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How Can a Community of Practice that Focuses on a Collaborative Team Teaching Classroom Affect My Teaching?

Question                    
How will forming a community of collaborative team teachers affect my own teaching?

Summary       
During my seventh year of teaching I became a co-teacher in a Collaborative Team Teaching Classroom (CTT). My co-teacher, Sara, and I worked together 2 years previous when I taught 2nd grade and she taught a 2/3 self contained class. A CTT class is a general education class where 40% of the students have an IEP.  As excited as I was, I was beginning to feel anxious about my new role. This was my first experience teaching in a CTT class. This was also my first experience being a co-teacher. People talked about how working in a CTT classroom was like a marriage. We would have to make joint decisions for student growth and joint decisions to improve classroom practice. Also during this time I was thinking about forming a teacher group to talk about education issues and best practices. I envisioned teachers gathering once a month to discuss education policy, classroom concerns and best practices.

Megan Bender
Meganbender1@verizon.net

Research Focus:
Classroom Management and School Culture

TNLI Affiliate:
New York City

School:
PS 58 Carroll School

If you would like to learn more about Teachers Network Leadership Institute, please e-mail Kimberly Johnson for more information.

 


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