Small Group Instruction The Why, the When, and the How

1
Small Group InstructionThe Why, the When, and
the How

• Brandi Hendrix
• Language Arts Teacher
• MMS
• bhendrix_at_misd.org

2
Purpose of this training

• To give an overview of the laws that are changing
  schools nationwide
• To explain when small group instruction should
  occur in a regular ed classroom
• To outline the structure that is needed in a
  classroom to do small group instruction

3
Jim Walshs 4 Quadrant Analysis
SDISpecially Designed Instruction WBFWRWay
behind for whatever reason
4
Components of RtI

• Universal Screening (Academics and Behavior)
• Tier System
• Research based interventions
• Progress Monitoring
• Student Support Team (Pass Team)
• Fidelity Monitoring

5
Positives of RtI

• No discrepancy between IQ and performance is
  required to receive interventions
• Teachers are given research based interventions
  to improve student learning
• Schools really can be a place where ALL students
  learn!

6
What does this mean for me?????

• Students come to us with gaps (for whatever
  reason) and we must be prepared to handle those
  gaps within our classrooms
• Whole group instruction does not always fit the
  needs of our high achievers or our low achievers
• Differentiated instruction needs to occur in all
  classrooms
• AYP, or adequate yearly progress, applies to all
  but 2 of our school population (this is
  basically our Life Skills students)

7
What does this mean for me?????

• Clear connections need to be made between what we
  are teaching and what we are assessing
• We need to have a plan in place to reteach skills
  not mastered
• We are going to have to be master record keepers
• By the year 2013, all students are to be reading
  on grade level

8
Things to think about

• Only 8-12 of the population are auditory
  learners however 90 of teaching is auditory
• It takes 14-20 practice times before the brain
  learns a new skill
• 90 of Kindergartners think they can read, write,
  and draw by second grade it drops to 18
• In order to reach more of our learners, we need
  to
• Verbally - tell them what they need to know
• Visually show them with pictures or examples
• Kinesthetic provide hands on activities
• (Randi Whitney, The Writing Academy)

9
You should pull a small group when

• Students are not successful in the whole group
  setting OR when students are bored with what the
  rest of the students are doing
• Students have basic skill deficits that
  negatively impact their new learning
• English Language Learners lack vocabulary needed
  to be successful
• Students need extra help before they become
  successful independently

10
When to pull small groups

• Following a mini lesson
• During independent practice
• Silent reading time
• Basically any time that you are not teaching to
  the whole class

11
Things to remember when planning for small group
instruction

• There needs to be a clear learning goal for small
  group instruction
• Small groups need to be flexible and change based
  on students needs
• Small groups work best with 3 to 4 students
• Small group time must be sacred in your class
• Allow for 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted time

12
Procedures are the most important component of
small group instruction

• Procedures need to be posted in the room
• Procedures need to be practiced and perfected
  before you pull your first real group
• Students need to know what to do if they have a
  question
• Students need to know what to do if they finish
  early
• Transition routines are crucial

13
What to do if you have a question

• Try to figure it out on your own
• Quietly ask a classmate
• Write your name on the board
• Skip what you do not understand and continue
  working
• Read your AR book until your question is answered

14
What to do if you finish early

• Make sure that you have done your best work by
  checking your answers
• Read your AR book
• Respond in topic journals
• Complete a grammar brick
• Work on homework

15
Class Expectations

• Everyone must work
• Do not disturb others
• Always do your best
• Dont interrupt the small group

16
Organization

• Always have your daily schedule posted, noting
  when you are going to pull your group
• Students should know who is going to the group
  and what they need for group work before you call
  the group
• Small groups should be recorded in lesson plan so
  that you have documentation of tier 1
  interventions

17
Obstacles

• Grades
• Time for planning
• Time for instruction
• Behavior
• Management

18
Grades

• Grades should drive our instruction not punish
  students
• Diversity does have a negative effect on grades
• There is no set expectation for the number of
  grades that you have to take

19
Grades

• Esembler lets you exempt students from
  assignments so that you can grade different
  assignments for different students
• You have the option of taking several grades on
  an assignment to show failure and mastery grades
• Have students grade themselvesthey are usually
  harder on themselves than we are

20
Time for planning

• Collaboration is key to successful planning
• Find at least 1 person that you can plan with
• Use data in your planning
• Break it up---have one person plan the lesson for
  whole group and the other plan for small group
• Be flexible there is not a one size fits all
  plan for small groups
• Have a Six Week Plan
• Lesson plan template

21
Time for instruction

• Mini Lessons really help with finding time
• Remember the I do, we do, you do format it is
  during the you do step that it is easiest to
  pull a small group
• Try to have set days that you do things, like do
  reading skills on MTW and writing on THF or
  something like that
• Make sure activities measure what has been taught
• Use cooperative Learning groups (grouping
  technique)
• Start small only pull one group per day in the
  beginning

22
Behavior

• Students usually misbehave for 2 reasons
• They do not understand how to do something
• They want attention
  
• Small group instruction solves both of these
  because students receive instruction and
  attention without having to disrupt the whole
  class

23
Behavior

• Remind class of expectations before you pull your
  group
• When working with group, jot down students who
  are not meeting expectations
• Meet with those students independently after
  group is over and address behavior
• Use positive peer pressure to keep students on
  task (give reward to whole class if everyone
  stays on task)

24
Management

• Warm up at the beginning (5-10 min max)
• Timer needs to be your best friend
• Students need to know what to do with work that
  they finish
• Always allow time at the end of group to sum up
  what skill they worked on (this is helpful at the
  end of class as well)
• Spreadsheet of skills to be mastered so you know
  what to cover in small groups

25
What I have learned

• Even though you are not standing in front of your
  class ALL of your students are still learning
• Your class is not always going to be quiet
• Students will try to get away with stuff while
  you are working with your group
• You will feel out of control in the beginning
• You will have less time at your desk
• Students will want to be in your small group

26
What I have learned

• Your low students will gain more confidence
• You will have less failures
• Attitudes will be better
• My timer is my best friend
• Planning is harder, but teaching is so much easier

27
Groundhog Day

• The groundhog is the only critter with his own
  holiday, a day based on the tale that he can
  forecast the start of spring. When he wakes from
  his long winter sleep, the groundhog crawls out
  from his warm burrow. It is said that if the sun
  is out, he will see his shadow, startle, and
  scurry back down his hole. This means winter
  will last six more weeks. But if clouds cover
  the sky, and he sees no shadow, he will trot off
  to search for food. This means that winter is at
  an end, and a warm spring will soon begin.
• A groundhog named Punxsutawny Phil is the most
  famous furry forecaster. On February 2nd of each
  year, crowds gather early in the morning on a
  wooded hill in Punxsutawny, Pennsylvania. Men of
  the Groundhog Club, dressed in tuxedos and top
  hats, stand next to a tree stump with a small
  door in it----Phils man-made home. One of the
  men knocks on Phils door with a cane to wake
  him, opens it up, and pulls him out. The man
  holds Phil up to his ear. Phils nose quivers as
  he tells the man if he saw his shadow or not,
  and the man shouts the news for all to hear.