Co-Teaching at Port Melbourne Primary School

 

Harnessing Collective Expertise for Student Success

Great teaching doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens through collaboration, precision, and a deep understanding of how students learn best.

At Port Melbourne Primary School, our co-teaching model, combined with explicit instruction, ensures every child benefits from the combined expertise of multiple educators. This approach creates a structured, engaging, and research-backed learning environment, where students receive the targeted support they need to thrive.

With two teachers working side by side, we maximise opportunities for:

Real-time feedback and immediate support
Small-group and individualised instruction
Differentiated learning experiences that cater to all abilities
Higher student engagement and participation

 

But co-teaching is more than just having more teachers in the room. It’s deliberate, high-impact collaboration. Our educators plan together, analyse student progress, and refine their teaching continuously, ensuring no student slips through the cracks.

By harnessing collective expertise, we create a dynamic, high-performing learning environment where every child gets the best possible start.

 

Why Co-Teaching? Scaling Expertise, Amplifying Impact

 

Co-teaching allows us to do more with two teachers than would ever be possible with one. When done effectively, it enables:

 

More targeted instruction – Teachers tailor lessons in real time to meet students’ needs.
Stronger differentiation – Small-group instruction, one-on-one conferencing, and targeted interventions happen daily.
Higher student engagement – More participation, interaction, and discussion opportunities.
Immediate feedback and support – Students receive ongoing guidance, building skills and confidence.
Professional collaboration – Teachers learn from each other, bringing the best instructional strategies into every lesson.

 

This approach is deeply embedded in our Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model, ensuring that every teacher is continuously refining their practice based on evidence and student data.

 

Addressing Common Questions About Co-Teaching

Aren’t there too many kids in one room?

It’s natural to wonder how learning works when two classes share a space. Our approach ensures students benefit from having two teachers, rather than just accommodating a larger group.

Here’s how we make it work:
Structured environment & routines – Clear expectations create a calm, focused learning atmosphere.
Ongoing professional development – Our teachers receive specialised training in co-teaching strategies.
Personalised learning – Small-group instruction and one-on-one support are built into daily lessons.
Higher engagement – More educators = more interaction, participation, and deeper learning.
Rapid response to student needs – Teachers identify and address learning gaps in real time.

Will my child still get individual attention?

Yes! In fact, co-teaching enhances individual attention. With two teachers in the room, students experience more one-on-one support, small-group instruction, and personalised feedback.

Does co-teaching mean my child won’t have a consistent teacher?

Not at all. Students form strong connections with both teachers, benefiting from consistent expectations, seamless collaboration, and shared expertise. They gain more support, not less.

Will my child be distracted by the larger learning space?

No. Our co-teaching classrooms are designed for focus and engagement. Teachers establish clear routines, use structured groupings, and create purposeful learning spaces that minimise distractions.

Is co-teaching just a way to reduce teacher workload?

Absolutely not. Co-teaching is about enhancing learning, not cutting corners. Our approach is backed by research and ensures students receive higher-quality instruction. Teachers engage in collaborative planning, ongoing professional learning, and continuous reflection, ensuring every lesson is purposeful, structured, and effective.

 

Co-Teaching: A Better Learning Experience for Every Child

At Port Melbourne Primary School, co-teaching is more than just having extra adults in the room—it’s about delivering a richer, more personalised learning experience for every student. By combining expertise, collaboration, and real-time support, we ensure that every child receives the instruction, challenge, and encouragement they need to excel.

Collaborative Teaching/Co-Teaching Approaches

One teach, one assist (Supportive teaching): Describes the situation when one teacher takes the lead instructional role and the other roves to monitor and provide support on a one-to-one basis as required, often lending a voice to students or groups who would hesitate to participate or add comments.

Parallel teaching: Is when two or more teachers are working with different groups of learners simultaneously in different parts of the classroom. Teachers may choose to divide the group into mixed ability, like ability or based on student choice. Another benefit to this approach is the reduction of student to teacher ratio.

One Teach / One Observe: In this model, one teacher is primarily responsible for delivering instruction to the entire class. The other teacher is serving as an intentional observer. While observing, this teacher can observe and record student behaviour, student understanding, or even the teaching teacher’s style and behaviour.

Team / Complementary Teaching: Is when both teachers actively work together to deliver instruction to the same group of students at the same time, exhibiting an invisible flow. From a students’ perspective, there is no clearly defined leader – as both teachers share the instruction, are free to interject information, and available to assist students and answer questions. Alternatively Teacher A may do something to enhance the instruction such as paraphrasing or expanding on the other’s ideas, scribing students’ ideas on the whiteboard or model a specific skill while Teacher B leads.

Alternative (Differentiated) Teaching: When using this model, one of the teachers teaches the main lesson to the majority of the class. The second teacher works with a small group of students to either provide remedial help or to extend the lesson with more challenging material.

Station Teaching: Station teaching allows each teacher to work with smaller groups of students. The teachers divide the students into groups and create activities for the students to engage with the lesson material along with the assistance of a teacher. These stations can involve the teaching of new content, reinforcement of previously learned material, or challenging activities for students that are ready.

See Innovative Co-Teaching in Action

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