STRATEGIC MODEL OF TEAM TEACHING AT PRIMARY SCHOOL “MB”
The Essence of Team Teaching
Team teaching at Primary School “MB” represents collaborative, creative work and shared responsibility among several teachers and associates in delivering educational content. Team members jointly select topics, plan activities, design flexible content, implement educational and functional tasks, monitor student progress, and provide mutual support.
Communication as the Foundation of Teamwork
Communication is understood as a two-way process of sending and receiving messages – both verbal and non-verbal. It includes speaking and listening, reading and writing, gestures and expressions of emotion, as well as technology-mediated communication (telephone, television, computer).
The principles of effective communication in our system are:
- equality,
- respect,
- trust,
- reciprocity,
- focus,
- efficiency.
The Team as a Distinct Form of Collaboration
A team at Primary School “MB” goes beyond the concept of a regular group. It is a small, closely connected community of people dedicated to achieving clearly defined goals, with every member committed to reaching them together.
Key features of an effective team include:
- a clear vision and focus on the goal,
- interdependence and empathy among members,
- division of roles and responsibilities,
- well-defined procedures and rules of work,
- mechanisms for joint decision-making,
- the ability to resolve conflicts and internal tensions.
Building a Successful Team
For a team to function effectively, successful collaboration must be established. This is achieved through:
- setting a clear common goal,
- fostering trust and strong interpersonal relationships,
- transparent division of roles and responsibilities,
- effective communication (active listening, clear and precise expression),
- diversity of knowledge, skills, and values among team members,
- maintaining balance between task completion and group relationships – as teamwork must deliver results but also bring satisfaction.
Models of Team Teaching at Primary School “MB”
- Support Model – one teacher leads the class while another provides additional help to students who need it.
- Paralelna nastava – učitelji zajednički planiraju, ali istovremeno rade sa različitim grupama učenika.
- Alternative Teaching – one teacher works with the majority of the class, while the other focuses on a smaller group, which may study different content.
- Station Teaching (Centers) – the classroom is divided into thematic centers; teachers coordinate learning in these centers while students actively participate in independent exploration.
- Team Teaching – both teachers equally plan and deliver lessons, engage in dialogue with students rather than lecturing, and jointly manage discipline and classroom dynamics.