
- Have two classes team to release one teacher
- Use other adults to help cover classes–including principals, assistant principals, counselors, social workers, volunteers, paraprofessionals, psychologists, and supervisors. Of course, be sure to follow local policies on who can supervise groups of students.
- Find funds for substitute teachers–some sources include grants from your state or local foundations, parent-teacher organizations, and disability advocacy groups.
- Find “volunteer” substitutes–retired teachers, members of social organizations, teacher trainees from local universities
- Use instructionally relevant videotapes or other programs supervised by part of the staff to release the other part of the staff for planning.
- When school-based staff development sessions are scheduled, arrange for them to begin late or conclude early with the saved time being used to collaboration
- Experiment with a late arrival or early dismissal day. This time can occur once per week, once per month, or once per grading period. Typically, the school day is lengthened and the additional minutes are “banked” to provide the release. The time thus created must be used in working with colleagues. It is not additional individual preparation time nor is it time to be spent on large-group, formal meetings.
- Stay late after school once per month, but make it enjoyable by bringing snacks, flowers, music, or other pleasant “atmosphere” items.
- Treat collaboration as the equivalent of school committee responsibilities, especially if you are operating a pilot program. Time that others in school spend in committee meetings is spent working collaboratively.
- In elementary schools, divide labour for instruction to save time. That is, have each teacher take the lead for preparing materials for different lessons, making enough copies for all involved.
- Reduce other work to have time to meet–for example, have students correct each others’ work or create self-correcting materials.
- For special educators, reserve time in the daily schedule that is not obligated to specific responsibilities. Use this time flexibly with lunch, planning, and other time to meet with teachers
How Many Students with Special Needs Should Be in a Team-teaching Class?
One very common question concerning team-taught classes concerns the proportion of students with special needs assigned to such classes. Although is no single right answer to the question of how many students, here are a few ideas to keep in mind:
• In an elementary school or a small secondary school, all students with disabilities are sometimes grouped into a single section, classroom, or team. . Generally, it is inappropriate to group students with disabilities in this manner, unless student needs are very mild and behaviour is not a problem.
• In some schools, a decision is made that everyone should participate in the education of students with special needs. In these schools, the approach used is “one for you, one for you, one for you,” with students being distributed equally across classes or sections. This approach has a tremendous risk of making it virtually impossible for special service providers to adequately address or even monitor student needs.
• One effective strategy for distributing students is to have teachers at a grade level or on a team, or the special education teachers assign students based on their knowledge of the students and their classmates.
• In secondary schools, it sometimes happens that team-taught classes receive a disproportionately high number of students at risk, the logic being that with two teachers these students will have a better educational experience. The problem with this approach is that it may result in a de facto segregated class being formed, one that looks very similar to a traditional special education class. Students do not have positive role models when this occurs, and the philosophy of inclusive practices is undermined
• Professional common sense is the most logical way to make decisions about the number of students with disabilities or other special needs to place in a team-taught class. If a student with a moderate or severe disability is enrolled, the class should not also have several students with significant behaviour challenges. If several students with learning disabilities are similar in need, it might be best if they are placed in the same location so that services can more readily be delivered.
• In addition to students with disabilities, students at-risk also should be considered in determining class composition. Just a few students with significantly higher needs than other students can affect the learning standards. The goal is to maintain the standard for most learners while making needed accommodations for students who need them.
• Yet another consideration in assigning students for team-taught classes concerns students receiving assistance through other programs. . Generally, students should not be grouped into classes on the basis of services received. However, the number and intensity of all services in a classroom is a factor to review when assigning students.
How Much Team-Teaching Should One Special Service Provider Do?
Special service providers, including special education teachers, school psychologists, social workers, counsellors, occupational therapists, speech/language therapists, and reading specialists, sometimes wonder what a reasonable amount of team-teaching is. They ask how many different classrooms they should be expected to support through team-teaching. Here are a few ideas related to this topic:
• If team-teaching is a new service delivery option, it is better to implement it on a small scale–even in a single classroom setting- -rather than to attempt a broad-based initial program. Team-teaching typically requires the educators involved to re-visit and re-think some of the most essential beliefs they have about teaching and learning. Expecting this to occur throughout a school or even in several classrooms at the outset is not realistic.
• Experiences team-teachers report that they are able to truly Team -teach in four-to-six classrooms at any one time. If they need to provide services in additional classrooms, team-teaching is not used. Instead, some type of more limited support is provided in some classrooms.
• In an inclusive school, all special service providers should have opportunities to team-teach, even teachers or others who are in so called “self-contained” settings. Staff members, with administrative support, should identify times for this type of team-teaching to occur. It might be for a limited amount of time each week, or it might be for a limited part of the school year.
• Amount of team-teaching is strongly affected by other role responsibilities. A school psychologist with significant responsibility for assessing students and preparing reports clearly cannot spend large period of time co-teaching. Special education teachers with large workloads or responsibilities for other meetings likewise will be limited in their availability for team-teaching
Willing participation is an essentiality
Even experienced team-teachers indicate that team-teaching should only occur if both individuals participate willingly. Although this idea has intuitive appeal, the matter is somewhat more complicated. Here are a few questions to consider:
• In new programs, it is understandable to use volunteers. The professionals who take the risks to develop the program and work out the various challenges that will occur should be those who do so willingly.
• A teacher who is reluctant to work with a colleague may have valid reasons. However, if a teacher does not want to participate because of not wanting to work with certain students or not wanting to share instruction, a serious problem exists.
• team-teaching should be arranged when students need this rather intensive, in-class service delivery option. If it is based on student need, care should be taken that teacher preferences are kept in an appropriate perspective.
• In some elementary schools, principals have moved teachers to different grade levels because of the need to establish team-teaching at their original level. In high schools, some teachers have lost preferred schedules because of the need to have co-teaching during certain class periods in certain subjects
Limitations of Team-teaching
Costly method. Team-teaching is costlier than the traditional teaching. Its per head cost is more than that of the traditional teaching
Requires more accommodation. More rooms and furniture is required in team-teaching in comparison to the traditional teaching. Hence due to scarcity of space and building, the effectiveness of the team-teaching becomes doubtful
Lack of cooperation. The basis of the team-teaching is cooperation. But sometimes teachers hastate to cooperate with other teachers.
Lack of research work. Being a new concept, team-teaching lacks research backup. It is being used on the basis of trial and error.
Variation in the roles of teachers. If the different teachers have different roles it increases the load of team-teaching members. One teacher considers the others role as a hurdle. In such conditions the teachers face tough time to maintain the balance and coordination.
Diversification in the views of teachers. When different teachers work together , it become difficult to eliminate diversifications in their views. Unification in their ideas becomes very difficult.
Conflict between change and tradition. There is always a possibility of conflict between new and traditional methods . New methods have created unrest and panic among traditional teachers who try to resist these changes.