by Jan McClellan
Co-Teaching for English Learners: A guide to collaborative planning, instruction, assessment, and reflection by Maria G. Dove and Andrea M. Hongisfeld is literally a playbook for every teacher who is utilizing the co-teaching model for serving English Learners (ELs). With specific guidelines to what planning and collaboration should look like, a chapter given for each co-teaching model, and interactive online resources, this book helps teachers maintain best practices when co-teaching to support ELs. Not only do Dove and Honigsfeld provide research based practices, they also show teachers what it looks like thanks to QR codes of videos that model in real life classrooms the practices being described.
The emphasis on teacher collaboration found in Chapter 1 is particularly helpful when beginning the co-teaching experience and/or trying to solidify best practices with co-teaching. Dove and Honigsfeld state, “Co-teaching does not work as a process in itself” (p. 9). Co-teaching is more than two teachers in a classroom but instead also involves a trusting relationship and a collaborative instructional cycle.
Dove and Honigsfeld give co-teachers six different models to choose from and discuss in depth what co-planning, co-teaching, and co-reflecting look like with each model of co-teaching. After reading about the models and the co-teaching process, teachers are also given various research-based ways to co-assess ELs. From questions to ask concerning shared goals, proficiency demonstrations, and success criteria to checklists and examples, Dove and Honigsfeld move teachers to a better understanding of the how and why of co-assessment.
This book is intentional with each piece of information included. It is easy to see that Maria Dove and Andrea Honigsfeld are continually involved in the practice of teaching ELs and supporting teachers. If you find yourself interested in co-teaching, being asked to co-teach, or being asked to introduce co-teaching in your education classes, this book will guide you through it and give you solid research to support your discussions around what co-teaching could look like in your building.
