UNIT 3: Roles and Responsibilities

Return to: Co-Teaching Mini-Course

Unit Objective: By the completion of this mini-course, participants will interact with a team member to design one’s role and responsibilities in the classroom, within 30 minutes given a graphic organizer.

Opening Exercise:

1. Start by opening a new Google Doc. You can title this Google Doc "Unit 3." If you are looking for instructions on how to create a new google doc, please visit the attached link. You will need to be signed into your Google Account for this. We will be using Google Docs for the majority of the units for this mini-course. Every time you are asked to "reflect" please do so on your Google Doc...it will act as a running record of your interaction with the course. https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/.
2. For this unit in particular, you will be facilitating your Co-Planning meetings through this Google Doc.
3. Select the Co-Teacher you will be meeting with for Unit 3, 4, and 5. If you are not yet a teacher, please feel free to fill out complete these activities individually. You will still be sure to benefit and gain new insights into your own personal preferences and tendencies.
4. Be sure to re-acknowledge your personal objective.

Activity 1:

Use the following handout in order to start the conversation about your attitudes, expectations, and hopes with your Co-Teaching Partner. Follow the directions provided on the pdf file.

The worksheet can be located at File:SHARE activity.pdf

The full text can be located at: "Tips and Strategies for Co-Teaching at the Secondary Level" by Wendy Murawski and Lisa Dieker, Teaching Exceptional Children June 2004, p. 57.

Activity 2:

Use the linked article in order to determine your own personal teaching style. This activity is to gauge your teaching preference and style. This will help to deepen the conversation with your Co-Teaching Partner so there is not guessing before the start of the year. Follow the directions provided on the pdf file.

Find the pdf of the article at: File:Determining your teaching style.pdf

Activity 3:

The purpose of this activity is to define the Roles and Responsibilities of within your Co-teaching relationship.

1. Open your Google Doc.

2. Individually answer the following questions:

• How do I plan on ensuring regular communication with my Co-Teaching Partner?
• What are my expectations of my partner?
• What do I believe are the strengths that I bring to this relationship?
• What are my nonnegotiables when it comes to my co-teaching relationship?
• How will we handle conflicts or issues we encounter throughout our time together?
• What structures do you plan on putting in place in order to share resources and materials?
• How do you plan on sharing the responsibility for parent outreach?
• What are your behavioral expectations for students? What behavior management systems will be put in place?
• What else do you want your co-teacher to know about yourself and your teaching style?

3. Read your responses aloud with your Co-Teacher and reflect with one another on your responses. Be open to negotiation, discussion, and compromise.