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Team Teaching and Currently...

I need advice.  To team teach or not to team teach?  Here's the background...  {see how I'm developing your schema?}  
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If you're just here for Farley's Currently, feel free to skip to the bottom of the post.  No feelings hurt here!!

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I work with an amazing teacher, Casey, and she loves to teach Math.  I am happiest teaching Reading.  We've talked for 2 years about team teaching, and we're seriously talking about team teaching with Reading and Math.  We already do this with Science and Social Studies, but it's really just that I teach the science unit 2 times, once with my class, once with her class.  If we team teach Reading and Math, I would be responsible for teaching Reading twice daily, Writing, and Science.  She would teach Math twice daily, Writing, and Social Studies.  It's exciting, but a bit nerve-wracking as we're trying to decide.  I made a list of pros and cons...  I'm not really a "pros and cons" kind of gal, but my mind was mulling it over as I was driving to buy the last book in the Hunger Games series.  
Mockingjay (Hunger Games Series #3)
{For those of you in the back yelling out "Did you get to the part where they...?" my answer is No.  I have to do my schoolwork first!!!  No spoilers, please.} I am super excited to get started, but not. until. I. do. my. work.
Anywho, I found myself making this list, and thought it might be helpful for me to write it out.

Pros:
  • We are adopting Common Core next year, and I would be able to focus on the new Reading curriculum. 
  • I wouldn't have to teach Math.  ;)
  • I would get to teach Reading twice a day!
Cons:
  • We are adopting Common Core next year, and I wouldn't learn the new Math curriculum when everyone else in my county does.
  • I would attend twice as many meetings, as we would both need to be present for parent conferences, IEP meetings, and Student Support Team meetings for students in both classes.
  • I would be unable to participate in the Math training I signed up for, which I was hoping to do with the rest of my grade level.
Since bloggers are not afraid to share their opinion, I'm asking y'all for help. How do you handle Team Teaching?  Do you Team Teach?  Do you want to? Are there other things to consider?
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Currently... I'm consumed with thoughts of Team Teaching, but I *did* finish my Currently, and I'd love to share it with you!  Have you linked up with Farley yet?  I'm so in bloggy love with this gal; she's fantabulous!
Can you believe it's April already?  This (school) year is just flying by!

Comments

  1. I teach social studies and my track 4 partner teaches science. I enjoy teaching something I like (Social Studies) and not having to plan for one more subject is a plus.
    Now... the amount of paperwork for reading and writing does not compare to the math (profile cards, common assessments, running records, AIMS, assessments,...)- something to think about. I think team teaching works when the parties involved share the load equally.
    I would love to teach math, writing and social studies :) You can come and team teach with me!
    My Second Sense

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't team teach. We talked about it but scheduling was what stopped us. Our second grade teachers do team teach but don't plan to again next year because of scheduling and all of the work it takes to prep to teach the same thing twice and all of the meetings like you mentioned. But I suppose if you work well together and LOVE the subjects you end up teaching it could be wonderful-and it would create some consistency in the experiences that the kiddos get.
      There are definitely pros and cons. Hope this little ramble made sense.
      Thanks for following me! I am now your newest follower as well!

      Delete
  2. Garrggh (This is a new noise that I am making) Every time I think about this I just think . . . I love math, why wouldn't I want to just teach math? (Well and those other things but math it what is really important right?) Thank you for the cons list . . . definitely things to consider. You know that I'm the kind of girl who jumps in without testing the water. I am glad that my partner in crime is not. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi there..

    Thanks so much for stopping by my blog..I am also your newest follower and am so glad I stumbled here on this post! I have been talking with a good girl friend of mine who also works at my school about how wonderful it would be to team teach! We have a friend who does so and absolutely LOVES it. She had wanted to move to a school closer to her home but LOVES her situation so much she doesn't mind the drive anymore. But it would be nice to have somebody else in the class with you to support one another and secretly roll your eyes and giggle at the kids and/or parents :P

    Also, I am excited to learn from you!! I am really looking to improve my reading teaching skills. They are a bit rusty since I do use the basal. I really want to ditch it and I think my grade level will let me next year!!

    Courtney
    Teaching in Paradise

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  4. I ab-so-lute-ly LOVE team teaching!!! I teach math, English, Social Living (social studies in the fall and science in the spring), and it is fabulous. I feel like I can truly concentrate on each child's math development. I don't worry about how well they are reading (that sounds kinda cold, but I really just mean that I don't have to spread my focus around--just math).

    It doesn't hurt that my teaching partner and I are very similar--almost too similar. We often say we can't be separated because we share a brain!! :)

    Live Laugh and Love to Learn

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jenn, it looks like you have a good start of pros and cons. You and Casey are such an awesome Track 1 team that regardless of what you decide, your kids are truly blessed to have both/each of you. (Sorry, not much help, was I?)

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  6. It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this big decision. I say go for it. Yes, it will be a bit more work with the meetings, but in the long run, if reading is what you LOVE to teach then maybe you should give it a shot for a school year. If you don't enjoy it, you can go back to how things are and you'll have an amazing partner to help you learn the common core math materials. Good luck with your decision!

    Come check out Room 114's giveaway if you need a break from your pro's and con's list :)

    Lisa
    stories114.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED! Head to my blog to find out what you have to do next!
    Second Grade Math Maniac Blog

    ReplyDelete
  8. What about combining classes and team teaching in that way? We have removable walls that could be pushed back and then one teacher could teach all 40 students reading, while the other assists and monitors behavior, then the other can teach math, and vice versa. I love team teaching, although I have only done it with a special education teacher, and I think the kids appreciate having a break from one teacher every once in a while ;)

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  9. TAG! I tagged you in the interview game. I'd love it if you'd participate. I love your blog!

    Tessa
    Tales from Outside the Classroom TAG

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  10. I team taught during student teaching. It all happened by accident when my assigned teacher was moved to a new grade level before school started. She was friends with another teacher at that grade level and they decided to give it a try. It was AWESOME! I would love to do it again if I could snag the reading block and give up the math one. ;)

    I think the obvious benefit is getting to know your curriculum really well. The downside may be feeling a little behind with the subjects you don't teach, but I think the benefits of being a teaching rocks star in the ones you DO teach outweigh that. You could always go back to doing it the way you do now if it didn't work after a year.

    I'm staying tuned as your newest follower.
    Christi ツ
    Ms. Fultz’s Corner

    ReplyDelete

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