Inclusion Co Teaching

Inclusion / Co-Teaching

Inclusion / Co-Teaching

Paraprofessional Best Practice Library

Brief 11.11

Inclusion / Co-Teaching

Working in someone else's classroom — the para's specific moves

For paraprofessionals supporting students in general-education settings

Why this brief

More and more paras work in inclusion settings — supporting one or more students with IEPs in a general-education classroom alongside the gen-ed teacher. The work has its own logic that doesn't transfer cleanly from self-contained settings or 1:1 work outside the classroom. You're a guest in someone else's room, often without a clearly defined role, sometimes without a relationship with the teacher, supporting a student who's trying to be part of a group and not stand out. Done well, inclusion paras are nearly invisible while making a big difference. Done poorly, they make the student more visible (in a stigmatizing way), undermine the gen-ed teacher's authority, or quietly fail to support the student well.

This brief covers the practical work of inclusion: where to position yourself, how to support without taking over, how to coordinate with the gen-ed teacher, what to do when the lesson isn't accessible, and how to fade your own role over time. Brief 04.10 covers co-teaching models in depth (the six configurations); this brief is the para-specific complement.

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| The frameYour goal in inclusion is for the student to be a member of the class, supported when they need it and otherwise indistinguishable from peers in your day-to-day approach. The student's teacher is the gen-ed teacher. Your job is to help them be successful in that classroom — not to substitute for the teacher, not to keep the student tethered to you, not to make them visibly different. |

Who this brief is for

Paras working in inclusion settings — pushing into gen-ed for some or all of the day

Paras supporting students with IEPs in regular classrooms

ELL paras pushing into gen-ed classrooms

Supervising teachers, gen-ed teachers, and admins building inclusion supports

What inclusion means

"Inclusion" gets used in different ways. The federal frame is Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) — students with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. Inclusion is the practice of educating students with disabilities in general-education settings rather than separate ones.

Continuum

| Term | What it means in practice |

| :-: | :-: |

| Full inclusion | Student spends entire day in general education with supports as needed |

| Inclusion with push-in | Student is in gen ed; SpEd staff (teacher, para, related-service providers) come into the gen-ed classroom to support |

| Inclusion with pull-out | Student is in gen ed for most subjects but pulled out for specific services or subjects |

| Mainstreaming | Older term, similar to limited inclusion; sometimes used for students who join gen-ed for non-academic times only |

| Co-teaching | A specific structure where a gen-ed teacher and SpEd teacher share a classroom and instruction; brief 04.10 covers this |

Co-teaching specifically

Brief 04.10 covers the six common co-teaching models (Friend & Cook):

One Teach, One Observe — one teaches; the other gathers data

One Teach, One Assist — one teaches; the other circulates and supports

Parallel Teaching — both teach the same content to half the class each

Station Teaching — multiple stations with different teachers

Alternative Teaching — one teaches the large group; one works with a small group

Team Teaching — both teach simultaneously, fluidly

Most paras don't operate within formal co-teaching but encounter modified versions of these structures. Knowing the models helps you understand the role you're playing in the moment.

Where you sit, where you stand

Physical positioning matters more than most paras realize. It signals everything from "this student needs special help" to "I'm part of this class."

Default positioning

Sit where the student would sit anyway — don't pull them to the back or to a separate table

If you can sit at student-height (kid chair, desk), do it

Move around as the lesson moves — don't anchor to one student

Maintain proximity without literally shoulder-to-shoulder unless the student needs it for safety

Behind the student (older students especially) often signals supervision less than next to them

Whole-group instruction

Sit nearby; don't sit at the front or in a special spot

Take notes you'll later use to support the student (key vocabulary, key concepts)

Don't whisper-translate the entire lesson; that's distracting and doesn't promote attention

If pre-teaching has happened, your role is reinforcement, not parallel teaching

Independent work / partner work

Circulate among students; don't stay glued to your one

This is a chance to support multiple students, including peers without IEPs

Light supervision of the whole class supports the gen-ed teacher and reduces stigma

Stations and small groups

Run a station per the teacher's plan if appropriate

Or join a group as a participant, supporting the student you're assigned to

Don't make the student-with-IEP's group your separate-table group every time

Position the student wisely too

Visibility of materials and the teacher

Proximity to engaged peers, not distracted ones

Movement access (some students need a quick exit option)

Sensory considerations (away from speakers, lights)

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| :-: |

| Velcro is the enemyIf you and your student look like a velcroed unit — always together, always at the same table, always paired — the inclusion isn't really inclusive. The student is in the room but not in the class. Build space — physically, socially, instructionally — between you across the day. |

Supporting without taking over

The biggest pitfall in inclusion: doing too much for the student. The student appears to keep up, but they're not actually doing the work, and they're not learning.

