I don’t discuss my years as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL, a.k.a. ESL) specialist much on these pages, mainly because there are no ESOL students at my high school. But the experience of being a second teacher in the content-area classroom when I wore this hat? That’s some good fodder for thinking beyond school-as-usual.
Any of you who have co-taught or team-taught know the mix of factors that can make it a nightmare or a paradise. Working with fellow history teacher Michael Harvey (now in Abu Dhabi) was a dream. I discuss this in the movie below, and students weigh in on why they liked it too.
I still miss having a second adult in my English and history classes today. ESL aside, it just creates possibilities for better teaching - primarily by giving students the experience of hearing two “expert” adults argue about literary, social, political, and other issues. Michael and I debated such things as Castro’s Cuban revolution, American imperialism during and after the Cold War, the merits of economic, political, and religious systems, etc, with sincere differences. We fenced about them in free-wheeling debates whenever one of us disagreed with the other. We told the students to decide whose arguments had the most merit.
Then we had scotch and nice long talks as best of friends outside of class.
The students loved it. It was learning the family dinner-table way, with two reasonably intelligent, informed adults discussing and debating world events. “Kids” with ears learn a lot that way about thinking and points of view.
So this 2005 ESOL-in-the-Mainstream co-teaching training video I made at Shanghai American School is a good example of team teaching that worked. It’s received good feedback over the years. And notably, it’s about teaching, not about technology. Disclaimer: The dreaded Five-Paragraph Essay rears its ugly head here, but remember - it’s in the context of teaching academic essay-writing and organization for 14-year-olds. I always unteach the 5PE once students have shown they’re ready for organic writing.
It’s my first-ever iMovie, by the way. And enjoy the goofy Baptist preacher look I was playing with back then. I’ve since re-embraced my freak-flag. 
Note: I’ve added this to my Teaching Gallery page.
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2 Comments
Co-teaching is the most awesome experience ever. I co-teach 3 inclusion classes these days, and I love having another adult in the room. Last year me and an English teacher buddy of mine would get our 11th grade classes together for some histlish on a regular basis, too. Can’t do it this year.
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My school has four courses that are co-taught by English and Social Studies teachers, and I’ve been lucky enough to have been the English half of one for the past eight years. There’s definitely something familial about that setup, and it sounds like you and I have had similar positive experiences with our co-teachers .
Another approach, as Penelope mentions, is the special ed/content area teachers teaming up. I’ve found this to be a slightly trickier setup - some special ed teachers are content to act as “support” only (then why do you get paid a teacher’s salary??), and some content area teachers are reluctant to share “stage time” with someone who’s not certified in “their” area.
I’ve found the best situation to be when the special ed and content area teachers present equally - in general, the kids dig the interplay between the adults, especially when it’s done with good humor. Aside from the benefits you mentioned in your post, the difference in teacher personalities also gives kids some elbowroom in terms of personal comfort zones - a student who, for whatever reason, doesn’t feel comfortable addressing an issue with me might identify better with my co-teacher, thus allowing for personal connections that might not have been established with just one teacher in the room.
One of my special ed inclusion co-teachers did such a great job, I ended up marrying her!
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