The Relationship Cycle of Co-Teaching: Why Stability Matters
- glynisshulters
- Mar 6
- 2 min read
Co-teaching is like dating a new person every year—you start with excitement, experience a honeymoon phase, and then slowly notice little things that annoy you. But just like any relationship, the longer you invest in each other, the stronger the bond becomes.
Yet, in many schools, co-teaching pairs change every year, forcing teachers to restart the cycle again and again. Instead of reaching a deep level of collaboration, trust, and growth, they stay in a surface-level working relationship, never fully unlocking their potential as a team.
If you are a school leader responsible for co-teaching assignments, the choices you make can either foster strong, effective teams or keep teachers stuck in a perpetual learning curve.
The Co-Teaching Relationship Cycle
💡 Phase 1: The Courtship – Excitement, optimism, and lots of “getting to know you” conversations. Both teachers are eager to collaborate and create an inclusive classroom.
💡 Phase 2: The Honeymoon – Lessons flow well, and both teachers are on their best behavior. They are flexible, willing to compromise, and energized by the partnership.
💡 Phase 3: The Reality Check – Differences in teaching styles, communication, or classroom management emerge. The first frustrations set in.
💡 Phase 4: The Conflict & Growth Opportunity – If co-teachers have time to work through challenges, they develop trust and deep collaboration. If not, frustration builds, and by the time they are fully comfortable, the year ends—and the cycle starts all over again with a new partner next year.
Why Keeping Co-Teaching Pairs Together Matters
🔹 Trust Takes Time – It takes at least a year for co-teachers to deeply understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and instructional habits.
🔹 Stronger Collaboration Leads to Better Outcomes – When co-teachers stay together, they refine their shared teaching strategies, leading to better instruction for students.
🔹 Students Benefit from Stability – When teachers co-teach long-term, their routines and expectations become seamless, creating a better learning environment for students.
🔹 Less Emotional & Professional Burnout – Constantly changing partners adds stress for teachers. Stability allows them to move past surface-level teamwork and truly grow together.
A Call to School Leaders: Prioritize Strong Co-Teaching Pairs
If you are a building leader setting up co-teaching teams for next year, pause and reflect before making changes. Instead of randomly assigning teachers, ask:
✅ Which pairs have been most successful? (Look at both qualitative & quantitative success)
✅ Where has co-teaching felt truly seamless and beneficial to students?
✅ How can we support existing pairs to go deeper instead of starting over?
Intentionally keeping successful co-teaching pairs together is not just beneficial—it’s essential for the long-term success of both teachers and students.
Final Thought
Strongly bonded co-teachers create the best learning environments for all students. If your school values inclusion, collaboration, and student success, then keeping effective teams together should be a priority.
Let’s stop resetting the cycle and start growing great teams together. 🌱
📢 Have you experienced the ups and downs of co-teaching? Share your thoughts in the comments!
So true! Keeping co-teachers together if they are a good fit is such a necessary strategy!