Coplanning

Coplanning is one phase of the coteaching process. When teachers coplan, they discuss and develop curriculum collaboratively. Please view the Coplanning Session Structure tool for a clearer picture of the coplanning process.

Coplanning between the cooperating teacher (CT) and teacher candidate (TC) may occur in person or virtually. Some platforms to use for virtual coplanning include:

• Google Meet

• Zoom

• Facetime

• Google Docs

The leadership roles in coplanning may shift during the clinical practice experience, depending on the stage in which the TC finds themselves. We can use the gradual release of responsibility model as an example:

Clinical Practice I:

1. In the beginning, CT is sharing their planning process, thinking aloud, and sharing lesson plans and resources with the TC.

2. As the placement progresses, CT includes TC in the planning process for targeted lessons.

Clinical Practice II & III:

1. In the beginning, the CT assumes more responsibility, allowing feedback and suggestions from the TC.

2. As the placement progresses, the CT affords more responsibility to the TC for leading the coplanning sessions.

3. Toward the end of the clinical practice experience, TCs are assuming most of the responsibility for leading coplanning sessions.

Regardless of the leadership role, both teachers are involved in planning through collaborative discussions, sharing drafts of plans for feedback, and sharing resources.

• Note: These timelines are subjective and ultimately based upon the CT’s judgment and TC's needs.

Review the Coplanning Tool for high-leverage coplanning and discourse practices that you can implement into your own coplanning sessions.

Check out the coplanning video below to see coplanning in action!

1. Scheduling: Determine a regularly scheduled time for coplanning. Allot longer coplanning time when planning big picture and shorter coplanning sessions when sharing individual planning tasks for feedback.

2. Structure: Implementing a consistent structure to coplanning sessions can streamline the process and ensure efficiency and that each coteacher understands their role.

3. Roles & Responsibilities: Reflect on coteacher strengths and challenges as planners and determine regular roles and responsibilities based on this personal inventory. For example, one coteacher might be responsible for the creation of handouts, another coteacher might be responsible for creating the bell work activity.

4. Create To-Do Lists: Make a list of who is doing what with clear deadlines for feedback and implementation. Time can be wasted on the logistics of coplanning, and to-do-lists can make each role and next steps clear.

Here we provide resources for in-person and virtual coplanning.

Videos

• Coteaching Video Collection: The coteaching video collection website contains over 40+ video clips (and growing) showcasing exemplar coteaching, representing a variety of grades and disciplines. Coteachers can view these clips together, reflect on their own coteaching practice, and set goals for enhancing their collaboration as they learn together and support the learning of PK-12 students

• Coteaching in a Virtual Environment: In this Screencast video, Megan Guise, Single Subject Faculty at Cal Poly, provides recommendations for the coteaching process, including coplanning, coinstructing, and coassessing, in the virtual teaching and learning environment.

• CSU-Stanislaus Co-Planning PD: This video provides more information on what effective coplaning sessions look like.

Online Articles and Documents

• Coteaching in a Virtual Teaching & Learning Environment: This document provides tips and suggestions for implementing all three phases of coteaching: coplanning, coinstructing, and coassessing.

• 10 Tips for Coplanning Efficiently: This document provides helpful tips for coplanners.

• Implementation of Coplanning Tool: This document provides characteristics of effective coplanning in a clinical practice placement.

Blog Posts

• Virtual Coplanning and Coteaching: Educational blog post on coplanning and coteaching in the virtual environment.

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Email: soe@calpoly.edu
Phone: 805-756-2126

Website: https://soe.calpoly.edu/20202021-clinical-practice-website