Real Co-Teachers of Virginia – Elementary

Author(s):

VDOE Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative

Description:

This series of webshops showcases the products created by real co-teachers of Virginia, select teams of elementary co-teachers participating in the Virginia Department of Education’s Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative. These co-teachers established demonstration sites and opened their doors to visitors wishing to observe quality co-teaching; they also developed co-taught lesson plans and videos to share through these webshops. In their videos, teachers model not only co-instructing in the classroom, but co-assessing and co-planning as well.
 
Additional videos, lesson plans and resources will be added to these webshops.  We encourage you to check back frequently for updates.

Webshops:

  1. Introduction to Real Co-Teachers of Virginia (Elementary)

    Before viewing the videos and lesson plans in the webshops below, some background information would be helpful. How is co-teaching impacting the education of students in Virginia? Why was the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative begun? How can visits to co-teaching demonstration sites be arranged? What tool can teachers and administrators use to assess the current state of co-teaching in their class/school – or their readiness to begin providing co-teaching services? This webshop will help you begin your journey to excellence in co-teaching.

  2. Co-Instructing in Elementary Classrooms
    What does co-teaching look like in an elementary classroom? How can two teachers share responsibility for teaching a diverse group of students whose skills vary from well below to above grade level? This webshop presents information about the most common approaches used by co-teachers to share responsibility for instruction in a co-taught class. To bring that information to life, you will also see videos created by real elementary co-teachers of Virginia, demonstrating how they share responsibility for instruction as they work in a variety of co-teaching approaches. Below each video, guiding questions are presented to focus your viewing of the videos; a transcription of each video is included as well. It is suggested that these videos be viewed and discussed by co-teaching teams while reflecting on their own co-instructing practices. Videos may also be shared during professional development activities and among colleagues in professional learning communities, using the guiding questions to further discussion. New video added September 2023.
     
    Target Audience: Elementary Co-Teachers and Administrators
  3. Co-Assessing in Elementary Classes
    How do elementary co-teachers use assessments and their results as they design instruction for a co-taught class? How do they creatively assess student progress throughout a unit of instruction so they can provide review and re-teaching activities for students who have not met mastery before they take a cumulative test? This webshop presents information about both formative and summative assessment, with particular emphasis on creative formative assessment techniques. You will also see elementary co-teachers of Virginia discussing and demonstrating effective techniques they use for formative and summative assessment in their classes, as well as how they use assessment to determine what they will teach and how they will teach it. Some videos address using technology to facilitate assessment. Below each video, guiding questions are provided to focus your viewing of the videos; a transcription of each video is also included. It is suggested that these videos be viewed and discussed by co-teaching teams while reflecting on their own co-instructing practices. Videos may also be shared during professional development activities and among colleagues in professional learning communities, using the guiding questions to further discussion. New Video added September 2023.
     
    Target Audience: Elementary Co-Teachers and Administrators
  4. Co-Planning for Elementary Classes
    You now understand the most effective ways to bring co-teaching to life in your elementary co-taught class. You’ve seen effective techniques for assessment. Now, how do you put that all together in a plan for your next lesson or unit, effectively using the limited time you have for co-planning? Co-planning is the key to successful co-teaching. Having worked out the logistics of what will be taught and how, each teacher knows the vital role they play in meeting the needs of each and every student in their class. This webshop presents valuable information to develop an understanding of the co-planning process and how it builds a strong co-teaching partnership. You will also see videos of real elementary co-teachers of Virginia discussing techniques for planning instruction for a co-taught class using a variety of co-teaching approaches and assessment techniques. Teachers model how to use division pacing guides, input from a grade level planning team, and results of formative and summative assessments to plan instruction. Below each video, guiding questions are provided to focus your viewing of the videos; a transcription of each video is also included. It is suggested that these videos be viewed and discussed by co-teaching teams while reflecting on their own co-instructing practices. Videos may also be shared during professional development activities and among colleagues in professional learning communities, using the guiding questions to further discussion. Multiple new videos added September 2023.
     
    Target Audience: Elementary Co-Teachers and Administrators
  5. Co-Teaching Lesson Plans - English & Social Studies - Elementary

    This webshop shares elementary lesson plans organized according to the strands of the Virginia SOL. Most began with Enhanced Scope and Sequence (ESS) Sample Lesson Plans, originally created by select Virginia teachers to align instruction with the expectations of the Virginia SOL and vetted by VDOE content specialists, then adapted by Real Co-Teachers of Virginia to utilize the expertise of two teachers in a co-taught classroom. For links to ESS Sample Lesson Plans, see below:

    Virginia Standards of Learning:
  6. Co-Teaching Lesson Plans - Math & Science - Elementary

    This webshop shares elementary lesson plans organized according to the strands of the Virginia SOL. Most began with Enhanced Scope and Sequence (ESS) Sample Lesson Plans, originally created by select Virginia teachers to align instruction with the expectations of the Virginia SOL and vetted by VDOE content specialists, then adapted by Real Co-Teachers of Virginia to utilize the expertise of two teachers in a co-taught classroom.

    Virginia Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence Sample Lesson Plans:

    Target Audience: Elementary Co-Teachers and Administrators

  7. Chalk It Up to Experience! Tips from Real Co-Teachers of Virginia (August 2020)

    Chalk It Up to Experience! Tips from Real Co-Teachers of Virginia, a resource to inform co-teaching practice, was created by demonstration site teams to celebrate the first five years of the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative.

  8. Co-Teaching Resources (Elementary)

    The following resources were used in the creation of the information in this eWorkshop and were references for real co-teachers of Virginia in developing their model co-teaching sites. These resources, from state program documents to practitioner recommendations, contain a wealth of information about the development of effective co-teaching programs and the administrative support required for success. A thorough review of these resources will assist you in developing an effective co-teaching program in your school.

    Target Audience: Elementary Co-Teachers and Administrators

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