If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to balance small group instruction with everything else on your plate, you’re not alone.
You need small group time management tips and strategies to reclaim your time and bring more peace and effectiveness to your math block.
Small Groups Planning
The amount of time to spend with each group will vary depending on what you are doing with the group that day.
Some days, you will want to spend an equal amount of time with each of your small groups, ensuring that all students receive balanced attention and instruction.
This approach is particularly useful when all groups are working on similar tasks or when you aim to provide consistent support across different levels of understanding.
On other days, you might need to introduce a new concept, requiring more time with your lower-performing students who may need additional support and less time with your higher-performing students who grasp the material quickly.
This targeted approach allows you to provide differentiated instruction, catering to the varying needs of your students.
Additionally, there are days when you may want to give your lower-performing students more time to practice independently, enabling them to build confidence and mastery over the material.
Concurrently, you can use this time to provide enrichment and extension activities for your higher-performing students, challenging them and keeping them engaged.
Small Group Time Management
First, you’ll need to determine how much time you have for small groups within your math block.
This will depend on your daily schedule, the overall length of your math period, and any other activities or transitions that need to be accounted for.
Once you have a clear idea of the total time available for small groups, the next step is to figure out how many groups you want to meet with each day.
This decision might be influenced by the number of students in your class, their varying needs, and the specific goals you have for each session.
After determining the number of groups, you can then divide your available time by the number of groups you plan to meet with.
It’s important to build in a few minutes of rotation time between groups to ensure smooth transitions and to account for any unexpected delays.
Additionally, consider adding a few extra minutes for wiggle room to handle any unforeseen issues that might arise during your sessions.
For example, if you have a 60-minute math block but only 45 minutes to work directly with groups, and you plan to meet with two groups, you would divide the 45 minutes by two, resulting in 22.5 minutes per group.
After allowing for rotation and wiggle room, you might decide to meet with each group for around 20 minutes.
This structure provides a clear framework for managing your time effectively and ensuring each group receives focused attention.
Don't Lose Track of Time
I know I struggled with keeping track of time during small groups, but once I started using a timer, things went a lot smoother with my groups.
Any timer will work, but I used this one!
Having a timer helps you stay on track, ensures that each group gets the intended amount of time, and keeps the session running efficiently.
There is nothing wrong with needing to use a timer!
Flexibility is Key
Whatever approach you choose for your small group math instruction, the key is to be flexible and responsive to your students’ needs.
Adjust your time allocation based on the daily objectives and the specific requirements of your students, ensuring that each child receives the support and challenge they need to succeed.
By thoughtfully planning and managing your small group time, you can create a dynamic and effective learning environment that promotes growth and achievement for all your students.
Grab Small Groups Math Guide
Pin this to Pinterest for later
