You must read all texts in this module and view all videos BEFORE beginning the role play. Do the best you can and be forgiving of yourself and your partner if things don’t go according to plan. Most importantly, have some fun. This role play is created in a short time span, it is about learning about and through a process of collaboration. Like all collaboration, this is not about getting it perfect, but learning as you go. It will require compromise.
Within the first 24 hours after signing up for a group, use the d2l discussion space to:
- Provide your partner with your preferences for how you would like to communicate. You should include at least two possibilities. You can communicate asynchronously by continuing to use the dedicated D2L discussion space, text, chat or a Google Doc or you can communicate synchronously through using the phone, video conference, etc.
- Provide your partner with your available times (this is more important for synchronous) or time frames (how quickly you’ll respond to posts). A group could decide to meet for an hour or two via video to complete the entire role play and reflection or to work asynchronously over a few days. There will also be a voluntary zoom meeting hosted during this week that can be used as a workspace to complete this collaboration. If you chose this option, your instructor will put you in pairs in a breakout room to work on this collaboration and will be available on zoom to answer any questions.
- Tell your partner the epistemology you’d like to represent in the role play: positivist/commentator, constructivist/conversationalist, or critical theorist/activist. Give a first and second choice.
Once you have decided how you’ll communicate and when, and read the texts and watched the videos connected to this activity, you’ll work with you’re partner to engage in a role play (either through writing or video) following the directions below.
Role Play Directions:
One of you must take the role of the general education teacher in the video presented in this module. This teacher is primarily a spectator/positivist teacher. Answer the questions as you assume he would answer based on observing him and your understandings of a spectator/positivist stance. The other person will take the view of either a constructivist or activist special education teacher (decide which epistemology and stick with it). Decide who will play each role before you get started.
Here’s the scenario:
Your school principal has asked you to team teach next year. She has asked the special education teacher to observe the teacher in the video and then to discuss each of the issues in the following protocol in order to understand one another’s assumptions, values, beliefs, and styles and then to consider which team teaching models you would like to use next year. Remember to stay in character during the “rounds” based on epistemological views. However, don’t stay in character for the “reflect and debrief” component.
Click here for an example of what a “round” should look like.
Round 1
Please share your (role bound) perspective on the following topics with your prospective team teacher:
- Beliefs about teaching and learning: articulate your epistemological stance and how it plays out in what you consider good:
- classroom management / discipline / relationships with students
- curriculum
- teaching
- inclusion of students with disabilities
- collaboration with parents
Round 2
After reading your partner’s views, Identify what you see as differences and similarities in your beliefs, styles, and preferences. Reflect on what you see as the opportunities and challenges of team teaching together.
Round 3
Given your differences and similarities, consider Friend’s models of collaboration and discuss the three models you think would work for the two of you and why.
Reflect and Debrief
Do not stay “in-character” for this component. Once you have completed the role play, reflect on your connections, insights, and/or questions as you engaged in this exercise. In addition, address what you learned about collaboration from the role play and from working together to create it. What do you think you did well? Where do you see room for improvement? You can debrief together on the video (if you create one) or in text. For full-points on this section, your response should be at least 1 paragraph and incorporate some of the course readings.
Once you and your partner have completed this assignment, one of you will need to submit it here, in “Assignments” under “Module 2: Team Teach Role Play.” Please make sure that both na
I am the constructivist/conversationalist this is what I started will need you to respond to the other parts and word staged on the role play document from mis R document attached i need by Sunday
Hi, ms. Litan, I am excited to work as your co-teacher next year. I like your teaching philosophies and classroom management plans; they are helpful as we combine working with our students. We want to keep in mind the UDL and use this as an anchor strategy to combine special education with general education. I am here to help you support the students in any way you need. I want to try Parallel teaching in two small groups, which can work for us because it does not have such a large classroom and helps struggling learners(Sean Cassel, 2019). I like us to have balance with each other, work off of our strengths, and work on our weaknesses together. After all, our goal is to advocate for the students and give them a safe space to learn. We work well together in planning, teaching, and communicating on daily sheets with parents. What do you think about the daily sheets for parents?
Constructivist/Conversationalist (You):
Hi, Ms. Litan, I am excited to work as your co-teacher next year. I like your teaching philosophies and classroom management plans; they are helpful as we combine working with our students. We want to keep in mind the UDL and use this as an anchor strategy to combine special education with general education. I am here to help you support the students in any way you need. I want to try Parallel teaching in two small groups, which can work for us because it does not have such a large classroom and helps struggling learners (Sean Cassel, 2019). I like us to have balance with each other, work off of our strengths, and work on our weaknesses together. After all, our goal is to advocate for the students and give them a safe space to learn. We work well together in planning, teaching, and communicating on daily sheets with parents. What do you think about the daily sheets for parents?
Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!
Positivist/Spectator (Ms. Litan):
Thank you for your enthusiasm! I believe in structured classroom management and direct instruction to ensure students receive the content knowledge they need. I value consistency, data-driven instruction, and well-established rules and expectations. I see my role as delivering knowledge and ensuring mastery through structured assessments. When it comes to inclusion, I recognize its importance but believe that students with disabilities may sometimes need separate instruction to address their unique needs. I work with parents mainly through periodic progress reports and scheduled meetings rather than daily communication, but I am open to discussing your idea of daily sheets.
Round 2: Identifying Differences and Similarities
Similarities:
- Both of us are dedicated to student success and ensuring they have a safe learning environment.
- We value structure and consistency in teaching and classroom management.
- We recognize the importance of collaboration between educators and with parents.
Differences:
- I emphasize student-led learning and inquiry-based approaches, while you rely more on direct instruction and structured learning.
- I prioritize continuous communication with parents, whereas you prefer scheduled meetings.
- I believe all students should be fully included with accommodations, while you see separate instruction as sometimes necessary.
Opportunities and Challenges of Team Teaching:
Our differences can be opportunities for growth. My focus on collaboration and differentiated learning complements your structured approach, creating a balanced classroom environment. However, we must navigate different beliefs about inclusion and parental involvement. Finding middle ground on communication strategies will be key.
Round 3: Choosing Team Teaching Models
Based on our differences and strengths, I propose the following three models:
- Parallel Teaching: We split the class into two groups and teach the same material in different ways. This allows us to balance structured and inquiry-based learning while providing targeted support.
- Alternative Teaching: One of us works with a smaller group needing extra support while the other instructs the larger class. This is great for differentiation, ensuring all students receive the support they need.
- Station Teaching: We each run different learning stations focused on different instructional approaches. This allows students to engage with diverse teaching methods.
Do these models align with your perspective?
Reflect and Debrief
This role-play exercise provided valuable insights into collaboration. I learned that while we have different perspectives, our shared commitment to student success can bridge our differences. One key takeaway is that effective team teaching requires flexibility, compromise, and mutual respect. I appreciated how we balanced structured and inquiry-based teaching, which can enhance student engagement. One area for improvement is ensuring that we communicate effectively about our instructional methods so that students receive a cohesive learning experience. From this exercise, I also realized how crucial it is to establish shared goals early in the co-teaching process.
Overall, this role-play was a great way to explore different epistemologies in education and how they shape our teaching styles.
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