Effective Classroom Teamwork - Support or Intrusion?

New teams are emerging in classrooms with remedial teachers, parents, and welfare assistants working alongside teachers and helping children with special educational needs. Effective Classroom Teamwork looks at the assumption that these teams must be for the good and shows that this attitude may be damaging to effective classroom practice. When extra adults move into the private domain of the classteacher, all kinds of stresses and tension emerge, and instead of helping, these ``supporting'' adults may be hindering effective teaching and learning. Picking out key areas for concern, including inadequate role definition, poor communication and status barriers, Gary Thomas outlines strategies for dealing with these stresses and tensions in teamwork.