Module 1: Co-teaching
-Foundations
-Co-instruction
-Co-planning and Co-assessment
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Module 2: MS/SS Credential Program
-Student handbook
-CT/ mentor handbook
-Phase-in
-Course descriptions with assignments that impact clinical practice
-Danielson observation form and TPEs
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Module 3: Mentoring
-Effective Communication
-Coaching teacher candidate on how to take the lead
-Lesson planning
-Communication/relationship building
-Integrating students into the district community and culture

 Module 1: Co-teaching Foundations

What is Co-Teaching? 

Co-teaching is the cornerstone of our of teacher education whether it be in a residency or the traditional program.  It is defined as two teachers working together with students – sharing the planning, organizing, instructing, and assessing in one physical space.  Co-teaching involves two willing educators who are able to ensure that student learning occurs at the most efficient levels possible.  Our teacher candidates spend approximately two semesters within this co-teaching model, and have the opportunity to co-teach with some of the best professional educators in Kern County.  Utilizing two teachers in every classroom is beneficial to all.

The cooperating/mentor teacher (CT) is a classroom teacher who is willing to mentor the teacher candidate using co-teaching. The teacher candidate (TC) is a CSU Bakersfield student.

What does co-teaching look like in practice? Read The Power of Two (PDF) story detailing the experiences of cooperating teachers and teacher candidates during the St. Cloud University pilot of co-teaching in 2011-12. 

Co-Teaching is an attitude of sharing the classroom and students. Co-Teachers must always be thinking: “We are both teaching!” (Bacharach & Heck, 2011)

The goal of student teaching is for future teachers to experience all aspects of teaching and to become excellent classroom practitioners. With an attitude of sharing the classroom and students by co-teaching during student teaching, both the adults and students benefit.
The pre-service teacher is able to engage in the classroom more fully alongside a mentor teacher who remains actively engaged with the students as well. Unlike traditional student teaching models where the mentor teacher disengages with the classroom over a period of time, co-teaching retains the expertise and added value of the mentor teacher as an active participant with students throughout the experience.

In a traditional student-teaching model, a teacher candidate often observes the cooperating teacher for an extended amount of time. Little by little, the candidate takes on more responsibility, eventually "solo" teaching by planning instruction, assessing student work, and managing classroom routines. Historically, the cooperating teacher does not use co-teaching strategies to teach with the candidate in the traditional model.

In co-teaching, the pair (teacher candidate and cooperating teacher) is encouraged to co-plan and quickly incorporate the co-teaching strategies in their practice, providing more opportunities for the students to engage with both adults in the classroom. The mentor teacher remains engaged, using the strategies to support student learning and engagement. The co-teaching pair collaborates throughout the experience, with leadership in responsibility and decision-making shifting over time to the teacher candidate. Ultimately, the teacher candidate assumes leadership in all aspects of the classroom, including directing the activities of the cooperating teacher and other adults working with the students, for a pre-determined amount of time. It is important that the teacher candidate does have opportunities to solo teach too, but the goal is to co-teach once the candidate has established classroom leadership skills and students interact with both adults as their teachers

Take the below quiz to check your knowledge of co-teaching.

Co-Instruction