What over-supporting looks like

Reading every word aloud during silent reading time

Writing the answers the student dictates without prompting them to write themselves

Solving the math problem with them step by step every time

Telling them what the teacher just said before they had a chance to process

Constantly re-explaining instead of letting confusion sit briefly

Doing the homework checking and correcting in real time

What appropriate support looks like

Wait time — give the student a chance to engage before you intervene

Strategic prompts — "What's the next step?" rather than "The next step is..."

Visual aids and references — pointing to a strategy chart rather than telling them

Pre-teaching and re-teaching — at appropriate times, not in real time

Letting the student make mistakes that are productive (writing the wrong answer first, then revising)

Stepping back from completed work — let them experience finishing

Brief 04.07 (Promoting Independence) covers this in depth

The Giangreco research on "Helping or Hovering" is foundational here — paras providing constant support actually undermines learning, peer relationships, and student growth. The goal of every interaction is to be slightly less needed afterward.

Coordinating with the gen-ed teacher

Most inclusion friction comes from missing or weak coordination between gen-ed teacher and inclusion para. Some structures that help:

What you need to know from the teacher

What's the lesson focus today? What are the objectives?

What's coming up this week? Vocabulary, concepts to pre-teach

How does the teacher want you to support? Specific expectations or hands-off?

How does the teacher prefer you to communicate during class? Quick whisper okay? Note? Wait until break?

Materials in advance when possible

What the teacher needs to know from you

The student's IEP goals and accommodations

How the student is doing on goals (data summaries periodically)

Specific challenges in this classroom

Strategies that work for the student

Anything happening at home that's affecting the student today

Communication structures

Brief weekly check-ins — even 10 minutes makes a difference

Email summaries with weekly student updates

Shared planning documents when possible

Clear protocol for in-the-moment communication during class

When the teacher won't engage

Some gen-ed teachers don't engage with the para or the SpEd student. They view both as outside their domain. This is a real and common problem. Strategies:

Don't escalate to confrontation; build relationship gradually

Bring the case manager / supervising teacher into the conversation

Document patterns — "I haven't been able to access the lesson plans for X weeks"

If the student isn't accessing instruction because the teacher isn't engaging, that's an IEP implementation issue — escalate appropriately

Brief 12.02 (Working with the Gen-Ed Teacher, planned) covers this in depth

Adapting in real time

Real classrooms don't always go according to plan. Lessons get rerouted, the student has a hard moment, the teacher pivots. Inclusion paras need to think on their feet.

Lesson too hard

Refer to accommodations — extended time, modified output, breaking into chunks

Provide visual or graphic support that wasn't pre-built

Reduce the number of items expected

Coordinate with the teacher on an adjusted goal for this lesson

Don't let "too hard" mean "the student doesn't engage" — engage at a different level

Lesson too easy

Push the student further — depth, complexity, application

Don't hold them back to an artificially modified version when they could do more

Coordinate with the teacher about extension

Student melting down

Use the BIP if there is one (brief 05.03)

De-escalate (brief 05.10)

Move to alternate space if needed; provide regulation supports

Re-enter the lesson when ready

Communicate with the teacher about what happened later

Student is checked out

Find out why — bored, lost, hungry, tired, dysregulated?

Address the cause, not just the symptom

Re-engage gently, not with demands or threats

Behavior in another part of the class

Sometimes you see issues in other parts of the class — peer conflict, off-task, even something concerning. The teacher is the teacher; not your role to take over discipline. But:

Use proximity if it helps

Quietly redirect with a touch or look

Mention to the teacher if it's safety-related

Don't insert yourself into class management beyond what the teacher invites

Peer dynamics

Inclusion is partly about academics; it's also about social belonging. Some specific moves:

Building peer relationships

Encourage and facilitate peer-to-peer interaction

Step back when peers are interacting with the student well

Pair the student with various peers, not just one designated buddy

Coach the student in social skills as needed (brief 05.21 covers regulation)

Watch for stigma

Whispered side-conversations with the student in front of peers — visible to others, often stigmatizing

Special chairs, special tables, special materials — sometimes necessary, often over-applied

