Paraeducators as Co-Teachers: A Fantasy or Reality? by Dr. Ann Nevin and Jacqueline Thousand From the 2009 National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals Conference.

1. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Paraeducators as Co-Teachers: A Fantasy or Reality?
Dr. Ann Nevin, Visiting Professor
Florida International University
drannnevin@comcast.net
and
Jacqueline Thousand, Professor
Cal State San Marcos
San Marcos, CA
jthousan@csusm.edu
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2. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
What Does Co-Teaching Look Like? Four Approaches
Co-teaching has many faces. In a national survey, teachers experienced in
teaching in a diverse classrooms reported that they used four approaches to co-
teaching – supportive, parallel, complementary, and team teaching (National Center for
Educational Restructuring and Inclusion, 1995).
SUPPORTIVE
Supportive co-teaching is when one teacher takes the lead instructional role and
the other(s) rotates among the students providing support. The co-teacher(s) taking the
supportive role watches or listens as students work together, stepping in to provide one-
to-one tutorial assistance when necessary while the other co-teacher continues to direct
the lesson. Teachers new to co-teaching or who are short of planning time often begin
with this approach.
PARALLEL
Parallel co-teaching is when two or more people work with different groups of
students in different sections of the classroom. Co-teachers may rotate among the
groups; and, sometimes there may be one group of students that works without a co-
teacher for at least part of the time. Teachers new to co-teaching often begin with this
approach. Key to parallel co-teaching is that each co-teacher eventually works with
every students in the class.
COMPLEMENTARY
Complementary co-teaching is when co-teachers do something to enhance the
instruction provided by the other co-teacher(s). For example one co-teacher might
paraphrase the other co-teacher’s statements or model note-taking skills on a
transparency. Sometimes, one of the complementary co-teaching partners pre-teaches
the small group social skill roles required for successful cooperative group learning and
then monitors as students practice the roles during the lesson taught by the other co-
teacher. As co-teachers gain in their confidence and acquire knowledge and skills from
one another, complementary teaching becomes a preferred approach.
TEAM TEACHING
Team teaching is when two or more people do what the traditional teacher has
always done – plan, teach, assess, and assume responsibility for all of the students in
the classroom. Team teachers share leadership and responsibility.
Team teachers share lessons in ways that allow students to experience each
teacher’s expertise. For example, for a lesson on inventions in science, one co-teacher
with interests is history explains the impact on society. The other, whose strengths are
with the mechanisms involved, explains how inventions work.
In team teaching, co-teachers simultaneously deliver lessons and are comfortable
alternately taking the lead and being the supporter. The test of a successful team
teaching partnership is that the students view each teacher as equally knowledgeable
and credible.
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3. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Examples of Parallel Co-Teaching Structures
Activity - “In what ways might we (IWWMW) use each one?”
SPLIT CLASS
Each co-teacher is responsible for a particular group of students, monitoring
understanding of a lesson, providing guided instruction, or re-teaching the group, if
necessary.
STATION TEACHING OR LEARNING CENTERS
Each co-teacher is responsible for assembling, guiding, and monitoring one or
more different learning centers or stations.
CO-TEACHERS ROTATE
The co-teachers rotate among the two or more groups of students, with each co-
teacher teaching a different component of the lesson. This is similar to station
teaching or learning centers, except in this case the teachers rotate from group to
group rather than groups of students rotating from station to station.
COOPERATIVE GROUP MONITORING
Each co-teacher takes responsibility for monitoring and providing feedback and
assistance to a given number of cooperative groups of students.
EXPERIMENT OR LAB MONITORING
Each co-teacher monitors and assists a given number of laboratory groups,
providing guided instruction to those groups requiring additional support.
LEARNING STYLE FOCUS
One co-teacher works with a group of students using primarily visual strategies,
another co-teacher works with a group using primarily auditory strategies, and yet
another may work with a group using kinesthetic strategies
SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTION
One co-teacher works with the rest of the class on a concept or assignment, skill, or
learning strategy. The other co-teacher a) provides extra guidance on the concept or
assignment to students who are self-identified or teacher-identified as needing extra
assistance, b) instructs students to apply or generalize the skill to a relevant community
environment, c) provides a targeted group of students with guided practice in how to
apply the learning strategy to the content being addressed, or d) provides enrichment
activities.
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4. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Activity:
What are Co-Teaching Issues for Discussion and Planning?
Time for Planning
•
•
•
•
Instruction
•
•
•
•
Student Behavior
•
•
•
•
Communication
•
•
•
•
Evaluation
•
•
•
Logistics
•
•
•
Other?
•
•
•
•
Other?
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5. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12
educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Similarities & Differences of
Supportive, Parallel, Complementary and Team Co-Teaching Approaches
Similarities
Supportive Parallel Complementary Team Teaching
Differences Differences Differences Differences
Supportive Parallel Complementary Team Teaching
Cautions Cautions Cautions Cautions
Page 5

6. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Co-Teaching Issues for Discussion and Planning with Paraeducators
Time for Planning
• How much time do we need?
• Where will we find the time that we need?
• How will we use our time together?
• What records do we keep to help our planning?
• How is a paraeducator included in planning or the results of planning?
Instruction
• Who plans for what content?
• How is the paraeducator included in this planning?
• What are the teaching responsibilities of the paraeducator?
• Who adapts the curriculum and instructional and assessment procedures for select students?
• What are each co-teacher’s strengths in the area of instruction and assessment?
• How will the content be presented – which co-teaching approaches will we use?
• How will we arrange to share expertise?
• How will the paraeducator get instruction on how to deliver instruction for the lesson?
• Do we rotate responsibilities?
• How will we assess the effectiveness of our instruction?
Student Behavior
• What four to five classroom expectations or rules can we agree up?
• What role does the paraeducator have in disciplinary procedures?
• Who carries out the disciplinary procedures?
• How will we be consistent in dealing with behavior?
• How will we proactively addressing behavior?
Communication
• What types and frequency of communication do we each have with parents?
• How will we explain this collaborative teaching arrangement to the parents?
• Who will communicate with parents? Will there be shared responsibility for communication with
parents of students with identified special education and other specialized needs, or will particular
members of co-teaching team have this responsibility?
• What types and frequency of communication do we each have with students?
• Who will communicate with students?
• How will we ensure regular communication with each other?
• Who communicates with administrators?
Evaluation
• How will we monitor students' progress?
• How will we assess student performance?
• What role does the paraeducator play in monitoring and assessing student progress?
Logistics
• How will we explain our co-teaching arrangement to the students and convey that we are equals
in the classroom?
• How will we refer to each other in front of the students?
• How is space shared by co-teachers?
• How will the room be arranged?
• Who completes the paperwork for students identified as eligible for special education?
• How is the decision made to expand or contract team membership?
How is decision-making shared with the paraeducator?
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7. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
The SODAS IF Problem-Solving Template
SITUATION
OPTIONS
1. 2. 3.
DISADVANTAGES
a. a. a.
b. b. b.
c. c. c.
d. d. d.
ADVANTAGES
a. a. a.
b. b. b.
c. c. c.
d. d. d.
SOLUTION
IF you agree to a solution, MAKE A PLAN.
(Who will do what, when? How you know if the plan is working?)
Page 7

8. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Teacher Actions During Co-Teaching
If one of you is doing this…. The other can be doing this…
Lecturing Modeling note taking on the
board/overhead
Giving instructions orally Writing down instructions on board
Checking for understanding with large Checking for understanding with small
heterogeneous group of students heterogeneous group of students
Circulating, providing one-on-one Providing direct instruction to whole class
support as needed
Prepping half of the class for one side of Prepping the other half of the class for the
a debate opposing side of the debate
Facilitating a silent activity Circulating, checking for comprehension
Providing large group instruction Circulating, using proximity control for
behavior management
Running last minute copies or errands Reviewing homework
Re-teaching or pre-teaching with a small Monitoring large group as they work on
group practice materials
Facilitating sustained silent reading Reading aloud quietly with a small group;
previewing upcoming information
Reading a test aloud to a group of Proctoring a test silently with a group of
students students
Creating basic lesson plans for Providing suggestions for modifications,
standards, objectives, and content accommodations, and activities for diverse
curriculum learners
Facilitating stations or groups Also facilitating stations or groups
Explaining new concept Conducting role play or modeling concept
Considering modification needs Considering enrichment opportunities
If one of you is doing this…. The other can be doing this…
Page 8

9. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with
paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12 educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Strategies for Expanding Time for Planning
BORROWED TIME
1. Rearrange the school day so there is a 50- to 60-minute block of time before or
after school for co-teachers to plan.
2. Lengthen the school day for students by 15 to 30 minutes on four days, allowing
for early student dismissal on the fifth, thus gaining a long (i.e., 1- to 2-hour)
time block for co-teachers to meet.
COMMON TIME
3. Ask co-teachers to identify when during the day and week they prefer to plan
and redesign the master schedule to accommodate this with a block for
common preparation time.
TIERED TIME
4. Layer preparation time with existing functions such as lunch and
recess times.
RESCHEDULED TIME
5. Use staff development days for co-teachers to do more long-range planning.
6. Use faculty meeting time to problem solve common co-teaching issues of either
immediate or long-range importance.
7. Build into the school schedule at least one co-teacher planning day per marking
period or month.
8. Build in time for more intensive co-teacher planning sessions by lengthening the
school year for teachers, but not for students; or shortening the school year for
students, but not teachers.
RELEASED TIME
9. Go to year-round schooling with 3-week breaks every quarter; devote 4 or 5 of the 3-
week inter-session days to co-teacher planning as professional development days.
FREED-UP TIME
10. Institute a community service component to the curriculum; when students are in
the community (e.g., Thursday afternoon), co-teachers meet to plan.
11. Schedule quot;specialsquot; (e.g., art, music, physical education), clubs, and tutorials
during the same time blocks (e.g. first and second period), so co-teachers have at
least that extra time block to plan.
12. Engage parents and community members in conducting half-day or full-day
exploratory, craft, hobby (e.g., gourmet cooking, puppetry, photography), theater,
or other experiential programs to free up time for co-teachers to plan.
13. Partner with universities and have faculty teach in the school to provide
demonstrations; give students campus experiences to free up co-teachers to plan.
PURCHASED TIME
14. Hire permanent substitutes to free up co-teachers to plan during the day .
15. Compensate co-teachers for spending vacation or holiday time planning with pay
or compensatory time during non-instructional school-year days.
FOUND TIME
16. Strategically use serendipitous times that occasionally occur (e.g., snow day,
student assembly) to plan.
NEW TIME
17. In what ways might the school administration provide co-teachers with incentives
that would motivate the use of their own time to plan?
Page 9

10. Materials derived from: Nevin, A., Villa, R., & Thousand, J., (2009). A guide to co-teaching with paraeducators: Practical tips for K-12
educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Co- Teaching Daily Lesson Plan
Date:
Co-Teachers: ____________ ____________ ____________ _____________
(Names)
Content Area(s): ______________________ Content Standards Addressed: ____________________________
Lesson Objectives:___________________________________________________________
Circle the Co-Teaching Model(s) Used: Supportive Parallel Complementary Team Teaching
What is the room arrangement? Will other spaces outside of the classroom be used?
(Draw a picture of the room arrangement.)
What materials do the co-teachers need?
How is student learning assessed by co-teachers?
What specific supports, aids, or services do select students need? What does each co-teacher do before, during, and after the lesson?
Co-Teacher
Name:
What are the
specific tasks that
I do BEFORE the
lesson?
What are the
specific tasks that
I do DURING
the lesson?
What are the
specific tasks that
I do AFTER the
lesson?
Where, when, and how do co-teachers debrief and evaluate the outcomes of the lesson?
Page 10

11. SIGNAL ON
Ann Nevin
&
Jacque Thousand
Paraeducators as Co‐Teachers – Fantasy or Reality?
Step on to the Yellow Brick Road
How have paraeducators’
GOALS – Getting on the
roles changed?
Yellow Brick Road
1950/60s – Clerical roles
1950/60s –
*Four co-teaching approaches
1970s – Instructional roles
1970s –
*Detours and issues on the way 1975, Education for All Handicapped Children Act
*Staying on the yellow brick road – professional 1990 – Increased classroom roles
1990 –
development, problem-solving, lesson planning 1997 IDEA Amendments: Access to general
*Ruby slippers – Advice from and for education curriculum for all, call for collaboration
paraeducators in co-teaching classrooms 21st Century –Inclusive classrooms & specialized
Century –
settings (ELL, special education)
NCLB & IDEIA 2004 ‐ Standards for employment,
NCLB & IDEIA 2004 ‐
Source: A Guide to Co-Teaching with Paraeducators
district professional development
(Nevin, Villa, & Thousand 2009)

12. When you hear the term
“co‐teaching,” what comes to mind?
co‐ teaching,” Co‐Teaching is…
Co‐ Teaching is…
(according to Nevin, Villa,& Thousand, 2009)
two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching
two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching
some or all of the students assigned to a classroom.
a fun way for students to learn from two or more people
a fun way for students to learn from two or more people
o What is your definition of co‐teaching?
What is your definition of co‐ who have different ways of thinking or teaching.
who have different ways of thinking or teaching.
a creative way to connect with and support others to help
a creative way to connect with and support others to help
all children learn.
all children learn.
o What can effective co‐teaching look like?
What can effective co‐
a way to make schools more effective.
effective.
Partner Share
What is common to all 4 co‐teaching approaches?
What is unique to each approach?
What cautions are associated with each approach?
Where do you see YOURSELF?
See Page 5
Page 5

