4 Steps to Preparing for a Co-Taught Classroom Observation

1. Have a pre-observation conference with your administrator, if possible. Discuss with the administrator your joint philosophy of co-teaching and what they should expect to see during the observation.

2. If co-teaching is new to your administrator, consider providing a book or other resource about co-teaching that is specifically aimed at administrators.

3. Provide your administrator with a copy of your lesson plan. Even if you don't always write out a full and complete plan, create one for your observation.

4. Engage in some post-lesson reflection with your co-teacher. Be ready to tell your administrator what went well, what did not work as planned, and what you might change in the future.

Classroom Management Questions Co-Teachers Should Discuss

• What will our policies be for gum, food, and drink in class?
• What will students be expected to have in front of them (e.g., pencil sharpened, paper out, book out, warm-up activity complete) when the bell rings?
• How will we communicate our policies to the students?
• What will consequences be for inappropriate behavior?

Questions About Communication Co-Teachers Should Discuss

• What will our regular schedule for detailed planning or discussions be?
• How is it best to get last-minute information to each other?
• Can we communicate via e-mail? Telephone calls at home?
• How will we interact with parents? As a team? Separately? As requests come in?
• How will we deal with and communicate issues such as students who are not performing well or who need extra help?
• On what kinds of decisions should we always consult each other?
• How will we avoid students asking one of us a question, then going to the other if they don't like the first answer?