Journal #3: Team Teaching: Apprehension and Consideration

I am probably the only one who feels this way, but after reading both Leavitt’s “Team Teaching: Benefits and Challenges” and Friend and Cook’s “Some Approaches to Team Teaching,” Team Teaching feels like it would be a chore. I enjoy doing group projects, but doing a group project every day for a whole quarter seems like too much extra frustration. In the case of student-teaching and apprenticeship, it makes sense that student teachers must test-run their skills and actually practice good teaching in the classroom. Team Teaching is necessary in these cases to allow for the student teacher to get the most out of their mentor teacher’s experience while also getting direct experience themselves. However, in the case of two professors Team Teaching a college course: it sounds like it would be weird for both the teachers and the students who are used to a lecture style course with one professor. However, this is only my point of view, and it’s clear that those who are participating in this kind of Team Teaching are having a ball doing it. There must be something I’m missing.

Among the things I did like about the concept of Team Teaching in a college setting was the modeling of polite debate and/or playing devil’s advocate with the lecturer as outlined in “Benefits and Challenges.” I’m sure it’s quite indulgent for the two experts in the room, but it is also a great way for students to see more than one side of an argument while witnessing a live formal debate between two respected teachers. Scholars often disagree on the details, and being able to witness the back-and-forth between them live would be invaluable as a student. I worry that students may need a lot of encouragement to join in, however, because the show alone would be just too interesting to interrupt.

Further, of the types of Team Teaching that made the most sense, this made the most sense to me as being the most beneficial. Teachers with different expertise, different understanding, and different backgrounds bringing their varied points of view to the table is a great way to promote discussion. If teachers have differing opinions, then it makes students more comfortable in their own differing opinions. Perhaps even the teachers will learn a thing or two. I know that, as a teacher, I don’t ever want to stop learning.