With The Right Strategies, Coaches Can Leverage Co-teaching

FOCUS

With the right strategies, coaches can leverage co-teaching

By Ryan Gillespie and Jennifer S. Kruger

Categories: Career pathways, Coaching, Collaboration, Facilitation, Learning designs, Teacher leadership

April 2022

For teachers and coaches, co-teaching can be exciting, rewarding, and full of powerful learning. It offers teachers supported experiences to apply new knowledge in their own contexts, exemplifying active engagement in job-embedded professional learning (Learning Forward, 2011). However, co-teaching is often underused in coaching (Sweeney & Harris, 2016), in part because sharing teaching responsibilities during a lesson can be complex and challenging. Co-teaching requires the coach and teacher to make continuous, intentional decisions about how and when to take the lead. This kind of decision-making requires strong communication between the teacher and the coach, clarity about a teacher’s learning goals, and a deep understanding of possible co-teaching strategies. As part of a project to help mathematics coaches facilitate content-focused coaching cycles, funded by the National

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

References

Chapin, S., O’Connor, C., & Anderson, N. (2013). A teacher’s guide for using classroom discussions in math, grades K-6 (3rd ed.). Math Solutions Publications.

Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving instruction. Corwin Press.

Learning Forward. (2011). Standards for Professional Learning. Author.

Marzano, R.J. & Simms, J.A. (with Roy, T., Heflebower, T., & Warrick, P.B.). (2013). Coaching classroom instruction. Marzano Research.

Senger, E.S. (1999). Reflective reform in mathematics: The recursive nature of teacher change. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 37(3), 199-221.

Smith, M. & Stein, M. (2018). 5 practices for orchestrating productive mathematics discussions (2nd ed.). National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Sweeney, D. & Harris, L.S. (2016). Student-centered coaching: The moves. Corwin Press.

West, L. & Cameron, A. (2013). Agents of change: How content coaching transforms teaching and learning. Heinemann.

West, L. & Staub, F.C. (2003). Content-focused coaching: Transforming mathematics lessons. Heinemann.

Ryan Gillespie

+ posts

Ryan Gillespie (rgillespie@cdaschools.org) is an instructional coach at the Coeur d’Alene School District in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and a professional development specialist at the University of Idaho.

Jennifer S. Kruger

+ posts

Jennifer S. Kruger (jkruger@warner.rochester.edu) is director of mathematics education outreach at the Center for Professional Development & Educational Reform in the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester.