What Successful Co-Teaching Implementation Looks Like

Baltimore County Public Schools filmed this video after a number of years of district-wide co-teaching implementation and as a direct result of their partnership with Dr. Murawski and 2Teach. It shows real teachers implementing co-teaching models in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Student, staff, and administrator testimony illustrate co-teaching's impact on student learning.

2 Teach

2 TEACH is an educational consulting company dedicated to providing practical, innovative and research-based strategies to improve instruction in today's inclusive classrooms and organizations. Today's schools are recognizing that different strategies are needed to address the current diversity that exists in classrooms. Professional development is a critical component to ensuring that teachers, staff and administrators are prepared for these challenges and have the right attitude, knowledge, and skills.

Co-teaching requires two or more professional educators to

“co-plan, co-instruct, and co-assess” (Murawski, 2003, p.10)

One of the ways that schools are increasingly using to address the needs of students with and without special needs in the general education classroom is through co-teaching. Co-teaching involves having a general education teacher and special service provider (e.g., special education teacher, Title I teacher, ELL specialist, speech/language pathologist) sharing in the planning, instruction, and assessment to ensure student success. 2 TEACH's CEO is Dr. Wendy Murawski, one of the nation's foremost experts and authors on co-teaching.

Co-Teaching Core Competency Framework

22 core Competencies of Co-Teaching

Download the Co-Teaching Core Competency Framework

CONGRATULATIONS

A new book by Dr. Murawski -- in Swedish!

For any Swedish readers.......Dr. Murawski collaborated with a Swedish school principal (Kennet Frödj) and a Welsh professor (Jennifer Austin) to co-author a book on inclusive practices. The book was published this month by Studentliteratur, a popular educational literary publisher in Sweden. Translated into English, the title of the book is: Teachers' toolbox: Practical strategies for dealing with diversity in the classroom. The book offers chapters on Co-Teaching (of course), Positive Behavior Support, Motor Development, Literacy Strategies, Time Management, Organization, and much more!

Educator Spotlight Award

Mr. Marty Eisen

This month's recipient is 2Teach Associate and special education teacher, Mr. Marty Eisen. Here is what his colleague had to say regarding his nomination:

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I enthusiastically nominate Marty Eisen for the "Education Spotlight" teacher award. Though he and I are part of a long serving co-teaching team with four co-taught science classes this year, I nominate Marty on his own merit due to his amazing, daily insights and practices into inclusive education. Without a doubt, Marty's influence and direct assistance has made the difference for countless students who would not have otherwise been academically and socially successful. He is the model I follow. And, I credit Marty for being the single most influential person on Granada's staff behind the implementation of our highly successful co-teaching program at Granada Hills Charter High School.

This year has been an especially difficult year as we continue to recover from the notably negative lingering effects of the pandemic on students, particularly students with special needs. Marty's extensive inclusive education knowledge and insights is the guiding light of our co-teaching team. We co-reflect daily on both how the day went as well as the needs of individual students in our classes. I have long come to realize that Marty is the person I need to listen to when these issues and challenges arise. I also regularly seek his counsel when similar inclusion issues arise in the one class I teach on my own.

Marty actively assists other co-teaching teams who can gain from his expertise. I have seen the positive differences his assistance has made for those teams. Additionally, and on his own time during his preparation period and after school, Marty seeks out students who need and benefit from that extra help and encouragement.

Marty is also recognized as an inclusion expert by the Special Education staff at CSU Northridge where he teaches 2-3 special education classes per semester to new and aspiring teachers. I have personally witnessed his outstanding instruction on several occasions as a guest general education co-teacher when co-teaching is the class topic. The instruction he provides and the rapport he has with his university students is absolutely sterling.

Marty's natural tendency is to practice and live with humility. However, in this case, he absolutely deserves the recognition offered by the "Education Spotlight" teacher award.