Co-teaching Through Modeling Processes: Professional Development of Students and Instructors in a Teacher Training Program

In this article, a unique model of instruction based on co-teaching carried out in the framework of the practice teaching program intended for third year college students is presented. The program incorporated principles of modeling based on processes of mentoring, instruction, and discussion, showing the students the pedagogical importance of teaching and involving them critically in ways to improve. The qualitative research reported in this article showed that the students, with the help of the instructors’ modeling of teamwork, succeeded in overcoming many of the conflicts revealed and the difficulties experienced during the shared work training and co-teaching processes. Throughout the program, the students observed the modeling of co-teaching of the instructors from two different areas of expertise, special education and general education, and they and the instructors thus could address many issues evolving from the process.