Arguably, one of the hardest situations when co-teaching is classroom management. Even after feeling comfortable with each other and developing your teaching styles, you still have this issue when the students realize there are two minds in the room.
I always call this situation "playing mom v. dad" or "good cop, bad cop." You've probably encountered this in your own co-teaching, when a student asks one teacher a questions, gets his response, and tries his luck with the other teacher. It could be a simple question like, "Can I go to the bathroom?" or it could be more difficult like, "Can I make up this work?"
Students are much more clever than we give them credit for sometimes. This is why it's important to set up your boundaries with your co-teacher. Understanding how each one will react in certain situations is key. You need to discuss your academic policies, understand the school's policies, and general guidelines for procedures of the classroom. Nothing is more embarrassing then "getting played" by your students, so definitely communicate your expectations before the year begins, and catch up with each other when problems arise.
This is a great article explaining how to talk to your co-teacher about setting up the classroom expectations and instructional questions that may arise throughout your relationship together. So, check it out!
*Source: Knight, B. (2008). Co-teaching: Planning for instructional classroom management. Consultation/Collaboration, September/October.
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