Recently, I visited my cousin at her cheerleading gym (she co-founded it!). It struck me as I watched the team members interacting and the coaches giving direct and specific feedback and praise, that this structure is quite parallel to the way I like to run small groups. In my opinion, (and of course, depending on the class ) small groups don't have to be constantly rotating with teacher-led guided reading or teacher-led skill group. Sitting in one place, especially if you happen to have challenging behaviors or ability levels to meet in your room, just isn't always do-able for the stretches of time between transitions. I would rather move. I want the kids basically stationary ( 3 transitions tops ) and I want to travel. And traveling is more than just "floating" or monitoring. Some of my most valuable instruction and re-teaching happens in 2 minute increments as I travel between groups to give specific skill instruction and feedback. This method...
A blog for teachers to connect, interact, and think about meaningful practices. With the intention of bringing engaging material to educators actively seeking opportunities to grow.