Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 3 Episode 5)What happens when families and educators truly partner to support every learner? We sat down with Diann Eaton, Co-Director of the T/TAC at Virginia Tech, to explore how co-teaching and family engagement can transform classrooms and strengthen school communities.During this conversation, Diann mentions a variety of recommended resources for families including:Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) - specific to Virginia - website includes an opportunity to subscribe to their newsletter The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education from the Virginia Department of EducationCritical Decision Points from the I’m Determined Project - helps families navigate key milestones during their child’s educationVirginia Family Special Education Connection - comprehensive website to support familiesChoosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children (COACH 3) - available from our lending libraryFollow this podcast to receive content from distinguished co-teachers twice each month throughout the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. Click here for a copy of today’s transcript.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 3 Episode 4)High-leverage practices (HLPs) — it’s one of the biggest buzzwords in special education right now. But how do these practices actually inform what co-teachers do? We sat down with Dr. Jocelyn Washburn, one of the authors of recent HLP books, to dig into her personal experience with co-teaching and how these strategies impact real classrooms.Related books:High Leverage Practices in Inclusive Classrooms - Available for checkout from our libraryHigh Leverage Practices for Intensive Interventions - Available for checkout from our libraryComing in 2026: High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms 3rd Edition.Learn more about Dr. Washburn’s research and writings. Pillar graphic of 22 HLPs for Students with Disabilities.Follow this podcast to receive content from distinguished co-teachers twice each month throughout the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. Click here for a copy of today’s transcript.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 3 Episode 3)Chapter 1 exploration- Kitty and Sue rank the “Co-Teaching Spokes” from Co-Teaching Do’s, Don’ts, and Do Betters” by Wendy Murawski and Toby Karten. This conversation delves into the principles of co-teaching as outlined in the book 'Co-Teaching Do's, Don'ts and Do-Betters' by Toby Karten and Wendy Murowski. The hosts discuss their rankings of co-teaching priorities, the importance of instructional models, behavioral interventions, and the integration of social emotional learning. They explore the nuances of MTSS and PBIS, and how differentiated instruction and UDL play a role in effective teaching practices. The conversation emphasizes the interconnectedness of these concepts and the need for collaboration between general and special educators.To see the transcript for this episode, click here.TakeawaysThe foundational principles of co-teaching are interconnected.Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) is crucial for special education.Universal Design for Learning (UDL) accommodates diverse learners.Co-teaching models enhance instructional delivery.Behavioral interventions are essential for student success.MTSS and PBIS are frameworks for supporting students' needs.Differentiated instruction tailors learning to individual students.Social emotional learning should be integrated into all lessons.Effective co-teaching requires collaboration and shared expertise.Understanding by design is key to effective lesson planning.To see Figure 1.1, The Co-Teaching SpokesTo see the Relevance Wheel from Total Participation Techniques

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 3 Episode 2)Ever wonder how authors or presenters develop a passion for their content? Listen as Toby Karten reveals how her cousin sparked her interest in teaching students with disabilities way back in fourth grade. Toby is a prolific author. Throughout this season we will be using Co-teaching Do’s, Don’ts, and Do Betters as the jumping off point for discussion and interview topics for this podcast. To learn more about Toby:Karten’s Inclusion Conversation PodcastThe A.D.M.I.R.E. Framework for InclusionAmazon AuthorASCD AuthorSolution Tree AuthorCorwin AuthorNPR AuthorTo connection with Toby:Facebook: Inclusion Education ServicesInstagram https://www.instagram.com/tobyjkarten/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tkarten/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-karten-2022a621Web: http://www.inclusionworkshops.com/X: TobyKarten@TJK2INCLUDE Follow this podcast to receive content from distinguished co-teachers twice each month throughout the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. Click here for a copy of today’s transcript.

