Purposeful Co-Teaching: Real Cases and Effective Strategies

"A valuable desktop reference for all educators devoted to increased student outcomes within a positive, effective co-teaching partnership. Each chapter contains practical strategies and tips to take you from Monday to Friday!"
―Julia R. Wachal, Special Education Consultant
Grantwood Area Education Agency, IA

"One of the best books I′ve read on what co-teaching really means and how it is implemented in the classroom. The authors present instructional methods and interpersonal communication skills that co-teachers can use to solve typical issues."
―Michael Hazelkorn, Chair and Professor of Special Education
University of West Georgia

Create powerful teaching partnerships that promote success for every student in inclusive classrooms!

How can teachers deliver an extensive curriculum and still meet the various needs of an increasingly diverse student body? This resource demonstrates how co-teaching collaborations can effectively promote success for each learner.

Purposeful Co-Teaching integrates the vital components of interpersonal skills, content knowledge, instructional design, and teaching philosophy to guide educators toward the smooth collaboration of a full, mature co-teaching relationship. The authors also provide research-based, field-tested instructional strategies for using big ideas, visuals, mnemonics, formative assessment, and more, within a collaborative teaching context. Additional resources include:

• Chapter activities and checklists for planning lessons
• Case studies from elementary and secondary teachers in various subject areas to illustrate the realities of co-teaching
• Real-world resources such as books, videos, and helpful Web sites

Ideal for both general and special education classrooms, this indispensible resource gives co-teachers the practical, proven methods they need to help students make connections, stay engaged, and become independent and successful learners.

Greg Conderman is full professor of special education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, where he teaches methods and collaboration courses for elementary education, secondary education, and special education majors. He was a middle and high school special education teacher and special education consultant for 10 years before entering higher education. He has authored over 70 articles on instructional methods and collaboration, which have been published in special education and general education journals. He is a frequent presenter at local, state, and national conferences. He has also received numerous teaching awards for excellence in instruction at the college level

Val Bresnahan is an adjunct instructor of special education at Northern Illinois University, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in learning disabilities and inclusion. Bresnahan has taught elementary, middle, and high school students in special and inclusionary environments, and she has been a learning facilitator and a speech-language pathologist. In addition to teaching college courses, she is a middle school co-teacher in language arts and social studies in a central Illinois suburb. She has authored books and articles on vocabulary instruction and co-teaching and is a frequently invited presenter on reading and language skills.

Theresa Pedersen is a general education middle school language arts co-teacher in Rockford, Illinois. She has years of experience as an elementary education teacher, middle school resource teacher, high school special education teacher, and college instructor. She has co-authored articles on inclusion and student teaching. She has received awards for her excellence in instruction at the college level and was the recipient of the student teacher of the year award during her internship semester.