Co-teaching

Since Florida voted to lower its class size and since we ran out of space at Chets Creek (no empty classrooms!), we are doing more co-teaching than ever before. Co-teaching is defined as two teachers sharing the same students and the same space - a little like a marriage. Several years ago, Haley Alvarado and Meredy Mackiewicz (K-1 co-teachers pictured at the left) realized that we needed a workshop to help new partners work through some of their questions and concerns, so, in typical Chets Creek style, they designed the workshop they would have wanted for themselves as they began their own partnership. The workshop has been highly successful over the years and new teams begin to ask for it as soon as they realize that they are going to have a new partner for the coming year. Our Chets professional development for co-teachers took place this week for partners that will be teaching together NEXT year so that they have all the information they need up front. We call this our prenuptial agreement.

Included in the day were 10 teams of teachers who will be working together for the first time next year. Primary partners met in the morning and intermediate teachers met in the afternoon (pictured above). Below is the agenda for this very productive day. This is the first step in developing a very successful partnership!