It’s been a whirlwind start of the year! I’m week three into my new Co-Teaching role, and I’m finally putting all of the research and readings into practice. I started out slow at first (you can read about my first week here in case you missed it) but now I’m getting into real Co-Teaching with some colleagues. As week three wraps up, I have successfully:

– Co-Taught six lessons across Grade Two and Grade Three

– Been involved with every planning meeting between KG – G5

– Presented to elementary staff twice

– Set up consistent planning materials for Co-Teachers

– Collaboratively reflected on three lessons

– Started an EL reporting / follow up system

As with any new role, responsibilities and expectations become clearer in practice than they are originally on paper. Each week, Co-Teaching is becoming easier and planning is faster. I’m also super grateful that the new teachers are so open to collaborating with me! It’s not easy trying something new when you’re at a new school, teaching an unfamiliar curriculum, and in a brand new country. I make sure to say thank you, and to say it often. I want to maintain this positive momentum throughout the school year!

So far, I’ve been focusing on getting a planning and teaching routine started with teachers. I wanted to take this time to celebrate these huge, transformative wins! I truly feel like what my department and myself have constructed has helped shift the culture of the school towards a more positive, collaborative environment. Below are some super fab highlights from the past week!

Co-Planning Wins

Our department defines Co-Planning as being an active member of the planning process, providing strategies that support all learners (tier one interventions). Being the only support staff member who works in elementary classrooms, I see Co-Planning as form EAL coaching, especially with teachers I’m not actively teaching with. I provide scaffolds, create vocabulary activities, or pull out students who have specific support plans. I also act as a point of contact for student support, so if a teacher brings up a student where classroom interventions aren’t enough, I can step in or signal the corresponding support staff member (counselor, nurse, etc) for further action. We’ve found this loop of communication extremely effective as it keeps us informed of all students in the class.

What’s been the biggest win when planning with teachers is how the knowledge of the support staff is being valued and utilized. We spent a significant amount of time at the start of the year laying out the functionality of our department, and it has truly paid off. Teachers are reaching out to us to address the needs of all their students in all content areas for both high achievers and students who need additional scaffolding.

Co-Teaching Wins

So far, I’m primarily working with my two grade three colleagues, and I’m absolutely loving it! Co-Teaching is the mental stimulation that I’ve been craving for for quite some time now. Our planning meetings are thoughtful and engaging. Our time teaching together is smooth and natural. And, best of all, our problem solving is on point. The three of us communicate exceptionally well through email, Line (a messaging app), and Trello (an online collaborative to-do list). Our end-of lesson reflections are meaningful, and we’re comfortable with asking each other questions and exploring new practices with open minds. I couldn’t have asked for a better Co-Teaching relationship, especially as a beginner. We’re tackling new Co-Teaching models as we see relevant to the unit we’re focusing on (in this case, narrative writing). Next week, I’ll be starting to work with grade two a bit more consistently to model centers based literacy and math instruction.

As excited as I am about how the first month of school is shaping up, I’m also exhausted (in a good way!). With more than half of the elementary staff new to the school (as well as new to Common Core standards and American curriculum) we are keeping busy making sure everyone is being supported. Posts like these help me put everything that I’m doing into perspective, and I hope that gives all educators in the field new ideas or offers a different lens in their practice. As my year continues, I’ll be posting similar reflections periodically to share my experiences and invite feedback from other professionals, so stay tuned!