Teacher Assistance Teams: A Model for Within-Building Problem Solving

Although regular classroom teachers can meet the needs of many mainstreamed children within the regular classroom setting, situations arise when teachers need assistance. In such cases, the classroom teacher often has no place to turn for help. Rather than addressing this problem in the traditional inservice format, the present study proposes a teacher support system model for classroom teachers. Based on a survey of perceived prerequisite skills and competencies for dealing effectively with learning and behavior disorders in the classroom, the Teacher Assistance Team concept was developed to provide a day-to-day peer problem-solving group for teachers within a particular building. The goal of the team is to obtain more efficient and effective delivery of special help to children by placing the initiative for action in the hands of classroom teachers.