Co-Teaching vs. Traditional Model
Since the 1950s, extended clinical practice experiences (i.e. student teaching) has been a significant component of teacher education programs in America. However, there has been no clear consensus on exactly how these experiences should look and the best roles and responsibilities for the teacher candidates and the cooperating teachers.
The traditional model of Clinical Practice
In the traditional model, teacher candidates gradually take over the instructional planning and teaching of courses for a cooperating teacher. This process allows a cooperating teacher to serve as a mentor that typically views the teacher candidate as an apprentice that is gradually showing mastery of the art of teaching. After a set time period, the teacher candidate will be fully responsible for all classroom instruction and duties and thus, be viewed as fully prepared for the teaching profession. This traditional model has many benefits in regard to teacher preparation and gradually releasing responsibility of the classroom to the teacher candidate. However, there are also some detriments to this model such as the time it takes for the teacher candidate to feel competent. In addition, there is research that shows that there can be a detrimental effect on student learning when the traditional model of clinical practice is used. Finally, the traditional model can be seen as a placing a burden on cooperating teachers instead of providing them with what should be an asset to the education of their students and a way to enhance their own teaching practices.
The co-teaching model of Clinical Practice
An alternative to the traditional clinical practice teaching model is to utilize a co-teaching model for clinical practice. This is a systematic process of shared responsibility for teaching and learning. Co-teaching, as defined by WSC, is having two teachers working together with students while sharing the planning, organization, delivery and assessment of instruction and physical space.
Utilizing the co-teaching model is not required for WSC teacher candidates. However, any interested partnerships (i.e. both the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate must agree to use this model) are provided with additional extra support and training to enhance their experience. The goal of WSC co-teaching clinical practice experience is to help ensure that the cooperating teacher(s) and teacher candidate become a classroom team that shares responsibilities. Like in the traditional model, the cooperating teacher in this model stills serves as a mentor to the teacher candidate.
In both the traditional model and the co-teaching model, there should be collaboration between the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate in three key areas:
- Planning: Deciding on what content to teach and how to best teach and assess it.
- Instruction: Carrying out the plan in ways that are highly effective for all learners
- Assessment: Evaluating student learning by using both formative and summative assessments well.
In the co-teaching model, the key differences will most likely be in the instruction of the lessons. In this area, the cooperating teacher will share leadership in the classroom with the teacher candidate and be seen as equal partners as they work with all students. Rarely will the teacher candidate be “left alone” in the classroom but it is expected that there will be much of the time when the teacher candidate is the “lead teacher” and the cooperating teacher is providing assistance and support. In addition, during the assessment phrase, there also will be a joint sharing of grading student work and determining grades for tasks when using the co-teaching model.