As a new teacher to Benton Community I am getting to know many new students and families as well as making connections with families that I already knew. When I tell people that I “have had your child in class” after mentioning that I am a Special Ed Teacher, I often get a questioning “look”. I quickly explain that I am a Special Ed Teacher, but that means that I Co-Teach in many General Education classes, we all do at Benton.
When we are Co-Teaching we are in the classroom to support all of the students in the class. Yes, we do make sure that the students with IEP’s are having their needs met in planning, support, and execution of the lessons, but on the daily we are often in front of the class providing instruction alongside the General Education Teacher. Co-Teaching has actually been proven to be beneficial for all students, not just the ones with IEP’s. When there are two certified teachers in the room all students have a smaller student to teacher ratio, get their questions answered more quickly, and often get less frustrated because they don’t have to wait for help.
With two teachers in the room we are able to monitor student learning more closely, collaborate on how to provide instruction best for each section, and explain things in different ways to reach more students. Having Co-Teachers in the general education classroom also allows both teachers more time to build relationships with all students so that everyone feels supported. Co-Teaching is one of the many things that makes Benton a great place to have your kids attend school.