Listen as Dr. Wendy Murawski reveals how she unintentionally became a teacher and fell in love with collaborating with other professionals. Now she travels around the globe championing inclusive education. In this episode she discusses her personal journey of becoming a  co-teaching advocate and some of the research she is conducting overseas in this area.Wendy is a prolific author. Two of her recent books that are highlighted in this discussion are Co-teaching Do’s, Don’ts, and Do Betters and Connecting High-Leverage Practices to Student Success. If you would like to create a professional learning community around one of these texts, here are book study guides to help you structure your learning.Book Study Guide for Co-teaching Do’s, Don’ts, and Do BettersBook Study Guide for Connecting High-Leverage Practices to Student SuccessDr. Murawski’s energy is contagious. If you are looking for an opportunity to engage with Wendy in person, plan to attend the Virginia Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Harrisonburg on November 14-15th. Our second episode (coming in early October), will focus on Wendy’s latest book, Practical Strategies for Managing a Diverse Classroom. In this book, Wendy addresses disruptive behavior, noncompliance, lack of motivation, social-emotional challenges, and so many other practical predicaments facing teachers today. You won’t want to miss this discussion.Follow this podcast to receive content from distinguished co-teachers twice each month throughout the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Connect with Wendy at 2teachllc.comSubscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://otter.ai/u/cIXfauY38-brfWgErdMDKqtPILo?utm_source=copy_url.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 15) This discussion features Candace Acousta - the lead English Learner teacher from Galax Elementary School. After describing her professional experience which started in high school, Candace shares how she began her co-teaching journey in a 7th grade English classroom alongside a well-organized general education teacher and flexible special education teacher. This school year, Candace has focused on the needs of newcomers within her school. You won’t want to miss her many ideas related to co-planning, embedding language support, scaffolding participation, and acknowledging cultural assets.This is our final episode for the 2024-2025 school year. Look for our next podcast release in September of 2025 for season 3 of Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c1UP43SSHcIff5R6wwpILyDA-jSAYzrOZgbbpB49nkE/edit?usp=drive_link.

During our last episode with Shelly Boggess from Giles High School, the hot topic of scheduling came up. Today, we are exploring ideas to consider when tackling the master schedule.Links to resources mentioned in this discussion:Scheduling DocumentCreative Co-Planning Ideas  In our next episode (coming in early May), we will discuss co-teaching with Candace Acousta from an English Language Development teacher’s perspective.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching, such as a Roles and Responsibilities checklist like the Giles team used and an overview of the co-teaching models/approaches.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech.  To get a copy of a transcript for today's podcast click here.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 13) Ever wonder what it takes to be the first school to start a successful co-teaching model within your school division?  Meet Shelly Boggess, Principal of Giles High School. Shelly was the driving force behind the introduction of co-teaching at her school and has remained a steadfast advocate for it. In this conversation, learn about her role as neutral mediator when conflicts arise, her commitment to sending all co-teaching teams to professional development together, her method for creating a master schedule that ensures co-planning time, and so many more important topics. Just in time as you are beginning to plan for the upcoming school year, our next episode (coming in late April) will focus on best practices for scheduling co-teaching.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech.  Click here for a copy of today’s transcript.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 12)During our last episode with Keli Bradbury and Suzanne Graham from the Radford University Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) the book, Connecting High Leverage Practices to Student Success: Collaboration in Inclusive Classrooms by Melissa Jenkins and Wendy Murawsk, was mentioned as a go to resource.  Participants in the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative for 2024-2025 are also studying this book and implementing its ideas in their classrooms.  Today, we will zoom in on the importance of establishing and nurturing co-teaching relationships, intentionally discussing roles and responsibilities, as well as the hot topic - specially designed instruction (SDI).Links to resources mentioned in this discussion:Share FormDifficult Conversation FormCheck out this book from our libraryPg 58-59 Table 3.3 Identifying Responsibilities on Collaborative TeamsPg 63 Team Reflection QuestionsPg 249-256 - Appendix A & B - HLP crosswalksHigh Leverage Practices in Special EducationHigh Leverage Practices in General EducationIn our next episode (coming in early April), we will discuss administrative support for co-teaching with Shelly Boggess from Giles High School.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching, such as a Roles and Responsibilities checklist like the Giles team used and an overview of the co-teaching models/approaches.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to this link.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 11) Join us for our discussion with Keli Bradbury and Suzanne Graham from Radford University’s Training and Technical Assistance Center. Keli and Suzanne were instrumental in supporting Katie Wright and Mandy Seeberger from Giles High School during the past three years. Check out our interview with Katie and Mandy if you missed it. In today’s conversation, learn how Suzanne and Keli introduced co-teaching to a local high school and middle school while they were in the classroom and how it grew to become part of the school culture. Now, Keli and Suzanne use their personal experiences of feeling like an aide and struggling to learn the content to relate to the very real challenges that co-teachers face today.Links to websites mentioned in this discussion:RU T/TAC’s Co-Teaching Resources2024-2025 Excellence in Co-Teaching Demonstration SitesHigh Leverage PracticesIn our next episode (coming in late March), we will focus on Connecting High Leverage Practices to Student Success: Collaboration in Inclusive Classrooms by Melissa Jenkins and Wendy Murawski with a particular focus on relationship building and SDI.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/KB-SG.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 10)In our last episode, Katie Wright and Mandy Seeberger, Algebra 1 co-teachers from Giles High School, mentioned how Anne Beninghof’s book, Specially Designed Instruction: Increasing Success for Students with Disabilities, has impacted their teaching this school year. In today’s discussion, we delve deeper into topics that came up during that conversation including being reflective teachers, intentionally planning with SDI in mind, and encouraging metacognitive skills in our students. Here are links to some resources mentioned: Planning matrix SDI questions bookmark Graphic of incidental benefitKatie and Mandy are one of the statewide co-teaching demonstration sites: 2024-2025 Excellence in Co-Teaching Demonstration Sites.In our next episode (coming in early March), we will interview Keli Bradbury and Suzanne Graham to find out more about their personal experiences with co-teaching and the support they provided to Katie and Mandy.Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching, such as a Roles and Responsibilities checklist like the Giles team used and an overview of the co-teaching models/approaches.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/13VXBOEVAw7-WTjYY1fk3KubU0W2QBejhidgcNTUdoM8/edit?usp=sharing .

