Finding synergy in diversity during interprofessional team-teaching

Co-teaching is, at its best, a rewarding and, at its worst, a highly stressful endeavour. This is especially true when two newly acquainted colleagues from vastly different backgrounds and different environments are thrown together to co-teach a new course, at an unfamiliar institution, in a new country, mid-COVID-19-pandemic. This leads to interesting conversations, challenges and opportunities, resulting in valuable lessons that can be used in a variety of educational settings. In this narrated single case study we analysed the brutally honest reflective reports written by the authors of this paper. The authors made use of an autobiographical writing style for data collection and reporting. Using grounded theory and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis methodology, we identified six themes with subsequent sub-categories from these reflective reports. The themes varied from deep personal emotions and feeling, spanning the emotional spectrum of guilt and irritation, to the opposite side of the spectrum of patience, back-up and safety-nets. Other themes that emerged focused on organisational components, role differentiation, relationships and experiences, then, not surprisingly, the added value for the students. This paper ends with practical tips for novice and established lecturers who want to dip their toes into this interesting but rewarding whirlpool of team-teaching. It further contains suggestions on how to exit (or continue) this endeavour with your sanity intact, happy students and new professional relationships forged.