"Helping" the student in ways that draw attention

Manage your own role

If you're "the special-education para," peers will treat the student as the special-education student

Lower your visible attachment to one student

Engage with peers too — answer their questions, help them when they need it

Make yourself a resource for the class, not just for one student

Bullying or exclusion

Watch for it — students with disabilities are at higher risk

Document and report when you see it

Address subtly in the moment if appropriate (brief 11.05 covers unstructured-time bullying)

Fading your role

Across the year, the goal is to need you less. The student should be more independent, more peer-connected, more part of the class without your intermediation. Fading happens at multiple levels:

Across a lesson

Set up the task with the student

Step back and circulate

Check back periodically

Let the student finish without you hovering

Across a week

Reduce constant proximity over the days

Allow more independent peer interaction

Communicate less verbally; rely on visual reminders the student can use

Track what the student does without your direct support

Across a year

Reduce 1:1 time as data shows the student is succeeding with less

Increase peer mediation, increase self-management

Move toward consultation rather than direct support

Set goals with the team for fading specific supports

Across grades

Sometimes the para is no longer needed in a given setting

Sometimes a different kind of support is more appropriate

Sometimes the student needs continued support but at a different intensity

Annual IEP review should include fading conversations

Resistance to fading

Sometimes the student resists — they've come to depend on you, or it feels safer with you

Sometimes the gen-ed teacher resists — they've come to depend on you running interference

Sometimes the family resists — they've seen what works

Brief 04.07 covers strategies for fading despite resistance

Tougher situations

A student whose inclusion isn't working

Some students struggle in gen-ed despite supports. The team needs to revisit:

What specifically isn't working?

What additional supports are needed?

Is the placement still appropriate?

Bring observations to the team, not unilateral decisions

A teacher who clearly doesn't want the student

Some gen-ed teachers actively resist inclusion. Strategies:

Don't take it personally

Document the interactions

Bring it to the case manager

Build relationship where possible; advocate where not

In serious cases, raise to admin

A para acting as substitute teacher

Sometimes the gen-ed teacher disengages and the para de facto becomes the instructor for the SpEd student. This is brief 13.06 (Scope of Practice) territory.

That's not the role; raise it

Document specifically

Don't just take over; flag it as a problem to address

A class environment that's hostile to the student

Sometimes peer dynamics or class culture make the student's inclusion miserable, regardless of the teacher's intentions.

Document specific incidents

Bring to the team — supervising teacher, counselor, admin

Sometimes a placement change is appropriate; that's a team decision

Don't keep absorbing the cost yourself

ELL inclusion

ELL push-in paras have specific considerations:

What to do

Pre-teach key vocabulary and concepts when you have access to lesson plans

Sit with the student strategically — near a strong peer, away from distractions

Provide sentence frames, word banks, visual support

Allow home-language thinking when appropriate (translanguaging)

Honor wait time

See briefs 08.01, 08.06, 08.10 for specific ELL strategies

What to avoid

Translating constantly — undermines language acquisition

Reducing all output to yes/no when the student could produce more

Being the only adult who interacts with the student

Letting the gen-ed teacher off the hook for being the student's teacher

Coordination with the EL coordinator

Bring weekly observations

Push back on inappropriate placements

Communicate with families through proper channels (brief 08.12 planned)

Pitfalls

| Try this | Watch out for |

| :-: | :-: |

| Sit where the student would sit anyway | Pull them to the back or to a separate spot |

| Circulate; support multiple students | Stay glued to one student all class |

| Wait, prompt minimally, let the student engage | Read aloud, write for them, answer for them |

| Coordinate with the gen-ed teacher about lessons in advance when possible | Show up cold and improvise |

| Communicate quietly during class; substantive conversation outside class | Whisper-translate the entire lesson |

| Build relationships between the student and peers | Be the only adult/peer connection the student has during class |

| Fade your support across lessons, weeks, year | Provide constant maximum support and never reduce it |

| Make yourself a resource for the whole class when possible | Stay only with your one student |

| Watch for stigma in your visible support patterns | Make supports visible in ways that mark the student |

| Bring observations to the team about what's and isn't working | Make unilateral decisions about placement or support |

Scenarios

Scenario 1: A teacher who doesn't engage with you

You've been pushing into a 5th-grade math classroom for two months. The teacher has not once asked about your student or shared lesson plans with you.

