This study was designed to assess the roles played by middle school educators while participating in a collaborative teaching program which combined a regular educator, a special educator, and their respective students for one period of content instruction per day. During one semester, six teams of two teachers in three different middle schools were observed simultaneously in language arts, math, science, and social studies. Coding included both what the teacher did and with whom, as well as the content of what the teacher said, leading to an identification of three types of interactive teaching. The program was based on the notion that optimum learning conditions for meeting the needs of mildly handicapped students is that of team teaching. It was designed to facilitate the inclusion of those learning disabled, mentally handicapped, or behaviorally/emotionally handicapped students needing resource or consultative services into classes with their middle school peers. Students identified as mildly handicapped were assigned to one interdisciplinary team at each age appropriate grade level in the schools they normally would attend. A variety of meanings for the term "team teaching" as revealed by a review of the literature is explored and procedures that have been recommended as being as valid for handicapped students as they are for nonhandicapped individuals are discussed. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/LL)