Overview of Coplanning
Coplanning is an important component of coteaching and is a vital first step in planning a cotaught lesson. We define coplanning as the collaborative development of curriculum by coteachers who work together as peers proposing, discussing, and co-generating instructional plans.
Identification of High-Leverage Coplanning Practices
When coteachers meet to collaborate on curriculum development – whether collaborating in-person or virtually – we recommend that they utilize high-leverage planning practices while engaged in collaborative discourse.
Through the coding and analysis of video-recorded coplanning sessions, our research team has identified the following high-leverage coplanning practices:
- Clear articulation of learning goal & discussion of students’ prior knowledge related to selected goal
- Discussion of instructional approaches & assessments that align with goal & elicit evidence of student learning
- Focus on supporting student learning with identification of scaffolds & supports for diverse learners
- Both coteachers engage in overt discussion of & planning for roles for the upcoming lesson; responsibility is shared
- Coinstructional strategy selected is most appropriate to support student learning
Coplanning Videos
For each high-leverage coplanning practice listed below, click on the expandable box to access the video clip(s) provided that exemplify that planning practice. Each clip includes brief information about the teaching context (e.g., grade) as well as the identification of collaborative discourse practices showcased in the clip.
Articulation of learning goal & students’ prior knowledge
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Fourth |
Math lesson on protractors |
- Identify problems, pose questions, and seek solutions
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
|
|
|
Instructional approaches & assessments aligned with learning goal
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Middle School Biology |
Assessment development |
- Share Ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Kindergarten |
Lesson to support students’ development of social and emotional skills |
- Identify problems, pose questions, and seek solutions
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Discuss/resolve disagreements collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Fourth |
Science lesson on surface temperatures |
- Share ideas
- Share justification/explanation of thinking
- Uptake ideas equally
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Middle School Math |
Math lesson on error analysis |
- Identify problems, pose questions, & seek solutions
- Share justification/explanation of thinking
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of
Planning
|
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| High School Chemistry |
Lesson to support reading comprehension |
- Share ideas
- Talk equally
- Uptake ideas equally
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| High School Science |
Lesson on weathering and erosion |
- Share ideas
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Middle School Biology |
Assessment Development |
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| High School English |
Unit to support development of research skills & analysis of texts |
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
|
|
|
Scaffolds & supports
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| High School English Language Arts |
Lesson to support reading comprehension |
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Uptake ideas equally
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Middle School ELA |
Lesson to support reading comprehension |
- Identify problems, pose questions, seek solutions
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| High School ELA |
Lesson to support writing a literary analysis |
- Identify problems, pose questions, & seek solutions
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Discuss/resolve disagreements collaboratively
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| Fourth |
Planning a lesson on geometric shapes |
- Make decisions collaboratively
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Discuss/resolve disagreements collaboratively
|
|
|
Roles for upcoming lesson
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| 4th Grade |
Math lesson on protractors |
- Identify Problems
- Pose questions & Seek solutions
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| 2nd grade |
Lesson on positive self-talk |
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
|
|
|
| Grade |
Focus of Planning |
High-Leverage Discourse Practices |
| 4th grade |
Lesson on geometric shapes |
- Share ideas
- Share explanation/justification of thinking
- Make decisions collaboratively
|
|
|
Coinstructional strategy selected
Additional Resources
