Preparing To Successfully Co-Teach For English Language Learners On The First Day Of School: A Series Of Professional Development Sessions

Abstract

As the population of the United States continues to grow more and more diverse, schools are adapting to meet the needs of their changing student populations. A common program model for educating English language learners is co-teaching between an ESL teacher and a general education teacher. This paper seeks to answer the questions How can teachers be prepared to successfully co-teach for English language learners on the first day of school? This paper begins by discussing the author’s experience that led to the research question, while also situating the topic in the context of today’s public education system. In order to answer the research question, this paper dives into the the history of co-teaching, co-teaching design, case studies, and research on adult education. The culmination of this research is a five-part series of professional development designed to prepare teachers to effectively co-teach English language learners on the first day of school. The project is rooted in Malcolm Knowles’ theories of adult education that advocate for more choice and agency over learning. The project is also rooted in anecdotal data that has been harvested by a number of case studies. Finally, the paper concludes by reflecting on the process and looking toward the future.