Reimagining Partnerships: Using the Co-Teach Model to Prepare 21st Century Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the co-teaching model for the student teaching internship and its benefits for teacher candidates and the students with whom they work. The partnerships that have emerged from the implementation of co-teaching in eastern Washington state are explained. Co-teaching is in the process of being phased in by all four major universities in the region: Whitworth University, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, and Gonzaga University. The universities and local districts partnered to form the Eastern Washington Co-teaching Leadership Team to plan and deliver training together. A study was conducted by the Eastern Washington Coteaching Leadership Team in Spring of 2010 to determine mentor perceptions of the effectiveness of co-teaching for both students in the classroom and for teacher candidate training. The respondents supported co-teaching as an effective approach and offered recommendations for training mentors and teacher candidates more effectively in the future.