Team Teaching

Team teaching (also called co-teaching) involves two or more teachers collaboratively planning, delivering, and evaluating instruction for the same group of learners. It is not simply "two teachers in the room"; genuine team teaching requires shared responsibility for learning outcomes and coordinated roles during the lesson.

Models

Model	Description	Best for
One teach, one assist	One teacher leads; the other circulates, monitors, and supports individual learners	Mentoring, mixed-ability classes
Parallel teaching	The class is split; each teacher teaches the same content to a smaller group	Reducing student-teacher ratio
Station teaching	Teachers set up different activity stations; groups rotate	Skills practice, differentiation
Alternative teaching	One teacher works with the main group; the other provides enrichment or remediation to a small group	Differentiated instruction
Team teaching (shared)	Both teachers actively co-deliver, trading roles within the lesson	Experienced pairs, demonstration lessons

The "one teach, one assist" model is the most common starting point but also the least equitable because it can reduce the assisting teacher to a passive helper. Genuine team teaching requires both teachers to be active contributors with defined roles.

Benefits

For learners

• Lower student-teacher ratio during key activities
• More individual attention and feedback
• Exposure to different teaching styles, accents, and interaction patterns
• Smoother lesson flow when transitions are shared

For teachers

• Shared planning reduces individual workload (once the partnership is established)
• Real-time professional learning: watching a colleague teach and adapting in response
• Immediate, contextualised peer observation
• Emotional and practical support, especially for less experienced teachers
• Models collaborative practice for learners

Challenges

Challenge	Mitigation
Role ambiguity	Define roles explicitly during planning: who leads which stage, who monitors
Personality clashes	Choose partnerships carefully; establish ground rules early
Unequal status	Ensure both teachers have meaningful responsibilities; avoid "main teacher + assistant" dynamics
Planning time	Co-planning takes longer initially; invest the time upfront to establish routines
Conflicting approaches	Discuss pedagogical beliefs and agree on principles before the first lesson
Institutional resistance	Requires timetabling flexibility and willingness to allocate two teachers to one class

Team Teaching as Professional Development

When done well, team teaching is one of the most effective forms of ongoing CPD because it is:

• Situated: Learning happens in the actual teaching context
• Sustained: Not a one-off workshop but an ongoing partnership
• Collaborative: Knowledge is constructed through dialogue and shared practice
• Reflective: Post-lesson debriefing is built into the process

Pairing an experienced teacher with a newer colleague combines mentoring with collaborative practice. The experienced teacher models techniques; the newer teacher brings fresh ideas and questions assumptions.

In ELT Contexts

Team teaching is common in:

• JET Programme (Japan): Native English speakers co-teach with Japanese teachers of English
• EPIK (South Korea): Similar model with Korean English teachers
• International schools: Content and language teachers co-deliver CLIL lessons
• Pre-service training: Paired teaching practice on CELTA and similar courses
• Language schools: Occasional team-taught lessons for variety or large classes

References

• Bailey, K. M., Curtis, A. & Nunan, D. (2001). Pursuing Professional Development: The Self as Source. Heinle & Heinle.
• Richards, J. C. & Farrell, T. S. C. (2005). Professional Development for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press.
• Friend, M. & Cook, L. (2017). Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals (8th ed.). Pearson.

See Also

• Peer Observation: team teaching provides continuous mutual observation
• Mentoring: pairing experienced and novice teachers in team teaching contexts
• Continuing Professional Development: team teaching as situated, ongoing PD