I believe that collaborative teaching is the best way to support
students in their literacy development during school hours and
the best way for educators to improve their instructional practices.
Like the world's complex problems, the challenges of 21st-century
literacy learning will not be accomplished by individuals working
in isolation from one another. Working together, educators can
plan, implement, monitor, adjust, and assess instruction that
will have a greater impact on student learning. Through this
book and my work with practicing educators, I am dedicated to
contributing to a culture of collaboration.
Coteaching is also the best way to foster a culture of collaboration
among educators. While coteaching, classroom teachers, teacher-librarians,
coaches, and specialists teach their own students and curriculum
while using actual resources at their disposal. Coplanning,
coteaching, and coassessing lessons and units of instruction
creates a context for shared reflection. In my experience, educators
can develop more effective strategies for teaching when they
share this responsibility with colleagues with whom they have
jointly taught. Coteaching is authentic, practical, and effective
professional development. Job-embedded professional development
makes sense.
