November 5, 2024
When visiting BASIS Independent Bellevue, families often inquire about co-teaching at our school. This is a key component of our Mountaineer learning community: the model of collaboration between Subject Expert Teachers (SETs) and Learning Expert Teachers (LETs) in our primary classrooms. This model has been a trusted staple across our network for over a decade. BASIS Independent Schools utilize this unique co-teaching model to nurture academic growth, creativity, and social development.
The success of this model hinges upon the collaboration between SETs and LETs. Crucially, the SET and LET both carry out specific functions that enables the co-teachers to effectively oversee the classroom. On the one hand, SETs are Subject Experts, with degrees related to their teaching fields. SETs are responsible for delivering advanced content in each core subject and assessing student growth within these specialized fields. SETs also offer student hours to offer curated support when students need help in an area of study. On the other hand, LETs are trained in education and focus on pedagogy, student support, and guiding students throughout their day. The LET formally and informally assess the growth of every student in their class while providing specialized support in areas such as social and emotional learning to make sure their students are ready for their academic journey throughout the year. In a sense, The LET helps students learn to read the compass that leads them through their journey as a Mountaineer, giving them a sense of direction to navigate academic and social moments with clarity, precision, and confidence. With this unique partnership, each teacher brings complementary strengths to create a supportive, versatile, and academically rigorous classroom environment for every student.
The SET/LET model is designed to stimulate a balance between foundational skills and independent thinking. The symbiosis created between the SET and LET also lends itself to enable teachers to be more flexible in the classroom and address specific student and group needs. While crafting the schedule each year, our Administrative team is sure to build in collaboration time specifically for the LETs to meet with the SETs to allow them to partner together to create dynamic and engaging lessons for students. Thus, through their collaboration, teachers working in this model also have opportunities to optimize the classroom for intellectual, social, and emotional growth in real time. This also means that students in our Primary Program have access to multiple teachers as learning resources, offering more support during class time.
The Primary Program
Our Primary Program is intended to spark a love of learning in students. During this time, LETs take on a strategic role in teaching students to learn and leading students from class to class, being a consistent presence in their educational lives to support development. LETs emphasize content knowledge, and the academic tools students need to have ready as the subject-matters they encounter in the classroom become more complex.
Meanwhile, by showing expertise in a field of study, the SET helps students delve into subject-specific materials and gain a long-term vision about where their educational journey will go as they cultivate the discipline-specific skills required for critical inquiry across various subjects.
“Collaborating as a Learning Expert Teacher and Subject Expert Teacher enhances the educational experience by addressing the whole child while also recognizing their unique strengths in specific subject areas. This partnership fosters a deeper connection in teaching and learning, benefiting our exceptional students in remarkable ways.”
– Ms. Tseng, Grade 3 LET
One key class where students learn to apply what they are learning across subjects is the weekly 85-minute “Connections” period where SETs and LETs collaborate to fuel creativity and teamwork. This class acts as a bridge between disciplines, encouraging students to think critically, solve problems collaboratively, and see the bigger picture of their education. By integrating knowledge from multiple subjects, Connections empowers students to develop skills and understand the nuances of life beyond the classroom.
The Bridge Year
In grade 5, considered the Bridge Year, our co-teaching model shifts to refine student independence and accountability. In grade 5, students begin working directly with SETs, as the LET steps back. This transition builds the self-reliance expected of middle and high school students. With this increased independence, our spiraling curriculum becomes essential, allowing students to revisit prior concepts as they delve into new, advanced coursework across subjects like English, math, science, and Latin.
The foundation laid by the co-teaching model in the earlier years thus helps our students succeed in the intermediate grades. Speaking to the way we have laid out these years in our program, our Dean of Students, Ms. Hinton, states, “In the primary grades, with a co-teaching model, we build strong foundational skills in our students. Because there are two teachers, this can look like providing different teaching strategies to address all types of learning, more teaching presence to see and support work, and the ability to reach learners at all levels. In their younger years, students use this model when learning to read. As they get older, they are now reading to learn and build on their foundational knowledge. Grade 5 is an incredibly transitional year for students because they no longer have an LET. This year is when they work on specific skills such as time management, organization, and other facets that are normally supported by their LET. That being said, testing such as pre-comps and comps do not begin until grade 6, that way students can focus on building skills throughout the years instead of acquiring them all at once. Students can find successes in their middle and high school education based on the skills and confidence that are formed within their early education at BASIS Independent Bellevue.”
A Useful Model
The co-teaching model sets BASIS Independent Bellevue apart from other institutions by creating a dynamic and supportive learning environment for students. The benefits of this model include personalized attention, the cultivation of independent thinking, and a useful makeup which leads to the development of strong academic and social skills.
You can learn more about the SET/LET model by touring our school, or attending an Admissions event. Sign up today!
