A few months ago I did a post on Lesson Planning in my Special Education Classroom. Since then I’ve received so many e-mails and messages about how much my templates have helped with lesson planning in other special education resource classrooms. I was honestly blown away. Along with those e-mails and messages, I received e-mails/messages asking how I lesson plan in the classroom I co-teach in. I’ve used the lesson planning templates in my previous blog post for – years – in both the pull-out classroom setting and in the co-taught classroom setting I was teaching in. However, since writing my last blog post, I have created new templates solely for lesson planning in the co-taught setting. BOY – did I fall in love. There’s no way I couldn’t share them with all of you in my Teacher’s Pay Teacher shop.
Before I get started on how I plan in the co-taught classroom, I think it’s important for me to say that I know how tricky (and at times difficult) planning in a co-taught classroom can be. Out of my 12 years of teaching, this is my 8th year as a co-teacher. Believe me when I say I totally understand.
Unfortunately for myself, these past two years I have not had a planning time that coincided with the general education teacher I co-teach with. I’ve learned how difficult it can be making sure we are on the same page. We make a lot of phone calls to each other, send a lot of e-mails, and try our best when we are in the room together to discuss the changes that may have been made to today’s lesson, plans for the next day, etc. I know quite a few teachers have e-mailed or messaged me with this same problem – no planning time. Thankfully, this is my second year co-teaching with the same general education teacher – so I have a gist of what is being taught and most materials have already been adapted. Along with this being our second year together, I can also see the general education teacher’s weekly plans (through the website we submit our plans) so I’m aware of the topics and activities taking place during the upcoming week.
In the years prior to these past two school years, I was co-teaching all day (as opposed to co-teaching in only one classroom like I am now), but I had planning time at the same time as the general education teachers I was co-teaching with. It was awesome. I very rarely ever went into a classroom not being 100% sure what was going to take place or feeling unprepared.
Because of both co-teaching planning experiences I’ve had, I feel like I can relate to those teachers who have planning time together and those who do not. For those of you that do not have a planning time together – YOU AREN’T ALONE. That overwhelming feeling you might feel is also felt by a lot of us, and I was right there with you. I even cried a few times. I’m a teacher. I’m supposed to feel planned and prepared for class. BUT – Often times with how difficult scheduling students and classes can be, it can’t always be helped.
This post is written in hopes to alleviate some stress when it comes to co-teaching planning. As special education teachers, we already have enough paperwork to worry about.
Side Note:
I’m sharing my co-teaching templates/photos blank. I did not want to share the name’s of my students or the general education teacher. However, will go into detail of how I use them.
To start, I keep all of my lesson plans in the same binder. These are not my formal plans, but can serve as formal plans if your school allows it. My district has us submit our formal plans via a website, using that website’s template. It’s great, but I don’t like to constantly be sitting at my computer checking on what my plans are for the next period, or making notes of things I need to change, re-teach, etc., so I also write my plans on my lesson plan templates. Keeping them all in a binder together makes it easy for me to locate on my desk, when I need them. I print several copies of the template that I will be using (blank) at the beginning of the school year and then write on the template using pencil. Sometimes, when I’m in a doodling mood, I’ll bring out my Flair Pens. Text can be added to any of the templates I have created, using PowerPoint. I just like to write my plans. I’m old school, I guess.
As you can see in the photo below, I list all classes I teach in my classroom going across the top and leave out the class period I co-teach in. I list the period and class I co-teach in down below in the “Additional Periods” table. I like to do this in the event I have a substitute. The years I co-taught all day I used this planning template by itself. The thick black lines you see going down my template I added on my own to show when my prep and lunch fall. I simply inserted a shape (rectangle), adjusted it to fit the size I wanted, filled the shape/outline in black, and then inserted my text.
Behind the section of my binder that holds my classroom lesson plans, I have page dividers to separate my co-teaching plans, as well as the scope and sequence unit plans I have for each subject taught in my classroom.
I keep a cover page for each of my lesson planning sections (as shown in the very first photo). Behind my co-teaching planning cover page I keep a calendar page. I print 10 or 11 of these out at the beginning of the school year, keep them tucked in the back of my binder, and then insert and highlight the month and year when I am ready to use them. I try to prevent any unnecessary trips to the Xerox machine when I can. Just like ALL of my lesson planning templates, these co-teaching planning templates come secured for you to either write on them once printed or add text boxes to in PowerPoint, as well as COMPLETELY EDITABLE. Music to out teacher ears. For the calendar page I used the secured PowerPoint option to insert text boxes for the information needed at the bottom. I print the calendar page to be two sided, leading me right into all of weekly lesson plans for that month.
I have provided several options of planning to use to go along with EVERY co-teaching model. Whether you stick to using one model in your co-taught classroom all week… all month… all year, or use a different model each day, I have you covered. All template planning options come with the same left sided page (left when laying down flat in a binder) , with various right sided pages to choose from. There is no one set way to plan. Select what fits your needs best. You can even tweak the templates if you need to.
I use the “Support Logs” option because the general education teacher and I do not always use the same co-teaching model everyday. I have created two different options of support logs. When laying flat in my binder, the page on the left side allows me to keep track of ALL students in the classroom, not just the students with IEPs. I write down the teaching goals for the week, and then write down the lesson plans for each day. I chose this template on the right hand side because I can keep track of the co-teaching model we used, as well as any additional notes (such as students who may need a hard copy of notes printed for the next day, assignments I modified, an assignment a student didn’t complete, responsibilities I have/had, etc.). I am a firm believer in document everything. EVERYTHING.
I use the completely editable options, for both template options used in the photo below. I type the class/period, time, and student roster in the table provided. That is all I fill in. I print both pages, and then use a pencil to write the goal, plans, and any notes taken.
Because the general education teacher and I do not have a planning period together, this particular option works best for me. It allows for me to keep track of what is going on each day so I can feel prepared. Other planning templates I created have options that allow for teachers to plan together – which is 100% what I would use, if I had a planning time together. The other planning templates also act as a guide, when planning together. They provide you with something to sit down and talk about together – as a team. Like I’ve said there is no set way to lesson plan, especially when it comes to co-teaching. Take your time. Try different ways. You will find what works best for you and for you and the general education teacher.
I hope this provided you with insight on how lesson planning in a co-taught class can be done. You can always feel prepared. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed. If you would like to see a more detailed description of all of my co-teaching lesson plan template options, check them out here in my Teacher’s Pay Teacher shop. Remember: if you should ever have any questions please e-mail me.
Best of luck in all of your planning!
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Find all of my lesson plan templates by clicking here.
