Episode Details

Anne Beninghof, a co-teaching expert who consults with districts, lays out the co-teaching models and shows what a co-taught lesson looks like from bell ringer to closure. She explains the duet model, the lead and support model, and why the other seven models are ingredients you add to those two.

Her concrete numbers help you schedule. Aim for about 65% of class time in something other than whole group, and keep students with IEPs to no more than 30% of the class. She also tells how one district survey turned up students who felt they were in the dummies class.

What you'll learn

• Have the specialist lead the opening and the closing of the lesson so students see two teachers from the first minute.
• Plan for about 65% of class time in small groups, and regroup after a one-minute formative assessment.
• Choose the lead and support model when a specialist is split across three or four co-teachers and cannot plan every unit.
• Cap students with IEPs at about 30% of a co-taught class and mix grade-level and above-grade-level students into the rest.
• Settle behavior, grading and bathroom pass rules between both teachers so students cannot play one against the other.

Chapters

• 0:00 Preview: skill sets, formative checks, nine models
• 1:17 How a co-taught lesson runs minute by minute
• 7:24 Keeping the special ed teacher from teaching separately
• 11:39 Duet model and lead and support model
• 15:53 Stopping students from playing teachers against each other
• 18:02 The 30% IEP ratio and avoiding a dumping ground
• 20:23 Keeping rigor high so no class feels remedial
• 26:24 First steps for a principal starting co-teaching

Times are for the episode without ads. Your player may be off by the length of any ads.

Questions this episode answers

What does a co-taught lesson look like?
Beninghof describes the specialist leading the first couple of minutes, the general education teacher teaching a mini lesson while the specialist captures notes, a one-minute formative assessment, then small groups for most of the period. The specialist leads the closing review.

What is the ideal ratio of students with IEPs in a co-taught class?
Beninghof recommends no more than 30% of the class on IEPs, which she calls a maximum for best practice. The other 70% should include students on and above grade level, or the class turns into a dumping ground.

What is the difference between the duet model and the lead and support model?
In Beninghof's duet model, both teachers share all planning, instruction and assessment. In lead and support, the general education teacher does the big upfront planning, and the specialist plans week to week. Teaching in the room looks similar.

About Anne Beninghof

Co-teaching expert who consults with districts on co-teaching.

Links and resources

• Ideas for Educators website
• Anne Beninghof on Twitter
• Anne Beninghof YouTube channel
• Rate on iTunes
• Rate on Stitcher
• Simple School Sites
• Jethro Jones on Twitter
• Transformative Principal on Twitter
• Communication Cards
• Show notes