3. Parallel Teaching                                                                                                                    

On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, co-teachers are both teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and conduct the lesson simultaneously.

WHEN TO USE

• When a lower adult-student ratio is needed to improve instructional efficiency

• To foster student participation in discussions

• For activities such as drill and practice, re-teaching, and test

Review

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Medium

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• More students would have a chance to share their alternative ending to the story if they are split into two groups.

• If each teacher took a group of students and presented environmental issues--one from the point of view of business and industry and one from the point of view of environmentalists—the class could later have a spiritedly discussion on the topic.

• Student use of the science materials could be more closely monitored if the group is divided in half.

OTHER COMMENTS

• This approach gives each teacher an active--but separate--instructional role in the classroom.

• Any topic with multiple dimensions can be presented using this approach if the groups are then brought back together for discussion.

• Students can be strategically placed in the two groups.

*Cook and Friend (2004).  Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics, New Mexico Public Education Department Quarterly Special Education Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, April 29, 2004.