Team Teaching

“TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More”

An Introduction to the Importance of Team Teaching

As a Fifth Grade teacher, when asked to express my views on team teaching, I smile. To be completely honest I was one of “those” teachers that completely opposed it. If asked why, I don´t remember anymore. I do remember what I felt when I had to teacher all the subjects. I did not take the time to talk to the other teachers constructively about what they were teaching and how they taught it. I felt that I was alone and had to deal with and solve teaching challenges by myself own.

The more I think about, and reflect on those feelings I had, I realize how important the connection between my former feeling of isolation as a teacher and the way I conducted my fifth grade class. Sharing knowledge within a community of support was absent from my teaching pedagogy and consequently, it did not find its way into the students’ learning.

Now I know, that a community of sharing among teachers allows us to feel supported by other teachers in their quest to better serve the needs of their students. In an effective community of sharing, teachers feel comfortable acknowledging what they do not know without feeling embarrassed or vulnerable because it is assumed that everyone in the group faces challenges and also has knowledge to offer the group.

If you ask me what is needed to make team teaching work, my experience has taught me that communication, honesty, and openness are key elements because it allows each teacher to contribute to the wealth of knowledge that is shared by the group. Sharing challenges and difficulties, as well as successful pedagogical strategies will allow teachers to more effectively evaluate pedagogical practices in school and provide a rich array of resources for teachers to use in classrooms.

How does team teaching affect students? If teachers are sharing ideas for successful teaching practices with one another, they will have a wider base of knowledge...