Beliefs about English learners are integral to the success of our co-teaching program. We believe that English learners should not be separated from their peers to be taught something different, in a different setting. We believe that language and content cannot be separated and that language cannot be taught in isolation of grade level content. We believe that content teachers are the most qualified to teach content and that language specialists are the most qualified to support the language of content. We believe that the integration of the two must happen in a grade level setting to ensure that the level of rigor remains high and that English learners have experiences in content alongside a heterogeneous mix of their non-English learner peers.
Beliefs matter and it becomes most evident that they do matter when they are not in alignment with the underlying beliefs of the program because they erode the very foundation upon which the program is built and eventually cause the program to dissolve.
Although everyone must take their own, individual journey, sometimes it is helpful to be able to learn from someone else’s journey in order to embark upon your own. Our journey with co-teaching began in 2007. We have had over a decade of trial and error to share with you and are thrilled to be able to provide you with some starting points as you begin your own journey into the world of co-teaching language and content for English learners because we believe they deserve the best you can offer!
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