Build the relationship. Quick, friendly, low-stakes interactions over time. Offer to help with tasks unrelated to your student ("Want me to pass these out?"). Ask about the lesson briefly: "What are we working on today?" Bring it to the case manager if it doesn't shift in another month: "Mr. Lee isn't engaging with me or with how Maria is supported. Can someone facilitate a conversation about expectations?" Don't try to solve the relationship problem alone; loop in the team.

Scenario 2: Realizing you're hovering

You realize you've spent the entire science class sitting next to your student and giving constant verbal prompts. The student finished the work — but you essentially walked them through every step.

Common, fixable. Tomorrow: set up the task with them, then move to a different desk for 10 minutes. See what they do. Be available if they get stuck, but don't pre-empt. Use visual reference instead of verbal. The first day will probably involve more struggle and less completion — that's data, not failure. Build fade plan with the supervising teacher. Brief 04.07 covers strategies.

Scenario 3: A student being mocked by peers

You notice that during whole-class discussion, when your student attempts to contribute, two peers consistently mock him quietly.

Address it. Document specifics — date, time, what was said, by whom. Talk to the gen-ed teacher and supervising teacher: "There's been a pattern of \[students\] mocking \[student\] during discussions. We need to address this." Consider whether the gen-ed teacher needs to address it as class culture (yes, generally). Continue to support the student, including processing afterward if needed. Brief 11.05 (Unstructured Time) and 13.05 (When You See Something Wrong) cover related dynamics.

Scenario 4: Lesson is way too hard

Mid-lesson, you realize this is much too hard for your student. The teacher didn't pre-teach; the visuals you brought aren't matching this content.

Real-time adapt. Reduce expectations for output ("Do the first three"). Use the accommodations — extended time, modified output. Provide concrete or visual support. Don't let the student sit completely lost; engage at a level they can access. After class, talk to the teacher: "He really struggled with this lesson. Can we plan together for tomorrow's so I can pre-teach?" Bring observations to the case manager about the pattern if it continues.

Scenario 5: A student who wants you to fade more

Your student tells you, kind of awkwardly, that he doesn't really want you sitting next to him anymore. He wants to be like everyone else.

Excellent feedback; honor it. Reduce proximity. Move to a different desk; provide check-ins; give him room. Discuss with the team — this is real progress. Build a fade plan. Don't take it personally; this is the goal of inclusion. The student is asserting independence; that's success.

Scenario 6: A gen-ed teacher who treats your student as your responsibility entirely

During parent-teacher conferences, the gen-ed teacher said to the family, "You should really talk to Ms. Patel about Marcus's progress. She knows him better than I do."

That's wrong on multiple levels. The gen-ed teacher IS Marcus's teacher. Ms. Patel (you, in this scenario) is support. The gen-ed teacher should know how Marcus is doing in their class. Bring it to the case manager: "This is a pattern. The gen-ed teacher is treating my role as the primary teacher for Marcus. We need to redirect." Brief 12.02 (Working with the Gen-Ed Teacher, planned) covers this dynamic. Inclusion fails when it becomes "the SpEd student stays in the room while the para does the actual teaching."

Closing thought

Inclusion is one of the most rewarding and most difficult places paras work. Done well, you're nearly invisible — supporting just enough, fading consistently, building peer connections, coordinating with the gen-ed teacher, and watching the student grow into the class as a member rather than a guest. Done poorly, you're the visible signal that this student is different, the substitute for the gen-ed teacher's engagement, and the obstacle to the student's social belonging.

The skill is gentle, persistent, sometimes invisible work — building relationships with the gen-ed teacher, fading your role, watching for stigma, supporting the whole class, redirecting peer dynamics, and resisting the pull to over-help. It looks like good inclusion is just happening; really, it's what you're making happen.

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| Bottom lineSit where the student would. Circulate. Wait, prompt minimally, let the student engage. Coordinate with the gen-ed teacher. Build peer relationships. Fade your support across lesson, week, year. Watch for stigma. Be a resource for the class. Bring observations to the team. The student is the gen-ed teacher's student; you support. |

Related briefs

04.10 Co-Teaching Models and the Para's Role

04.07 Promoting Independence

04.01 Instructional Roles of the Para

11.05 Unstructured Time

12.01 Working with the Supervising Teacher

12.02 Working with the Gen-Ed Teacher (planned)

13.06 Scope of Practice

08.06 WIDA and Language Proficiency Levels

Resources: Friend & Cook, Co-Teaching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education; Giangreco research on paraprofessional support

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