Teachers are

Kellie Burger and Amy Kidner fifth grade teachers Lake Elementary at Mentor Public Schools

Tell us about your open concept classroom. How does it work?

“Our open concept classroom doesn’t have the traditional classroom walls separating our fifth grade rooms. Using this structure, we are able to combine our two fifth grade classes into one class so that we can co-teach together all day.“

What inspired this teaching style?

“We were inspired to have an open space and co-teach because we both love to collaborate while lesson planning and teaching. This teaching style also allows us to differentiate our instruction more, so we can meet the needs of our students. We both also value making connections with our students, so it is helpful to have another teacher make these connections while in the same classroom. This has given us the opportunity to observe and learn from each other, which has helped us enhance our teaching practices. Continuing to grow individually as teachers has always been important to us.”

What type of feedback do you get from the students?

“Here are some of the things the kids said about the open concept classroom and co-teaching:

“I like it. It feels more open.”

“I like it. Feels less claustrophobic in the big open space.”

“I think it’s good because I have friends in both classes.”

“I like that it is more open and I have more friends in the class.”

“I like having more people to work with.”

“I like having two teachers because when working on stuff we have two people we can ask for help.”’

Any tips or advice for other teachers?

“A tip that we could give to other teachers is to make sure you have constant communication with your co-teacher about planning, student’s needs, parents, data and more. In addition, we think it is important to work with someone who shares the same teaching style and philosophy as you. Lastly, you will want to build relationships with all of the students in your room to ensure a comfortable learning environment for all.”