A learning team comprises two or more teachers of any two or more subject areas who seek to create a small, cohesive learning community. Interdisciplinary learning teams are vehicles that can empower school community members. This first part of this handbook introduces the learning team concept, discusses issues to consider in implementing…

Discusses the origins and current status of the team-teaching approach in elementary education, reviewing research that examines the benefits and drawbacks of this approach. Also reports on one teacher's experiences with team teaching. (MDM)

Discusses basic assumptions about schools and about children that make the shift to inclusive practices difficult. Describes how school teams can have productive conversations (focusing on children's and teacher's needs) organized around advocacy, as they examine student work to determine effective instruction. Discusses organizational structures…

This document describes teaching techniques that vocational and academic teachers can use jointly to improve students' basic skills. It is part of BASICS, a package of integrated materials developed to assist teachers, administrators, and counselors in bridging vocational and academic skills. Section 1 focuses on the problem of students' basic…

Describes the team teaching program at Randolph Intermediate School, in Randolph, New Jersey. The program has been functioning successfully for the last six years. (Author/SJL)

This paper discusses key principles that should be addressed by general and special educators when instructing students jointly. Principles are drawn from the literature on educational consultation, from interviews with educators who have implemented collaborative instructional programs, and from personal experience with collaborative instruction.…

Notes that a clearly defined purpose with identification of performance goals is crucial to the success of middle school teacher teams. Provides several practical ways for teacher teams to discover or define their purpose, including naming the team and identifying desirable qualities for team members. (HTH)

Some of the advantages to integrating physical education activities with other subject areas include offering fresh insights into the physical education program, motivating students, and providing advantages to different types of students. Integrative activities include embedded tasks, practice tasks, and discovery tasks. Guidelines for planning…

Describes four models for grouping in cooperative teaching settings with a regular and a special educator. Common coteaching issues such as grading and classroom management are addressed. Charts provide a framework for lesson planning in coteaching settings. (DB)

Describes how the special education faculty and the general education faculty at Northwestern State University of Louisiana carried out a co-planning and co-teaching effort in four classes of the undergraduate elementary education methods block. Discusses key questions they considered, presents the model they developed for this process, and notes…

This article presents an approach to cooperative planning for individualizing instruction of students with special needs in mainstream settings. Guidelines for making decisions about aspects of joint lesson plans and a Co-Teaching Planning Form are offered. (DB)

Provides strategies to facilitate more effective professional/paraprofessional collaboration in special education: clarification of roles and responsibilities, discussion of job expectations, daily scheduling, ongoing communication, and regularly scheduled training. Lists sample role descriptions for professionals and paraprofessionals, discussion…

Describes how teachers in Alaska are using the Natural Support Matrix and Cooperative Learning Planning System to fully include junior high students with disabilities. The model involves collaborative teaming by teachers, development of a student's individual natural support matrix which correlates general and special education services with the…

Schools across the United States are creating teacher teams in ever-greater numbers. "Teaming" refers to assembling a group of teachers from different disciplines and/or grade levels who work together as a "core group" responsible for teaching a subset of the school's population. This brief examines some of the potential conflicts between teacher…

Discusses the pivotal role of the middle school principal in the success of collaborative teaching teams. Details team functions, selection, and stages of team development. Also discusses team meetings, reports, leader meetings, team competition, and team professional growth. (ET)