Who is in the Classroom? Collaborating with Classroom Professionals

Get to know the classroom professionals you may meet Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classrooms, and explore ways to communicate, engage, and collaborate.

Who is in the Classroom? Collaborating with Classroom Professionals
Who is in the Classroom? Collaborating with Classroom Professionals
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Who is in the Classroom? Collaborating with Classroom Professionals

There are a lot of adults in Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classrooms. It is important to know who they are and how you can collaborate with them. By communicating roles and goals to these Classroom Professionals, you are likely to have a smooth teaching experience and offer the most support to students.

Quick Takeaways

Try

Take a few minutes at the top of the class to check in with all Classroom Professionals, sharing expectations for activities and how they can support you and the students.

Gears representing Learn Learn

All of the adults’ names and their roles in the classroom.

Try

Offer moments of leadership to Classroom Professionals to model or lead a small group.

Who’s in the Classroom?

In ICT classrooms there are two teachers—a General Education Teacher and a Special Education Teacher. There also may be Paraprofessionals for individual students, small groups, or for the entire class. There’s also a chance a Related Service Provider or two may “push in” or “pull out” during your class.

Here are some basic definitions of educator roles. Note that these roles may vary from school to school and even between classrooms in the same school:

  • General Education Teacher: Responsible for the class content and overall tone of the room.
  • Special Education Teacher: Responsible for the accommodations and modifications to meet students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals.
    • Note: In some classrooms, both the General Education and Special Education Teachers share responsibilities for developing class content and establishing the overall content, tone, accommodations, and modifications for seamless instruction.
  • Paraprofessional or Teaching Assistant: A trained assistant/aide working alongside teachers. A student might have a Paraprofessional for the following reasons: 1:1 Behavior Support, 1:1 Academic/Instructional Support, 1:1 Physical or Medical Support, or there may be a Paraprofessional assigned to the entire class. They are often referred to as Paras.
  • Related Service Provider (RSP): Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists (OT), or Physical Therapists (PT) who work with individual students either in the classrooms (push in) or by pulling students out for 1:1 sessions.
  • Classroom Professional: The term given to all of the adults working together to support the students in the classroom: teachers, Paras, RSPs, etc.
  • Teaching Artist (TA): A visiting educator, in the classroom for short periods of time, focused on delivering artistic lessons (or an Arts Education experience).

Remote Teaching and Learning Tip:

You may also encounter additional support and caregivers while working on digital platforms. Engaging your support team on digital platforms can require additional preparation and tactics. To learn more, check out our resource for Who Is in the Virtual Classroom? Online Collaboration With Classroom Professionals.

Collaborative (Co) Teaching Goals

For working together on adapting materials and generating accommodations, use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles as a guide.

Focus on Accommodation: changing how students are learning,
not
Modification: changing what they are learning.

Collaboratively deciding on the model and goals of your co-teaching allows all Classroom Professionals to play to their strengths and ultimately engage every student in the class.

  • After your pre-residency planning meeting with your Classroom Professionals, you may want to discuss which co-teaching models work best.
  • Not all teaching models work for all lesson plans. It may take some time to identify which may work for your new team as well as your curriculum as a whole. You may even use a variety of models throughout the lesson.
  • Before the start of each lesson, review which role each adult in the room will be taking.

Co-Teaching Models

How can you as a Teaching Artist integrate yourself into an existing ICT dynamic? Below are some variations on how to play around with your co-teaching dynamic.

Model Key

Circles with dots = Tables with students
Heart = Teaching Artist
Triangles = Teachers 1 and 2
Small squares = Individual Paras
Larger square = Classroom Paras

Diagram of Play 1 Set-Up. Students at five tables, teachers and TA together in front of tables, Paraprofessionals behind.

Image Credit: Adriana Guzman

Play #1

This model is recommended for a team that is excited to facilitate with you, but has not reviewed your lesson closely.

In this model, both Teachers join you in facilitating your lesson. This is an ideal model if you find yourself with Teachers who demonstrate an interest in being involved during your pre-residency planning meeting.

