There are many different teaching styles and methods. The traditional classroom consists of one teacher and a group of students. However, some teachers prefer to teach by other means than this one.
Team teaching has also been a popular concept among some educators. Team teaching can occur in many levels and varieties. During some team teaching efforts, one teacher is considered to be the presenter. He or she presents new material to the class. The second teacher floats among the students and checks their work for understanding. In other cases, one of the teachers conducts class and the other pulls out groups of children to work on specific skills.
It is not likely for a complete district or even complete school to use team teaching. Team teaching is often used in particular grades or with particular teachers. At one point in time two seventh grade teachers at my school used team teaching. They were set up in a large classroom. The two teachers worked together to present lessons to the students.
In other cases, team teachers may share joining rooms. The rooms will serve different teaching purposes. One room may offer lecture and whole group discussion while the second room is set-up for learning centers and hands-on activities.
A lesser level of team teaching is seen in many middle school settings. The students are divided into teams of core subject teachers. The teachers work together to teach and plan. Teachers try to incorporate skills from each subject into their lessons.
Team teaching has benefits. It allows for more intervention with weaker students because two teachers are available. However, I think that like many concepts it can be misused. It can be very easy for one teacher to end up doing much of the work while the other teacher does not carry his or her weight. I also feel that the teaching styles and personalities of the two teachers must be examined very closely before pairing them together to team teach.