Co-teaching Nightmare

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Co-Teaching Chatboard

Co-teaching Nightmare

by Teri

Jun 26, 2011

I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were ESE.

We were not given common planning time, so the ESE teacher basically left it to me to do all the planning--basically she just wandered the room to provide extra help for the kids.

Administration also saw no problem to pulling her out of my room whenever they needed something done--ESE testing, paperwork, even covering another teacher's class. So I was left with 22 extremely low 7th graders (the majority read at the 2nd grade level) who came to me with the attitude that they were dumb and could not learn so why bother.

Admittedly, I loved the kids when I had a chance to work/talk with them one on one, but altogether they were a nightmare. In fact, that was the class that finally pushed me out of middle school and up to high schoo...See More

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st Wow, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience! I have some experience coteaching too, from the ESE side. We officially had common planning time but often it was pushed aside for other things. That made coteaching very difficult, but I did my best to work around her schedule, email her, etc. to adapt tests, materials, instruction. It definitely was n...See More

Jun 26, 2011

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parents talk On 6/26/11, st wrote: > My son attended a privet school in 1st grade that had co-teachers for the 1/2 grade classroom of 20 students who were really co-teachers. I may be wrong, but I thought co-teaching was when two teachers worked together for the good of the classroom. Each helping with where their strengths are, but not putting the burden on...See MoreOn 6/26/11, st wrote: > My son attended a privet school in 1st grade that had co-teachers for the 1/2 grade classroom of 20 students who were really co-teachers. I may be wrong, but I thought co-teaching was when two teachers worked together for the good of the classroom. Each helping with where their strengths are, but not putting the burden on one or the other of the teachers. Your situations, though presented to you as co-teaching, do not seem to be co-teaching. Sorry it was not a pleasant experience for you.

Wow, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience! I have some > experience coteaching too, from the ESE side. We officially > had common planning time but often it was pushed aside for > other things. That made coteaching very difficult, but I did > my best to work around her schedule, email her, etc. to adapt > tests, materials, instruction. It definitely was not what it > could have been though! > > On 6/26/11, Teri wrote: >> I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and >> teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was >> asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an >> ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were >> ESE. >> >> We were not given common planning time, so the ESE teacher >> basically left it to me to do all the planning--basically >> she just wandered the room to provide extra help for the >> kids. >> >> Administration also saw no problem to pulling her out of my >> room whenever they needed something done--ESE testing, >> paperwork, even covering another teacher's class. So I was >> left with 22 extremely low 7th graders (the majority read >> at the 2nd grade level) who came to me with the attitude >> that they were dumb and could not learn so why bother. >> >> Admittedly, I loved the kids when I had a chance to >> work/talk with them one on one, but altogether they were a >> nightmare. In fact, that was the class that finally pushed >> me out of middle school and up to high school. >> (Ironically, I taught three of the students from that class >> at the high school level and loved every minute of it.)

Jun 26, 2011

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Terry On 6/26/11, Teri wrote: > I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and > teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was > asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an > ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were > ESE. > > We were not given common planning time, so the ESE teacher...See MoreOn 6/26/11, Teri wrote: > I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and > teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was > asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an > ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were > ESE. > > We were not given common planning time, so the ESE teacher > basically left it to me to do all the planning--basically > she just wandered the room to provide extra help for the > kids. > > Administration also saw no problem to pulling her out of my > room whenever they needed something done--ESE testing, > paperwork, even covering another teacher's class. So I was > left with 22 extremely low 7th graders (the majority read > at the 2nd grade level) who came to me with the attitude > that they were dumb and could not learn so why bother. > > Admittedly, I loved the kids when I had a chance to > work/talk with them one on one, but altogether they were a > nightmare. In fact, that was the class that finally pushed > me out of middle school and up to high school. > (Ironically, I taught three of the students from that class > at the high school level and loved every minute of it.)

I can totally relate to co-teaching nightmares. I returned to the classroom four years ago because playing politics at the district level were not for me. I ask for co-teaching (inclusion) classes because I taught Chapter I (now Title 1) students for ten years and left the classroom because they removed the program in our school.

Anyway, I teach MS English and I have had 3 Sped teachers so far. The only good co-teacher I had was my second year and it was because she was a first year teacher and loved working with the students as much as I do.

The other two Sped inclusion teachers I had were terrible. I did all the planning, grading, and teaching. They did not work with the students and they did not provide accommodations for the students. I let my principal know about the situations and also the Sped director at my school but nothing changed. The last one I had even slept at his desk during class. Consequently at the end of the year I had the inclusion teacher’s desk moved to a classroom that they don’t teach in.

This year I am getting a new inclusion teacher who is not a Sped teacher, he is taking the GACE to get Sped added. He is a new coach at our school. I am spending most of my time scouring the Internet for articles that I can share with him about co-teaching. He also hasn’t taught 7th grade English, so he does not know the content area. This should be an interesting year but it is also my 30th year and it may be my last.

Jun 27, 2011

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Love2Teach On 6/27/11, Terry wrote: > On 6/26/11, Teri wrote: >> I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and >> teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was >> asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an >> ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were >> ESE. >> >> ...See MoreOn 6/27/11, Terry wrote: > On 6/26/11, Teri wrote: >> I know co-teaching can be beneficial to both students and >> teachers. However, my experience was a nightmare. I was >> asked to co-teach 7th grade language arts/reading with an >> ESE teacher. The class had 22 students, 12 of whom were >> ESE. >> >> We were not given common planning time, so the ESE teacher >> basically left it to me to do all the planning--basically >> she just wandered the room to provide extra help for the >> kids. >> >> Administration also saw no problem to pulling her out of my >> room whenever they needed something done--ESE testing, >> paperwork, even covering another teacher's class. So I was >> left with 22 extremely low 7th graders (the majority read >> at the 2nd grade level) who came to me with the attitude >> that they were dumb and could not learn so why bother. >> >> Admittedly, I loved the kids when I had a chance to >> work/talk with them one on one, but altogether they were a >> nightmare. In fact, that was the class that finally pushed >> me out of middle school and up to high school. >> (Ironically, I taught three of the students from that class >> at the high school level and loved every minute of it.) > > I can totally relate to co-teaching nightmares. I returned to > the classroom four years ago because playing politics at the > district level were not for me. I ask for co-teaching > (inclusion) classes because I taught Chapter I (now Title 1) > students for ten years and left the classroom because they > removed the program in our school. > > Anyway, I teach MS English and I have had 3 Sped teachers so > far. The only good co-teacher I had was my second year and it > was because she was a first year teacher and loved working > with the students as much as I do. > > The other two Sped inclusion teachers I had were terrible. I > did all the planning, grading, and teaching. They did not > work with the students and they did not provide accommodations > for the students. I let my principal know about the > situations and also the Sped director at my school but nothing > changed. The last one I had even slept at his desk during > class. Consequently at the end of the year I had the > inclusion teacher’s desk moved to a classroom that they don’t > teach in. > > This year I am getting a new inclusion teacher who is not a > Sped teacher, he is taking the GACE to get Sped added. He is > a new coach at our school. I am spending most of my time > scouring the Internet for articles that I can share with him > about co-teaching. He also hasn’t taught 7th grade English, > so he does not know the content area. This should be an > interesting year but it is also my 30th year and it may be my > last.

I'm so sorry for your bad experience! Co-teaching is something I have definitely thought about doing. Seems like a good deal especially if you have a family or kids at home. Only it is clear that without direct communication and collaboration it can turn in to a nightmare!

Jun 27, 2011

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