The Parallel Teaching Method

How do I implement the Parallel Teaching Method?

What IS Parallel Co-Teaching?

References

Are there any cons to this teaching method?

Here are some ways you may use this!

The co-teachers must sit down to plan, plan, plan!

Questions you probably have:

Why should I use the Parallel Teaching Method?

Collaborative Teaching

Cook and Friend (2004). Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics, New Mexico Public Education Department Quarterly Special Education Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, April 29, 2004.

What are we teaching? What will it look like? How long will the lesson last? What will we need? What are we each responsible for gathering?

Parallel Teaching is a collaborative teaching model which involves two teachers.

The class is split into two equal groups and the co-teachers teach the same information simultaneously.

• The Parallel Teaching Method is a way to do science experiements with smaller groups of students. (Cook, 2004)
• This is a good way to present a writing lesson and share or peer-edit writing pieces. (Cook, 2004)
• The Parallel Teaching Method could be used as a way to launch into a class debate if each group were taught the same lesson and then took a different stance on a topic. (Cook, 2004)
• This is very effective as a way to review for a test. (Cook, 2004)

Strategically place students!

A Zelkowitz. (2008, December 18). Six models for collaborative team teaching. Retrieved from http://blogs.scholastic.com/special_ed/2008/12/six-models-for.html

1. What IS the Parallel Teaching Method?

2. Why should I use the Parallel Teaching Method?

3. How do I implement the Parallel Teaching Method?

4. Are there any cons?

Of course!

• The Parallel Teaching Method requires a lot of planning. This is an example of a co-teaching model which allows for individual teaching styles, but you need to be sure that you are teaching the same material.
• Timing must be perfect. (Zelkowitz, 2008) This takes a lot of practice. It can be done, but it's tough to get right!
• Both co-teachers must be equally strong at the material being taught. (Zelkowitz, 2008)
• The Parallel Teaching Method requires double materials; a set for each group being taught.

The Parallel Teaching Method

Decide which students work best with which teacher. You may have a different teaching style than your co-teacher, which is great, but may benefit some students, some behaviors, and some IEPs

~ The Parallel Teaching Method will provide a lower teacher-student ratio. (Cook, 2004)

~The Parallel Teaching Method will improve the efficiency of instruction. (Cook, 2004)

~ The Parallel Teaching Method enhances the discussion in a classroom by allowing students who are normally more shy the freedom to participate. (Cook, 2004)

~ The Parallel Teaching Method can provide an environment where behavior issues can be easily controlled.

(Zelkowitz, 2008)

Rosemary Hazle

4189197

Teach and reflect!

How can I use this in MY classroom?

Teach your lesson and then get back together to discuss how it went. What needs to be retaught? Did the students understand? How do we know?

Once a week, my homeroom has an "academic advisory" class where they learn things like organizational skills, study skills, and keyboarding. During this time, there are 2 teachers in the room. We could use the parallel teaching model to provide the small-group attention to all of our students.

Two teachers teaching the same lesson to a small group of students in the same classroom.