Overview:
The act of co-serving is when special and general education teachers are equally responsible for delivering specially designed instruction.
In today’s inclusive classrooms, where students with and without disabilities learn alongside one another, the partnership between special and general education teachers is more important than ever. Yet, too often, this collaboration stops at planning: brief meetings to align lesson plans, modify or accommodate learning tasks, and set goals. While useful, this approach isn’t enough to fully meet every student’s needs. To unlock the full potential of inclusive classrooms, teachers need to move beyond planning together and begin sharing responsibilities – a shift known as “co-serving.”
This approach transforms the classroom dynamic by emphasizing shared responsibilities during planning and instruction, allowing both teachers to respond in real-time to student needs. Let’s explore the difference between co-teaching and co-serving, why this shift is vital, and look at practical strategies for making this happen.
Co-Teaching vs. Co-Serving
Co-planning and Co-teaching are the traditional first steps toward collaboration in inclusive classrooms. Teachers meet to discuss lesson modifications, accommodations, and strategies for supporting students with disabilities. While co-planning ensures alignment, it often ends once the bell rings. In many co-teaching cases, one teacher leads the lesson while the other steps in only as needed, turning inclusion into more of a partnership on paper than in practice.
Co-serving, on the other hand, changes the game. In co-serving classrooms, special and general education teachers are equally responsible for delivering specially designed instruction. Both educators use their expertise to support all students, blending their skills to create a more dynamic and inclusive environment. Students see both teachers as valuable resources, which helps dissolve the line between “general education” and “special education services.” In a co-serving collaborative relationship, educators design lessons together to embed specialized instruction into classroom activities.
Why Co-Serving Matters
The impact of co-serving goes beyond convenience and flexible scheduling – it’s a proven way to improve student outcomes for all. Research consistently shows that students benefit when teachers move from superficial collaboration to true team efficacy. Students engage more deeply, participate more fully, and perform better academically.
Modern educational research shows that inclusive co-teaching improves outcomes for students with disabilities, particularly when teachers provide differentiated support in the general education setting. Co-serving also benefits students without disabilities, fostering a sense of belonging and modeling collaboration as a strength.
More than that, co-serving builds classroom cultures where every student feels valued. By designing lessons together and working as a team, educators can create an environment that prompts inclusion as the expectation – not the exception.
Shifting from Co-Teaching to Co-Serving
Making the shift from co-teaching to co-serving requires more than good intentions. It calls for changes in mindset, routines, and school structures. Here are a few steps that can help:
Build Trust and Define Roles
Effective co-serving starts with trust. Educators need to understand each other’s strengths, feel empowered to share their expertise, and establish clear roles. For example, in one co-serving partnership, the special educator may lead the class through developing working agreements (specialized instruction in social thinking), then go to another classroom while the general education teacher completes the activity with students, monitoring engagement and supporting students who need extra help. This balance of roles ensures both educators are actively involved and their unique skills are fully utilized.
Schedule Consistent Planning Time
Logistical barriers are often the biggest hurdle to co-serving. Without dedicated planning time, it’s tough to coordinate effectively. Schools can support co-serving by scheduling regular co-planning times, ensuring teachers have the time to align their goals, reflect on student progress, and adjust their plans as needed.
Embrace Real-Time Adjustments!
One of co-serving greatest strengths is flexibility. Not only are educators better able to predict challenges, but they can make real-time adjustments to meet students’ needs without disrupting the flow of the lesson. For example, during a literacy activity, one teacher might notice a student with diagnosed ADHD struggling to sustain attention. While the lesson continues, the other teacher can step in to offer a quick, tailored strategy (e.g., visual support) to keep the student engaged and on track.
Establish Routines and Structures
Co-serving works best when it feels natural, not forced. Teacher teams can create routines, such as deciding what type of classroom activity is best for the special education teacher to be present for or rotating roles during group activities. For example, in math class, teachers can use station rotations: one station focused on small-group instruction led by the special education teacher, one station led by the classroom teacher, and one station where students work independently. These routines make co-serving seamless and consistent!
Strategies for Co-Serving Success
To make co-serving work, teachers need tools and strategies that encourage active engagement and shared ownership. Here are a few that have worked well in practice:
- Interactive Lessons: Design lessons that naturally involve both teachers, such as group discussions or station rotations.
- Heterogenous Grouping: Create flexible student groups that change based on the lesson’s goals, giving both teachers opportunities to support different students.
- Professional Development: Build co-serving skills through regular professional learning opportunities and reflection. For example, monthly debrief sessions can help co-serving pairs identify team successes, challenges, and areas for growth.
Shifting from co-teaching to co-serving isn’t just about changing how teams work together – it’s about rethinking how classrooms function. By embracing co-serving, schools can break down barriers between special and general education, dismantle the “SpEd” stigma, create classrooms where all students feel they belong, and redefine inclusion as a shared responsibility.
This transformation takes effort and commitment, but the benefits are profound. Co-serving empowers educators to collaborate in meaningful ways and allows students to learn in an environment where they’re supported, challenged, and valued for who they are. When we commit to co-serving, we’re not just changing how we teach – we’re changing what’s possible for every child.
Laura Warnke has over a decade of experience as a special education teacher, working in a variety of inclusive and specialized settings. Now a special education coordinator, she supports IEP development and implementation while providing instructional coaching to teams. Passionate about fostering inclusive practices, Laura works to empower educators to create meaningful learning experiences for all students. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her two young children.
