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Coteaching & Coinstructing

In the Virtual Teaching & Learning Environment

Coteaching &CoinstructingIn the Virtual Teaching & Learning Environment

Coteaching Definition

Cooperating teacher (CT) and teacher candidate (TC) are both engaged in student learning, at all times, through daily coplanning, coinstructing, and coassessing. Through the coteaching process, reflective dialogue and collaboration has the potential to lead to the professional development of both teachers.

The Role of Coinstructing in Coteaching

Coinstructing sees coteachers mutually engaged in the instructional delivery of content with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The six instructional strategies coteachers can use include:

  1. One Teach, One Observe

  2. One Teach, One Assist

  3. Team Teaching

  4. Parallel Teaching

  5. Station Teaching

  6. Differentiated Teaching

Benefits of Coteaching


  • Two content-strong adults in the classroom

  • Lower student-to-teacher ratio

  • Scaffolded experience for teacher candidate to learn about teaching

  • New ideas generated through collaboration

  • Ability to reflect together since both coteachers experience the same lesson

Tips for Coteaching in the Virtual Teaching Environment

  1. Meet weekly and stay connected

  2. Be intentional and establish a routine

  3. Determine what the role of each coteacher will be in all aspects of virtual teaching (planning, instructing, assessing) and how these roles will evolve/transition throughout the clinical practice

  4. Address and assess student needs and accessibility to all materials and online platforms

  5. Regularly share successes and areas needing improvement

  6. Provide both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities for students

Examples of Coinstructing in the Virtual Classroom

Additional Resources

Videos

  • Coplanning Coteaching: This video shows a face-to-face coplanning session. Keep in mind, the practices are applicable to virtual coplanning.

  • Coteaching in a Virtual Environment: In this Screencast video, Megan Guise, Single Subject Faculty at Cal Poly, provides recommendations for the coteaching process, including coplanning, coinstructing, and coassessing, in the virtual teaching and learning environment.


Online Articles and Documents


Blog Posts