Cooperative Teaching: Pictures of Possibilities

Cooperative teaching, in which a general educator and a special services provider (e.g., a special educator, Chapter 1 teacher, speech and language therapist) teach together simultaneously in a general education classroom composed of academically heterogeneous students, has rapidly emerged as an effective way to facilitate the inclusion of students with diverse curricular and instructional needs. In this article we provide an overview of cooperative teaching, note problems experienced by some participants moving into cooperative teaching, and offer practical suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of cooperative teaching.