Sometimes I'll be answering specific questions from specific teachers and sometimes I'll address a question or issue that I get a lot of questions about. So, please, take a moment to email me or connect via the "Contact" menu on the website and share your questions with me!
I was blessed to spend a great day with some of the great administrators of Everett School District. We talked about how to successfully implement inclusive classrooms and co-teaching in the district and I was gratified to see the dedication and commitment of these administrators.
Susan answers a reader's question: How do we find enough time to implement the co-teaching models? Implementing co-teaching models is easier when chunking your class time and focusing on your teaching strengths.
When co-teachers have a strategy in place, the entire classroom experience can go smoothly. Creating a co-teaching model strategy takes time, something teachers have precious little of.
As opposed to co-teaching, where teaching responsibilities are often shared between two colleagues, the teacher-paraprofessional relationship is a bit different, with the teacher taking more of a supervisory role. This can influence attitudes that are reflected in phrases like “just a paraprofessional,” when paras actually play a much more important role in the classroom than many realize.