Shared Loads, Shared Growth: Co-Teaching Responses to Large-Class Challenges in EFL

Resumen

This reflective article explores how co-teaching can support EFL instructors in managing large university classes under demanding schedules within an ecological classroom framework. In the Ecuadorian higher education context, students must achieve a B1 level of the CEFR to graduate. However, English is often excluded from the core curriculum, leaving institutional language centers to fill this gap. Against this backdrop, we, two EFL instructors, documented our professional practices during one semester marked by heavy workloads, rotating timetables, and groups averaging 28 students. Adopting a reflective inquiry approach, we collected data through shared journals, weekly debriefs, and anecdotal classroom records. The analysis of these sources was thematic, concentrating on persistent challenges and adaptive strategies. Our reflections are framed by three theoretical perspectives: classroom ecology, co-teaching models, and reflective practice and teacher cognition. Findings highlight six key areas. First, classroom participation in large groups required adaptations such as small-group structures and rotational tasks. Second, co-planning and resource sharing reduced stress, saved preparation time, and enriched lesson design. Third, mutual support proved essential in sustaining emotional resilience, preventing isolation, and strengthening reflective practice. Finally, viewing the classroom through an ecological lens revealed the interconnected nature of institutional policies, teaching conditions, and teacher well-being. We conclude that co-teaching practices should not be regarded as optional strategies but as essential components of teacher resilience and instructional quality in higher education. Institutions should formally recognize and foster such collaboration by providing structural support, time for joint planning, and opportunities for professional dialogue.