An ASCD Study Guide for Co-Teaching Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and discuss how it relates to your co-teaching environment.
2. Explain why the co-teaching models are depicted as only one part of the eight co-teaching spokes (Figure 1.1).
3. Compare and contrast two of the co-teaching models for a specific lesson. Include environmental considerations, along with learner pluses and minuses.
4. Use the performance station template (Figure 1.2) to demonstrate five nonnegotiable collaborative actions presented in this chapter (Figure 1.5).
5. Explain the academic and behavioral co-teaching implications of an MTSS framework.
6. Identify how co-teachers use the differentiated instruction practices to bridge knowledge and skill gaps.
7. Apply the UDL co-teaching roles and responsibilities to a specific content area.
8. Offer the benefits of PBIS for co-teachers and their students.
9. How does SDI impact co-teaching decisions?
10. Whom do co-teachers collaborate with to honor the social-emotional learning levels of their students?
11. Share three benefits of using the Understanding by Design framework for a co-taught lesson/unit.
12. Describe the consequences of one co-teacher being viewed as the "real" one.
13. Select three of the 18 inclusion principles and discuss how co-teachers implement the principles for specific students during a co-taught lesson (Figures 1.7 and 1.9).
14. Share how FRITH affects co-teaching practices.

Chapter 2. The Relationship and Collaborative Roles: The Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters to Guide and Strengthen Co-Teachers

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and discuss how it relates to a current or past co-teaching relationship.
2. Explain why a solid co-teaching foundation begins with educators learning about each other.
3. What co-teaching emoji (Figure 2.2) best describes your present co-teaching relationship(s)?
4. How do co-teachers connect to their students' strengths and interests?
5. Review the strategies to explore with students with exceptionalities (Figure 2.3). Select one of the strategies that you and your co-teacher(s) will implement for a learner with a specific exceptionality.
6. Outline how co-teachers collaborate with families of students with and without exceptionalities.
7. Discuss the consequences of formulating a plan of action without running it by your partner.
8. Share how you will achieve Collaborative Goal 2.4, "Be proactive with your relationship and roles."
9. Describe actions co-teachers take to divide tasks.
10. What are common issues that "derail" the co-teaching collaboration?
11. Share a strategy or learning tool you plan to use for a student with a specific exceptionality during an online co-taught lesson.

Chapter 3. Planning for Instruction and Assessment: The Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters When Planning

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and discuss how it relates to your co-teaching instruction and assessment.
2. Discuss the importance of viewing all students as general education students, regardless of their exceptionality.
3. Critique this chapter's elementary and secondary co-teaching curriculum connections. Comment how these models impact instruction.
4. Explain why a universally designed co-taught class that employs differentiated instruction does not eliminate SDI.
5. Relate the three stages of planning (pre-, inter-, post) to a face-to-face or co-taught online lesson.
6. How will you and your co-teachers circumvent the "I don't know" situations?
7. Why is it important to co-plan at the mega, macro, and micro levels?
8. Use the template in Figure 3.5 to plan a lesson for a specific unit of study. Share the co-teaching roles and responsibilities.
9. Formulate a co-teaching plan of action for a student with attention issues that justifies quality over quantity.
10. Explain how curriculum-based formal, informal, and functional observation and assessment guide co-teaching decisions.
11. Annotate one of the instruction and assessment resources in "Continue the Learning" and discuss how this information impacts co-planning.

