Chapter 21: Coteaching As Professional Development

This chapter describes a changing role for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teachers and considers how schools can implement a more collaborative approach as ESOL teachers move from isolated language teachers to integrated language specialists. It outlines how one department redefined itself and then established structures to integrate a new role for ESOL teachers within the larger school community.

This professional evolution raised questions among ESOL teachers who held differing perspectives on their role, and motivated teachers to develop new skills, attitudes, and knowledge in order to implement a collaborative approach to serving English language learners successfully. For some veteran teachers, in particular, it challenged a prevailing notion that teaching ESOL means working with students rather than colleagues.