Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University
February 2020
The second-grade team at Copper Trails School in Goodyear, Arizona, comprises one lead teacher, one certified teacher, and three teacher candidates. Together, they support 75 students total across two learning spaces. In this resource, you’ll find out how they’re taking a team approach to supporting students.
Copper Trails serves more than 1,000 Avondale Elementary School District students in grades K-8. Several Copper Trails teams include MLFTC Teacher Candidates as team members, among them the second-grade team described here.
A highly effective, experienced lead teacher leads the second-grade team and teaches students. The lead teacher role was created by the district in an effort to retain highly effective educators and build advancement pathways that allow those educators to continue working directly with students. The lead teacher facilitates team meetings and provides all formal coaching and support for teacher candidates. Decision-making on the team tends to be collaborative, with the lead teacher and a second certified teacher working closely together and taking input from the three teacher candidates regarding the schedule, data-driven decision-making, and lesson content.