Our co-teaching model in a history lesson about Ancient Rome

Recently, we have been asked by a colleague about what our co-teaching lesson model implies. Let us reply him with one day-to-day sample from our work. Given that the teacher asking the question was a teacher of history, we are going to explain here, very briefly what our history lesson was like in Year 1. In our today's co-teaching history lesson, Susana González, as you probably know, our 1st Stage Geography/History Specialist, focused on the historical contents in question, that is, Ancient Rome; likewise, Marina Hurtado, as you probably already know, our literacy Adviser, focused on the Literacy strategies to be worked on these contents dealing with Ancient Rome.

The lesson was introduced with a short video pointing out new vocabulary and another one on Romulus and Remus, that would scaffold the text that would come after it. Marina was in charge of exploiting the first video whereas Susana paused the second video to add explanations on contents. Marina would intervene as well so as to work on new vocabulary an note-taking techniques that the students are learning to develop this academic year, the first one of them at our school.

In sum, today while exploring the Foundation of Rome as one key starting points to take off, Susana guided students through sourcing and contextualising the text about that Historical event, while Marina was in charge of modelling close-reading and structured note-taking to build fluent, critical readers and writers.

Planning and design to deliver lessons together is what they do to organise the co-teaching sessions, so in this way, our students learn “how” to read, analyse and write about the past as they learn also learn “what” happened.

Co-teaching can only mean a benefit to our students because thanks to the literacy approach our students not only uncover historical truths in the materials they are provided with but also they work on the language tools to tell their own stories.