Tips for Co-Teaching Online - Adventures in Inclusion

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I am currently prepping for next year, and like the rest of you, I have no idea if I’m prepping for face to face teaching, or online teaching… or both. Because of this I am really starting to stress about how I am going to do my job.

It has been made clear to us that we are still expected to meet every accommodation and service delivery minute of our students’ IEPs.

I get why they’re setting that expectation, but how do I deliver the amount of inclusion minutes when I am not together with the other teachers and a lot of the other teachers aren’t doing live classes?

I put together some tips for co-teaching online.

Avoid Email Communication When Possible

As I’m sure you know, when you are dealing with texting or emailing, there is no tone to the messages and they can seem super impersonal. It is also harder to have a dialogue through email. When you can make your co-planning meetings a video call, or a phone call.

This way you can have a more casual back and forth conversation where you are sharing your ideas. Also when you communicate this way there is more tone and inflection and less opportunities for things to be misconstrued.

Play To Your Strengths

I co-teach with an ELA teacher and a math teacher. Among us, I am the most tech savvy one. Because of this I usually handle posting the assignments online.

Meet with your teachers and discuss what your strengths and weaknesses are. Come up with a dynamic that works for you. If you’re both terrified of doing the technology piece, maybe you can take a course on it together and work through your fears as a group.

If one of you is really good at finding videos or creating videos, that can be their job.

Maybe one of you is really good at finding interactive group projects.

Think of different ways that you can utilize your individual strengths to collaborate.

Be Honest

Sometimes it is hard to admit when we are struggling. If you don’t understand how to do something, or you’re feeling overwhelmed, be honest with your co-teachers.

We need to surround ourselves with teachers that we can lean on and who can lean on us if we are going to get through this school year.

Go easy on yourself, there is a huge learning curve happening for all of us!