How to Find a CTT Match: Questions To Ask A Potential Collaborative Team Teaching Partner
Sarah Picard

Collaborative Team Teaching classrooms serve together students with identified special education service plans and general education students. A general education teacher and a special education teacher work in the classroom together as equal partners, planning
lessons and developing a classroom culture that celebrates each child’s unique talents. Sharing a classroom with a colleague can be difficult if both teachers don’t initially spend time to talk about their teaching philosophy, classroom values, teaching strengths and areas for improvement. Before I decided to work with my colleague, Sandra, she and I got together to talk about these things. It helped both of us to physically design a classroom and then build a curriculum that we both felt matched our strengths.

What follows is a list of possible questions teachers should discuss before they become partners in a collaborative team teaching classroom. Your answers to all questions do not have to match, but it is important that you spend the time talking it out before you begin teaching together.

Classroom Questions

• How would you classify your classroom management style?

• What do you expect from your students academically?

• What do you expect from your students behaviorally?

• How do you celebrate student successes?

• How do you support students who do not meet your expectations?

• How do you handle classroom interruptions?

• What does your classroom look like? Why did you design it in that way?

Communication Style Questions

• When do you like to do your planning?

• When would you like to talk about our planning together? (i.e. lunch, prep., before school, or after school)

• What do you do when you are frustrated?

• How can I reach you outside of school?

• Is it okay to call at home? What time is off limits?