#Slice of Life  (Leah Marie)

#Co-TeachingisaGift!

                   

     I teach in an inclusion classroom, which means there are two teachers in the classroom, a general education teacher and a special education teacher.  Co-teaching is a gift!  It is also tricky to have two teachers in one classroom.  Sometimes we have two teachers, an aide or nurse, and a classroom full of students.  So the adults have to learn how to work together, just like the students, or it can get too loud or too confusing.

     I have been working with my co-teacher, Anna Waszak, for 11 years now.  When we first started teaching together we needed to decide how to work together.  We decided very quickly that both teachers need to be seen as “teachers with authority.”  ….And we found out that this should also be the rule for the nurses or aides who work with us.  It gets very busy in classrooms and it didn’t take us long to see that the students were able to figure out, “If one says no, go ask the other.”  So we needed to be sure that we were on the same page with everything!  Even when deciding when and who we send to the bathroom!

     We realized as we began to plan together that the possibilities for differentiating within the classroom were endless.  We learned to be flexible with whole group lessons, small group lessons, and conferencing time with individual students.  We learned what our strengths and weaknesses are together, and we used that to benefit the students.  That determined who would do the whole group lesson and who would do small group lessons or individual conferencing.   Sometimes we are both able to conference with students while the whole group is working independently. 

     As time went on, we learned more about each other personally.  We began to spend time together outside of the classroom.  Which led to understanding when the other person needed help, a break, or that we could teach many lessons together as a team. 

     We laugh together during lessons and we share our memories with our students.  We ask each other questions from across the room.  Sometimes we can tell what the other person is thinking. 

      We’ve shared our life experiences for 11 years!  I watched my co-teacher achieve 10 year, get her Masters Degree, buy a home, get married, have two children, and experience death.  She has seen my children grow from boys to men and heard my struggles with that.  She has seen me work on National Board Certification twice.  She has shared in my grief along the way as well.  ….And some days we realize the day is all about survival. 

      Anna was quick to learn and willing to try new things.  She valued my experience as a teacher, shared her learning and knowledge with me, had and has a growth mindset, and continues to grow and transform(#SAM) as a teacher, team member, and as a friend. 

     The things I like most about my co-teacher are:

1.     She laughs at my jokes.

2.     She smiles instead of crying, although we HAVE cried together.

3.     She isn’t afraid to take charge and lead. (She is a good leader!)

4.     She can find the things that I misplace!

5.     She just takes it upon herself to help me look for the things I

 misplace!

6.     Sometimes she knows what I am going to say before I even say it and can finish my sentence for me!

7.     She has lots of creative (#URCREATIVE) ideas!

8.     She is super flexible!

9.     She is always willing to help.

10. She is kind.

    10.  She is a very strong person.

    11.  She has a growth mindset.

    12.  She is a thoughtful friend.

    13.  She is a good speller!

    14.  She is willing to try new things.  

    15.  She brings her very sweet kids for visits with me.

    16.  She is a wonderful Mom and Wife!

  *17.  She can sew a skirt over night!!!!!

*So if you ever have a chance to co-teach, give it a try.  It is a gift for you and it is a gift for the children you teach.  #Lovemyco-teacher!