Chapter 4. Collaborative Teaching in Action: The Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters When Actually Teaching

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and discuss how it relates to your co-teaching actions.
2. Offer examples of verbal and physical co-teaching supports.
3. How does a whole-part-whole design validate co-teaching models?
4. Why do co-teachers need to vary learner grouping?
5. How can whole-class, small-group, and individual instruction be organized?
6. Describe how co-teachers act as co-facilitators to "spin the bumps in the road" into better practices.
7. Explain how co-teachers accept and scaffold students as recipients and disseminators of the knowledge.
8. Offer an example of the impact of "student-centered data" on co-teaching decisions.
9. Describe how co-teachers productively "shake it up."
10. Apply two of the co-teaching practices in Figure 4.6 to an upcoming or prior lesson.
11. Have you ever respectfully disagreed with a co-teaching partner?
12. Share a specific co-teaching scenario that requires thinking outside the co-teaching labels.
13. Describe the merits of a TOWTDI approach instead of thinking TTWWADI to advance your co-teaching practices.

Chapter 5. Academic and Behavioral Co-Teaching Supports and Interventions: The Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters to Create Strategic Learners

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and discuss how it impacts both academic and behavioral co-teaching supports.
2. Explain how going beyond academics increases self-regulation.
3. What effect do co-teachers have on student engagement?
4. Identify how co-teachers apply and communicate age-appropriate routines for both academic and nonacademic structures.
5. Describe ways that co-teachers monitor learners' social, emotional, and behavioral competencies.
6. Why is it important for co-teachers to fade supports?
7. Formulate ways to be creative with classroom spaces.
8. Share three concrete PBIS strategies for a student who requires behavioral supports.
9. Decide together on the modifications in the checklist in Figure 5.8 for a specific student.
10. After reviewing "Curriculum Connections: Neurodiversity," choose three applicable ones you plan to infuse in your co-teaching practices.
11. Why is it important for co-teachers to apply cognitive strategy instruction?
12. Describe how co-teachers use mindfulness to increase student awareness, attention, emotional regulation, engagement, or productivity.

Chapter 6. Collaborative Reflections, Improvements, and Co-Teaching Celebrations: The Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters to Move Forward

1. Select one of this chapter's best practices (do's), common pitfalls (don'ts), or a raising the bar (do better), and tell how it impacts collaborative practices.
2. Discuss how healthy co-teaching disagreements move the relationship forward.
3. What are four ingredients of reflective co-teaching communication?
4. How are compatibility and parity increased with reflective conversation?
5. What are the implications of being a lifelong learner?
6. Describe how co-teachers seamlessly embed interventions.
7. Share an example of how co-teachers offer affirmation to themselves and their students.
8. How are co-teaching supports likened to working in a kitchen?
9. Describe three ways co-teachers collect data.
10. How does metacognition raise the co-teaching bar?
11. Formulate plans to move forward that ensure fidelity to the co-teaching spokes.
12. Annotate information from two of the professional co-teaching spokes resources. Tell how you will use this knowledge to expand your co-teaching skills.
13. How is humor infused in co-teaching?
14. Why is inquiry described as a vital co-teaching ingredient?
15. As a culminating activity, complete Figure 6.5 for a given week's curriculum objectives. Shade in the co-teaching spokes you will focus on and select the appropriate interventions, monitoring, and assessments. Please note that high expectations are already checked off, since they are nonnegotiable for all learners.
16. Write a paragraph that affirms your knowledge of the eight co-teaching spokes.
17. After reviewing co-teaching ABCs in Figure 6.6, share an antecedent, behavior, and consequence of a real or hypothetical co-teaching experience.
18. Select a collaborative goal from each chapter and address how they collectively maximize successes as you co-deliver the evidence-based practices to diverse learners.
19. Tell how co-teachers use a growth paradigm to celebrate challenges.
20. Describe how checks and balances (Figure 6.7) assist co-teachers to cross the finish line together.

Co-Teaching Do's, Don'ts, and Do Betters was written by Toby J. Karten and Wendy W. Murawski. This 220-page, 6" × 9" book (Stock #121013; ISBN-13: 978-1-4166-2918-4) is available from ASCD. Copyright © 2020 by ASCD. To order a copy, call ASCD at 1-800-933-2723 (in Virginia 1-703-578-9600) and press 2 for the Service Center. Or buy the book from ASCD's Online Store.