Inclusion and Accessibility
Co-Teaching Models in Inclusive Education: A Practical Guide
Teaching a class with varied access needs can require coordinated planning between partners. Knowing several co-teaching models lets partners choose an arrangement that fits the objective, staffing, and learner access needs. Review student work and participation before deciding whether the arrangement helped.
Introduction - Co-Teaching Models Simplified
Co-teaching is an instructional arrangement in which two educators share defined responsibility for planning, instruction, and assessment for one class. Roles and credentials vary by school and assignment, so partners should follow staffing requirements and specify who is responsible for each part of the lesson.
Core Co-Teaching Models Explained
Co-teaching arrangements can be selected and adapted according to the lesson objective, staffing, student access needs, and available planning time. The six common arrangements below describe different divisions of instructional responsibility.
1. One Teach, One Observe
In this model, one teacher leads whole-group instruction while the other gathers predefined evidence connected to an instructional question. Record only the minimum student information needed, use an approved system, avoid inferring causes from behavior or participation, and share the evidence only with staff who have an authorized role.
- Best For: The beginning of a co-teaching partnership, gathering specific student data, or checking for understanding without interrupting the lesson flow.
- Heads Up: Use this model sparingly to avoid creating a hierarchy where one teacher is always seen as the "lead" and the other as an aide.
2. One Teach, One Assist
Similar to the above, one teacher leads instruction while the other supports students by providing one-on-one help, redirecting off-task behavior, or answering questions. This allows for immediate support without stopping the entire class.
- Best For: Lessons where students need a lot of individual support to get started or stay on track with a new concept.
- Role-equity check: Review whether repeated use of this model concentrates instructional authority with one teacher or limits the other teacher to a secondary support role. Rotate lead and support responsibilities and document how planning, instruction, and student support are distributed.
3. Station Teaching
In this model, the teachers divide the content and students among stations. Each teacher leads a station with a different part of the lesson, and another station may be used for independent work. Students rotate according to a planned sequence and timing.
- Best For: Dividing a complex topic into defined parts, providing different forms of practice, or using movement and variety when those choices fit the objective and access needs. Check participation and student work rather than assuming increased engagement.
- Plan station logistics: During co-planning, define the content, materials, student route, staffing, transition, and timing for each station. Test the sequence against the available time and access requirements, and revise it when observation shows noise or transition problems.
4. Parallel Teaching
In parallel teaching, divide the class into two groups and have each teacher teach the same lesson to one group. This reduces the number of students assigned to each teacher during the lesson and can create more opportunities to observe responses or provide individual feedback.
- Best For: Review sessions, test prep, or any activity where a smaller group size would encourage more discussion or hands-on involvement.
- Plan parallel-teaching consistency: Both teachers should prepare the content, agree on a pacing range and implementation criteria, and review whether the two groups received the planned instruction. Do not infer instructional fidelity from either teacher’s confidence.
5. Alternative Teaching
One teacher takes a small group of students for a specific instructional purpose—like pre-teaching, re-teaching, or enrichment—while the other teacher works with the rest of the class. The groups are intentionally temporary and flexible based on learning data, not ability labeling.
- Best For: Temporary, targeted instruction or enrichment tied to current evidence. Define the purpose, keep grade-level learning available, and review the group after the next evidence check rather than describing the group as closing a fixed learner deficit.
- Heads Up: Be mindful of pulling the same students every time. The small group shouldn't become a fixed "low group."
6. Team Teaching (or "Teaming")
In team teaching, both teachers deliver instruction together. They may compare methods, model a discussion, or lead different parts of the lesson. The arrangement requires clear roles, preparation, and a plan for how students will participate.
- Best For: Showcasing different ways to solve a problem, modeling collaborative conversations, and bringing high energy to a lesson.
- Heads Up: This model requires the most co-planning and a strong, established partnership. It can sometimes look like "tag-team" teaching if not planned well.
Potential Benefits to Evaluate in Inclusive Classrooms
Co-teaching may expand the instructional options available in an inclusive setting, but its usefulness depends on planning, staffing, role clarity, and the needs of the learners present.