  • You still carry most of the content sharing, demonstration, and instructional part of the lesson.
  • Then invite specific Teachers to take the lead at different moments, by demonstrating as models, clarifying or translating, writing directions on chart paper or a board, distributing materials, grouping students, documenting, leading cleanup, etc.
  • Paraprofessionals with individual students can focus on supporting them with the lesson, and the Classroom Paraprofessional can float between students who need support.
  • The Teachers can bounce off of you and add additional guidance. You all work the room and address potential student needs that may arise.
Diagram of Play 2 Set-up. Students in two equal groups, one teacher and paraprofessional with each group. TA and classroom paraprofessional in center of room.

Image Credit: Adriana Guzman

Play #2

This model is recommended for a team that has time to review the lesson plan beforehand.

In this model, you deliver enough of the lesson to get started, then one Teacher works with half the class and the second Teacher works with the other half, using the same lesson for each group.

  • You will take on the role of the floater and provide support if needed, or observe, document, or fill any other need.
  • Then continue to deliver instructions or check in with the entire class during particular periods of the lesson.
  • Paraprofessionals with individual students can focus on supporting them within their groups, and the Classroom Paraprofessional can float alongside you.
Diagram of Play 3 set-up. Students spread out, TA at front of room, teachers and paraprofessionals behind student tables.

Image Credit: Adriana Guzman

Play #3

This model is recommended for a team that has not had much time to review the lesson plan beforehand and is less enthusiastic about participating.

In this model, you will be the lead educator; Teachers will take on the roles of assisting or observing.

  • As the lead, you will present and facilitate the lesson.
  • One Teacher will be your assistant, supporting you in transmitting information and instructions, and answering any questions that may arise.
  • The second Teacher will be the observer, taking notes during discussions, or photographing the lesson as well as observing the level of student engagement and providing support if needed.
  • Paraprofessionals with individual students can focus on supporting them with the lesson, and the Classroom Paraprofessional can float among individual students who need assistance as well as support the Teaching Artist.
Diagram of Play 4 set-up. Students in two groups. TA and one teacher with larger group, second teacher and paraprofessionals with smaller group.

Image Credit: Adriana Guzman

Play #4

This model is recommended for a team that has not had much time to review the lesson plan beforehand.

In this model, after you introduce the lesson, the Special Ed Teacher will add specific strategies for some students to work on the lesson, and then focus on working with those students.

  • Your role is to work with the remainder of the students.
  • The General Education Teacher will assist you and can provide extension activities for students who may need them.
  • Paraprofessionals with individual students can focus on supporting them with the lesson, and the Classroom Paraprofessional can float among individual students who need assistance.
Diagram of Play 5 set-up. Students at three tables; teachers, TAs, and paraprofessionals split between the tables.

Image Credit: Adriana Guzman

Play #5

This model is recommended for a team that has time to review the lesson plan beforehand, and is hands-on with their students and your art form, or a class that would benefit from small-group work.

In this model, you and the Classroom Professionals work with your own small groups.

  • Since the Classroom Teachers have familiarity with their students, they facilitate breaking up the room into three or four groups and assign an Educator to each group.
  • Each Educator delivers the lesson to their group and is responsible for the lesson and the group for the duration of the session. In these groups, students may complete an entire lesson, or could rotate between Educators. You may want to provide written instructions for each Educator to follow. Alternatively, you could first go over the directions as a full group before breaking into small groups.
  • The Classroom Paraprofessional can float among all three groups or lead a fourth group.
  • Paraprofessionals with individual students can focus on supporting them with the lesson in their group.

Key Elements to Share with All Educators in the Room

No matter which co-teaching model you use, here are some of the key things adults in the room will need to know from you.

  • What is the activity?
  • What is the goal for this activity?
  • What role should they take in this activity/lesson?
  • What are the expectations of the students?
  • What’s important for the activity to be successful?

Here are some examples of things you will need to know from the other adults in the room.

  • What protocols or signals can be used to request support from Teachers/Paras?
  • What is the established language used for encouraging student participation/sharing praise?
  • Which students will be supported by the Para/Paras during your lesson?
  • Which students will be receiving support from an RSP either in or out of the classroom?

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