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 9) Imagine being able to play back your class and reflect on your successes and areas for improvement— well, Katie and Mandy are doing just that, and it’s revolutionizing the way they teach. In their third year of co-teaching together, Katie Wright and Mandy Seeberger from Giles High School wouldn’t want to teach Algebra 1 any other way. This dynamic team is in their first year of participating in the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative as representatives of Region 7 in Virginia. In this episode, Katie and Mandy share their insights on the vital role administrative support plays in co-teaching. They discuss the supports they received as new co-teachers, the challenge of co-planning for specially designed instruction (SDI) effectively, the incidental benefit to students without IEPs or 504 plans, and ways to encourage students to reflect on their learning, among other topics. By the end of this episode, we challenge you to think about one way you can improve collaboration and reflection in your own school—whether you're in the classroom or behind the scenes.Here are the links to some of the items Katie and Mandy referenced in this conversation:Mobile desksRoom dividersIn our next episode (coming in late February), we will revisit Anne Beninghof’s book,Specially Designed Instruction:  Increasing Success for Students with Disabilities with a particular focus on planning for SDI by identifying specific IEP goals to target and considering student access to the curriculum by encouraging executive functioning skills. Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year.Please visit ourwebsite for links to additional resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to ________ .

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 8) Our last conversation with Dr.  Margaret Weiss (Season 2 Episode 7) inspired us to dig deeper into Anne M. Benninghof’s book, Specially Designed Instruction Increasing Succes for Students with Disabilities. This book works to clarify these 3 questions about SDI: What is SDI? Who is responsible? How do we make it happen? In this podcast episode we focus on Planning Step 1: Clarifying the Learning Target and Planning and Step 7: Boost Participation.  Here are additional resources that may help support the ideas discussed: Anne Beninghof’s Planning Steps for SDI Anne Beninghof’s  website https://www.ideasforeducators.com/  The 5 Levels of Engagement by Schlechty: A Simple Guide by John Spencer (4:07 YouTube video) John Hattie’s Visible Learning Hattie Ranking: 252 Influences And Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement  Guidelines and Suggestions for Choral Responding Prepared by the Center on Innovations in Learning (Sept. 2016) Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year. Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching and also access our lending library where you can check out Ann Beninghof’s book Specially Designed Instruction Increasing Succes for Students with Disabilities. Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech.  Click to get a copy of today’s transcript.

Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee (Season 2 Episode 4) During this episode, Sue Schulz and Kitty Wade discuss a chapter Dr. Wendy Murawski co-authored on Co-Teaching Models from English Learners with Learning Disabilities: A Collaborative Practice Guide for Educators edited by Richard Boon and Vicky Spencer and a new book by Andrea Honigsfeld and Audry Cohan titled Collaboration for Multilingual Learners with Exceptionalities: We Share the Students. Learn along with us some strategies to specifically address the unique needs of multilingual learners with disabilities in a co-taught setting. Check these books out from our library by visiting our website. Our next episode (coming in late November) will feature our conversation with Melissa Gunter. Melissa has been instrumental in coordinating the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative for the 2024-2025 school year. During our discussion, Melissa shares about her personal journey of becoming a more effective co-teaching partner and advocating for the students. Follow this podcast so you won’t miss future discussions with distinguished co-teachers twice each month during the school year. Please visit our website for links to additional resources related to co-teaching. Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i6OCtqbMQOZ0v7BzJnN2QpuPnQDxewF-NEgi2ZqTCV0/edit?usp=sharing_.

Join us for the 3rd and final part of our discussion with Donna Cox and Kit Williams, 9th grade World History co-teachers from James River High School in Botetourt County. This dynamic pair is participating for the second consecutive year in the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). To schedule a classroom visit, please contact Sue Schulz, Kitty Wade, Donna Cox, or Kit Williams. In this episode, Donna and Kit talk about how they elicited the help of a colleague to repeatedly act out during a faculty presentation. Their “plant” allowed them to model how they address cell phone use by students during class as well as other common classroom disruptions. Donna and Kit also describe their beliefs about teacher parity. Finally, you won’t want to miss their suggestions of creative ways to co-plan. Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/S1E9transcript. Our next episode will be released on February 26th.

Join us as we talk with Jeanie Flad and Lauren Wyatt, 4th grade co-teachers from Gilbert Linkous Elementary in Montgomery County. We think you will understand why both teachers have been named teacher of the year at their school. Please visit our website for links to resources related to co-teaching. Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/S1E5Transcript. Our next episode will continue our conversation with Jeanie and Lauren.

Enjoy our continued conversation with Brittany Mallette and Justin Carter, 3rd grade English Language Arts co-teachers from Christiansburg Elementary School in Montgomery County, Virginia. These early career teachers discuss their use of station teaching, flexible grouping, and the importance of teaching students clear expectations for small group work. Informed by the Science of Reading, Brittany and Justin have incorporated many new strategies this year including Elkonin boxes, word mapping, graphic organizers, and visual supports. Please visit our website for links to resources related to co-teaching.Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/S1E4Transcript.

Meet Brittany Mallette and Justin Carter, 3rd grade English Language Arts co-teachers from Christiansburg Elementary School in Montgomery County, Virginia. These early career teachers discuss how they formed the framework for their co-teaching relationship. Driven by their passion for student success, Brittany and Justin prioritize open communication and parity in the classroom as they enjoy learning together everyday. Please visit our website for links to resources related to co-teaching. Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/S1E3Transcript. Our next episode will continue our conversation with Brittany and Justin.

Join us as we continue our conversation with Amber Benson and Ruby Voss, co-teachers from Northside Middle School. We discuss Data @ the Door. Click here for our show notes with links to topics mentioned in today's interview as well as ways to follow BensonVoss.

Join us a we talk with Amber Benson and Ruby Voss, Math 8 co-teachers from Northside Middle School in Roanoke County. With contagious energy and enthusiasm, these co-teachers champion the learning of all those they meet. “BensonVoss” are participating in the Virginia Department of Education Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative for the 4th year straight. Last fall they received the National Educator of the Year Award from the Association for Middle Level Education.  Contact us if you would like to visit this team, or any other from the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative. In this episode, BensonVoss highlight topics they frequently present on as well as share tips on effective communication. For more information on these, click on the links below: High Leverage Practices Building Positive Relationships with Students Spiral Assessment Data at the Door (Check back for a future interview segment on this.)  Please visit our website for a link to our full interview and additional resources related to co-teaching. Connect with BensonVoss on  Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/BensonVossMath8/ Twitter https://www.twitter.com/BensonVoss Check out their many instructional videos on YouTube @BensonVoss Subscribe to Co-Teachers in Classrooms Getting Coffee for bimonthly interviews with co-teachers brought to you by the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. For a copy of today’s transcript, go to https://bit.ly/S1E1Transcript.