- Increased Differentiation: With two expert minds, you can more easily tailor instruction to meet the diverse academic, social, and behavioral needs in your room.
- Lower Student-Teacher Ratio: Models like Station, Parallel, and Alternative Teaching automatically create smaller, more manageable learning groups.
- Student Participation: Varied instructional formats and additional opportunities to respond may change participation. Review who participates and the quality of student work rather than assuming that variety or individual attention keeps every student engaged.
- Access to a Wider Range of Expertise: Students benefit from the combined strengths of a general educator (content expert) and a special educator (strategy and access expert).
- Classroom Collaboration: When both educators share visible instructional responsibility, co-teaching can provide an example of professional collaboration. It does not by itself establish a classroom culture of support or respect; review student interactions and respond to specific problems.
Practical Implementation Strategies
Before beginning co-teaching, define roles, planning routines, instructional responsibilities, and how the teachers will address coordination problems.
- Schedule Co-Planning Time: Establish a recurring planning interval that is feasible within school schedules and local agreements. Use it to confirm objectives, materials, roles, access supports, and evidence. Keep student information in approved systems, record only what the planning decision requires, and limit access to authorized staff.
- Establish Parity and Roles: You are equal partners. From day one, decide how you will handle everything from classroom management and grading to communicating with families. Introduce yourselves to the class as "your teachers" and make sure both names are on the door.
- Discuss working preferences: Compare teaching approaches, classroom-noise expectations, feedback methods, and procedures for resolving disagreements. Record decisions that affect planning or instruction.
- Start Small: Use One Teach, One Observe/Assist before trying a full Team Teaching model. Review how the initial model worked, then try a Parallel or Station Teaching lesson before adding more complex coordination.
Common Challenges and Solutions
Co-teaching partnerships can encounter predictable challenges. Identify likely problems, assign responsibilities, and agree on a response plan.
On a small screen, scroll this table horizontally to see all columns.
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| "We have no common planning time." | Ask administration to establish planning time consistent with schedules and local agreements. If only a brief check-in is available, identify the minimum decisions that must be made synchronously and use an approved shared tool for the rest. Do not treat lunch or unpaid before- or after-school time as the default solution. |
| "Our personalities or teaching styles clash." | Write adult working agreements for communication, instructional decisions, and conflict escalation. Address a specific disagreement and its effect on the lesson rather than assigning personality labels. |
| "One of us feels like a glorified assistant." | Review who plans, instructs, assesses, and communicates with families. Rotate appropriate roles across models and raise unresolved staffing or role concerns through the school’s authorized process. |
Best Practices for Sustainable Co-Teaching
Review the co-teaching arrangement on a defined schedule using planning time, role clarity, learner access, individual evidence, and staff workload. Escalate unresolved staffing, service, or compliance barriers through the appropriate school route.
Choose the co-teaching arrangement that fits the lesson objective, staffing, and student access needs. A mathematics lesson might use stations, while a science demonstration might use team teaching; compare student evidence before deciding whether the arrangement was useful.
Sustainable co-teaching requires professional respect, role clarity, shared planning, and a workable process for resolving instructional disagreements.
Schedule brief check-ins about lesson decisions, role balance, and unresolved concerns. Record what worked and what should change, using student evidence and each partner’s observations rather than attributing the partnership’s quality to positive reinforcement or isolated moments of success.
Review the co-teaching arrangement
Co-teaching can expand instructional options when partners define roles, plan together, and review evidence. It does not guarantee that every student will feel seen, supported, or challenged, so continue to examine access, participation, and student work and follow each learner’s required plan.
Co-Teaching Practices to Review
- Plan, Plan, Plan: Co-planning time isn't a luxury; it's the engine of effective co-teaching. Protect it.
- Vary Your Models: Use the six co-teaching models flexibly. Choose the right tool for the right instructional job.
- Define Your Partnership: From the start, establish parity by defining roles, responsibilities, and shared classroom procedures.
- Discuss the partnership: Identify what is and is not working, use specific examples, and agree on a next action.
- Use a shared decision rule: Define the objective, access requirement, teacher responsibilities, and evidence that will guide each co-teaching decision. A general commitment to success is not a substitute for those fields.