13. Co‐Teaching:
Become an Expert!
All Become the “Experts”
Four quadrants
Supportive
•
Partner read assigned approach on page 2
Parallel
•
Complementary
• Be prepared to share out key features of your co‐
Be prepared to share out key features of your co‐
teaching approach and your good examples
Team Teaching
•
Time = 2 minutes
Co‐Teaching Approach
Co‐Teaching
(Graphic Organizer)
Approaches
*Supportive Co-Teaching?
*Supportive Co-Teaching
One lead, other(s) support
-May provide individual support to
Share Out. students/groups
- May chart concepts
- May pass out/collect information

14. Cautions?
*Parallel Co-Teaching?
DVD 4:00‐4:41
DVD 4:00‐
Hovercraft/velcro “aide”
Hovercraft/ aide”
Supportive person only
Discipline police Expert group?
Students see supportive co‐
Students see supportive co‐
teacher not as “real” teacher
teacher not as “ real”
Cautions?
Many Faces of Parallel Co‐Teaching
Many Faces of Parallel Co‐
Partner Read Page 3
1. Split class
2. Station teaching & learning
center (students rotate)
3. Co‐teachers rotate
3. Co‐
4. Cooperative group monitoring
5. Lab or experiment monitoring
6. Learning style (ELL) focus
7. Supplementary instruction
(learning strategy, enrichment, guided practice)
Examples of how you’ve used?
Examples of how you’
What’s appealing? Select 1 or 2 to try!
What’

15. Co‐Teaching
Cautions? Approaches
*Complementary Co-Teaching?
Homogeneous grouping ‐ “bluebirds” vs.
Homogeneous grouping ‐ bluebirds”
“crow” stigmatization
crow”
Examples:
One delivers content,
Avoid paraeducator only working with select
Avoid paraeducator one clarifies, expands,
students complements, restates
May demonstrate
graphic organizer, note
taking, study guide
Parallel co‐teaching is NOT leaving the
Parallel co‐ Share Out.
room; that’s segregated pull‐out instruction
room; that’ s segregated pull‐ May color code, simplify
(No monitoring or check‐in possible)
(No monitoring or check‐ information
Cautions? DVD Clip
Which form of co‐teaching
Which form of co‐
Not monitor as closely as both “on stage”
Not monitor as closely as both “ on stage”
do you detect?
Step on one another’s “toes”
Step on one another’ s “ toes”
@ 2 minutes, 5 seconds
To 2 minutes, 26 seconds

16. Co‐Teaching Approaches
*Team Teaching
Experts Share Out.
Team Teaching- What @ Equitable distribution of duties
@ Move in and out of all 4
distinguishes it from the other approaches based upon student
needs
3 approaches? @ Can/should paraeducators team
teach? (page 62)
Checking for Understanding Getting around detours
Different Paraeducator Roles to making co‐teaching a
reality vs. fantasy
Page 8

17. Issues to discuss
page 4
What are the barriers?
*Time for Planning Task instructions:
Identify at least one
*Instruction question YOU must
discuss with your co-
*Student Behavior teaching partner for
each of these 6
*Communication areas.
Be prepared to share
*Evaluation out with the group.
*Logistics
Time: 3 minutes
Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION
Sample questions to ask
Collaborative
*Time for Planning
Page 6 S.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding
*Instruction (page 7)
*Student Behavior *Situation
*Communication *Options
*Evaluation *Disadvantages
*Advantages
*Logistics
*Solution
*ANY OTHER CATEGORIES?

18. Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION
Question: What is the #1
Collaborative
resource we have the least
S.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding
of in education?
(page 7)
*Situation
Dilemma: We don’t have
Dilemma: We don’
*Options time to even go to the
*Disadvantages bathroom!
*Advantages
*Solution
Sizzling Issue Priority
Team Teaching DEMONSTRATION
Time to Meet – page 9
Time to Meet –
Collaborative
S.O.D.A.S. Solution Finding
(page 7)
*Situation
*Options
*Disadvantages
*Advantages
*Solution

19. TOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐TEACHING TOOLBOX
TOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐
“Melting” the Barriers
Melting”
SODAS
TOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐TEACHING TOOLBOX
TOOLS FOR YOUR CO‐ Planning time ideas
Professional Development – Andrea @ 4:40, Ch. 6
Carlos Castenada

20. Blank Form
Page 10
Trying on different roles
See Page 8
Lesson Planning: A Template If one is doing this…The
other can be doing…
ParaeducatorN
ational Survey
Why is it worth the effort?
Listen to Andrea
Your turn!

21. No one ever said it was going to
be easy! What does it take?
@ 52 1:06
Thank You!
Ann Nevin
drannnevin@comcast.net
Jacque Thousand
jthousan@csusm.edu
Gracias!
Vielen Dank’!
Mille Grazie!
Merci!