Michigan School Administrators Explore Team Teaching Model in Arizona, Bringing Back Lessons to Midwest Classrooms
As winter lingered in the Midwest, a group of Michigan school administrators embarked on a unique journey to the desert of Arizona. Their mission was not a leisurely vacation under the sun but a quest for knowledge and innovation in education.
The administrators found themselves immersed in classrooms, studying a new teaching model that involved a team of educators instructing a large group of students. This concept, developed by Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, aimed to provide more support to students by increasing the number of educators in the classroom.
In Arizona schools, this model was already taking shape, with classrooms accommodating as many as 100 students to five teachers. At Stevenson Elementary in Mesa, first and second graders gathered for a “family meeting” before breaking out into smaller groups to visit different teachers throughout the day.
Lead teacher Tara Spielberger expressed enthusiasm for the team teaching approach, highlighting the personalized learning and sense of community it fosters among students and educators. The goal of this Next Education Workforce initiative is to reduce teacher burnout, enhance student achievement, and address the teacher shortage crisis.
Michigan educators, inspired by their visit to Arizona, are now planning to implement the team teaching model in their schools. Districts like Concord Community Schools near Jackson are gearing up to adopt this innovative approach in the upcoming school year.
With the potential to transform the traditional classroom structure, team teaching offers a collaborative and supportive environment for both educators and students. As Michigan grapples with teacher shortages and the need for innovative solutions in education, the team teaching model may hold the key to a more sustainable and effective learning environment for all.