Instructor: Sharon Maestri
School: Charles Henderson Middle School
Class: Special Education/Collaborative
Description: I teach 7th grade collaborative classes in the areas of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  I have one 8th grade collaborative science class 7th period with Mrs. Challancin.

What is collaborative teaching?  Since "No Child Left Behind" instituted full inclusion of special education students into the general education classes, collaborative teaching has become the new approach to providing the best education possible for our special needs students.  Collaborative teaching is a team effort.  The general education teacher and the resource teacher are both actively involved in the teaching environment.  The general education teacher is the expert in the subject area, whereas, the resource teacher provides support for the special education students in the classroom.  It is a win-win situation for all students in the class because there is more than one teacher to meet their needs.