This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click the links and make a purchase I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. I do not recommend any companies that I do not persoanlly use and love. Please read our disclaimer for more info. Teaching inclusion can be overwhelming for someone who is new to the job, or maybe you are just in a new co-teaching relationship. There are so many things to worry about, from the needs of your students, to your co-teaching relationship, to working with parents. Here are some tips for someone who is new to inclusion. Treat all of the students the same It is easy to go into the classroom and focus on only the students on your caseload. It is your job to help these students and ensure that they are receiving all of their necessary accommodations and modifications. But, you need to remember that for optimal co-teaching, you need to remember that as a co-teacher in the classroom, all of those students are yours. Treating all of the students as though they are yours, makes your special education students more comfortable asking you for help and working with you. The older students get, the less likely that they are to want to seem like they’re receiving extra attention. When I am circulating the room, I make sure to help all of the students so that my kids are not embarrassed when I am helping them. Also, treating all of the students as though they are yours makes classroom management easier. When students see you as the special education teacher or the helper teacher, they don’t always show you the same amount of respect as they show the general education teacher. If you and your co-teacher act in a way that demonstrates that you are both in charge, the students are not going to walk all over you. Keep open lines of communication Co-teaching is impossible without a lot of communication. You need to make sure that you’re always on the same page as your co-teacher. Make sure that you agree with them in how you are going to teach a concept. Make sure that you agree with them in how you are going to assess the students. Don’t leave your concerns unheard because you are nervous to upset or offend your co-teacher. You have a valuable perspective that maybe they just need to hear. Communication is also important for parent-teacher relationships. If you are keeping an open line of communication with parents/guardians, the parents are going to feel more apt to trust you when they are questioning something. How often are students running home and telling parents a different side of the story? If the parents have heard your side of the story first, they will be prepared to talk to their kids when they come home from school. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind Your school district hired you for a reason. Although, co-teaching can be difficult when there are disagreements. Sometimes, it can feel like it would be easier to just differ to the content area teacher because they are the expert in that subject. But, your opinion is valuable. You are the specialist in teaching strategies, and modifying the curriculum to meet the needs of your students. If you approach a disagreement from a place of respect, you can hopefully have a calm conversation and maybe agree to a compromise. Don’t go in expecting a fight, because if you do there is a greater chance that is what you are going to get. Don’t let the paperwork get ahead of you When people ask me what I do, sometimes I just answer with, “paperwork.” Sometimes it feels like I am drowning in papers. I am constantly surrounded by testing reports, IEPs, work samples, quizzes or tests I am grading, professional development handouts, you name it! Make sure that you take the time to develop a paperwork organization system, and that you stick with it. I try to carve out time every week where I file away everything that I have sitting around. If you go too long it is just going to get more and more overwhelming and you’ll want to put it off even more. If you have time scheduled into your week that you put paperwork away, it won’t get away from you. Also, check out: Guiding Paraprofessionals When Co-Teaching Gets Tough The Ultimate Guide to Co-Teaching eBook! Check it Out! We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered By ConvertKit FREE co-teaching checklist Subscribe to receive a free co-teaching checklist! Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and download the checklist. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. Get the Checklist! We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit