Co-teaching next year? Tips to Prepare

Welcome all-star teachers! As we jump into today’s topic, I would like you to reflect on your wins for the week. Every week I want to highlight a teacher’s win. A win can be big or small. I want you to celebrate your wins, and we want to celebrate with you! If you have a win you want to share email me at millie@myadventuresinesl.com.

ESL co-teachers want to support their ELLs, but they are confused as to how to support them when they are not fully aware of what’s to come. Co-teachers may not be aware of the curriculum or the teachers they are working with for the upcoming school year. All of these can be a potential roadblock in helping you prepare for the upcoming school year.

In my program The ESL Teacher Master Plan where I coach and support ESL teachers, one of the biggest challenges they face is the uncertainty of how to prepare for the school year.  Most teachers don’t know who they are teaching with and to capacity they will be teaching. If you are co-teaching you feeling like you are in limbo. That in turn can lead you to not taking advantage of the time you do have to plan and prepare for the upcoming school year.

To combat the overwhelm I want to encourage you to reach out to your administration. Setup a time to meet with them to discuss what grade levels, the teacher you will be working with, and the curriculum you will be teaching for the upcoming school year.

You deserve to know this! Most teachers know what they are teaching before they leave the school building for summer. It is okay to advocate for yourself, so you can properly prepare for the upcoming school year.

Once you know those important details start drafting a long range plan for the school year. In my program the ESL Teacher Master Plan, I teach ESL teachers how to create a long-range plan for the school year. Having a long-range plan is like having a roadmap for the school year.

In addition, even if you are co-teaching you want to plan for classroom management. This summer I started brainstorming a long-range plan and a solid classroom management plan. I want to encourage you to do the same. This will help you with your co-teaching for the upcoming school year. 

Also create a plan for building relationships with your ELLs. This is something you can do regardless of the model you are using with your ELLs.

ESL Educators here are your next steps:

• Reach out to your administration to confirm what grade and level you are teaching for the upcoming school year. 
• Next start brainstorming how you will deliver instruction to your ELLs this school year. 
• Then plan for team building with the students you will be co-teaching. This will be important whether you are teaching virtually or in-person.

How are you preparing for your co-teaching for the upcoming school year?