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CONGRATULATIONS to Brandi (#34) for winning my STAMP giveway...and...

CONGRATULATIONS to Kelly (#2) for winning our Friendly Letter Unit!!!

You girls will be receiving emails soon!

Today, let's talk math. I rarely talk math. I'm a reading and writing girl. I could read and write with the kiddos ALL.DAY.LONG! But, standards say I have to teach them some math, too. :)

I like math. I really do. I just LOVE reading and writing. Second-graders LOVE math, though.

I've always implemented some type of math centers or choices - be it "math baskets" or "math menus." A couple of years ago I began doing math rotations and this year I really feel like I've found something that works...for me.

Whenever we start a new unit, I give students a pretest. This gives a big picture of what students understand about the concepts in the unit. Throughout the unit, concepts are introduced whole-group. After they're taught, I give a little benchmark to see if students grasped the concept. Based on this benchmark, I group my students.

Of course, some students master it right away - teach it once and they take it and run with it! Those students are in a group together for enrichment.

Others, grasp the concept but not at mastery - they still need some practice to get there. These students are in a group for practice.

Others have a "loose grasp" of the concept, but much practice and reinforcement is needed. These students will make up a group.

While others need several lessons and small-group sessions before they really begin to understand the skill or concept - these students will be in a group together for lots of small group reinforcement.

This is where my rotations come in. I have 4 rotations to use with these groups...they're easy to remember because they spell MATH. :)

M - Meet with the Teacher

I use PowerPoint to show my rotations for the day. A day might look something like this...

You can see on this day, Group 1 would start out working with me and then move through the other 3 rotations. This schedule would allow me to meet with each group during math that day.

Here's a little about what students would be doing in each rotation -

Meet with the Teacher: Obviously, students would meet with the teacher during this one! ;) This is when I would teach (or reteach) in small groups and provide enrichment, as well.

Assessments: In this rotation, students would be doing some type of assessment (something for me to collect to see how they're progressing). It could be a test, quiz, benchmark - but it could also be a center or game with a recording sheet.

Technology: As this rotation, students are working on the computers or iPad to practice concepts and skills.

Hands-On Learning: This rotation usually consists of games and/or craftivities.

Stations are usually only 10-15 minutes each. It just depends on if I started the math block with a whole-group mini-lesson or not.

Sometimes, I may want to meet with a particular group for a longer period. If this is the case, I'll use a little different rotation schedule.

Notice the additional STAR. The star lets me choose an additional activity for groups - you'll notice on the schedule above that I met with Groups 1 and 2 for two back-to-back rotations on this day, giving me more time to work with them. I did not meet with Groups 3 and 4 at all on this day. Instead, they had 5 rotations during the math block.

It's not perfect, but this has been working well in my classroom. Do you do small group instruction in math? If so, how does it work??

11/3/13 ** UPDATE: I've had a lot of requests for the PowerPoint, so you can download it
HERE. **

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CONGRATULATIONS to Brandi (#34) for winning my STAMP giveway...and... CONGRATULATIONS to Kelly (#2) for winning our Friendly Letter Unit!!! You girls will be receiving emails soon! Today, let's talk math. I rarely talk math. I'm a reading and writing girl. I could read and write with the kiddos ALL.DAY.LONG!

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How To Organize Small Groups for Math Workshop

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Arrange your students into these groups based on their level of understanding while trying your best to maintain a fairly balanced number of students in each group. This is where group creation becomes an art, not a science. If your groups are unbalanced, move beyond looked solely at the assessment data, and begin to consider student work habits.

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How to Create the Perfect Math and Reading Small Group Rotation Schedule - The Golden GOATs (and a kid!)

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Your small group rotation schedule is just as important as your instruction! These tips will help you create the perfect rotation schedule!

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20 Independent Reading Activities for Middle School - Teaching Expertise

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Middle grade English students can struggle to focus during independent reading time. They need structure to not only continue reading their book but also to improve their reading comprehension and other skills. Different activities and reading strategies can help keep them engaged and also give you…

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Guided Reading and Small Groups in Middle School PART II

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After part one of guided reading and small groups in middle school ELA, this post outlines what the other students are doing during this time

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Teaching a small group of students sounds easier than teaching a whole class, in theory. But in actuality, small group classroom management has its extra challenges. You can have the most amazing lesson planned for your group, but that won't matter if you keep getting interrupted because the rest of your class is off task. Small group success is directly dependent on the other students who are expected to work independently during that time.

The key word there is "expected." It sure would be nice if all kids automatically worked quietly and stayed on task during centers. But that doesn't just magically happen without effective small group classroom management in place.

Here are a few tips for keeping the rest of your class on task during centers, so that you can give your undivided attention to your small group instruction.

Role Play

It's teaching 101, right? Don't just tell the kids, SHOW them. Explicitly model what expected behavior looks like during centers. You could demonstrate this yourself, but students will have more buy-in when you get them involved. Have them be the ones to show the class what to do and what not to do.

You could facilitate role playing by having the kids act out some examples and non-examples of behavior expectations. Do this for all of your different centers. For instance, if one of your centers is independent reading, have each of your students "act out" what it looks like to be on task while reading independently. Then choose a couple of students to come to the front of the room to act it out in front of the whole class.

When they are finished, ask questions that encourage students to point out the positive things they noticed about their behavior. For example:

" What did you notice about the way Mari was holding the book?"

" How could you tell that she was actually reading?"

Possible student responses:

"She had it open and the book was right-side up."

" She was using her reading finger to track the words."

And then on the flip side, have different students come up to the front of the class and act out what NOT to do, such as crawling around on the floor, having the book closed, or getting up from their spot to talk to a friend.

The kids may laugh at this part or find it entertaining, but that's what makes it memorable for them so that they remember. After all the giggles, use that engagement to lead a class discussion about WHY that's not a good choice for center time. I once had a student say, "Doing that is not going to help me be a better reader." Bingo, kiddo! I asked the rest of the class to use their hand signal for I agree if they agreed, and it was powerful for kids to see that unified agreement as a class.

Delegate Authority

Even when you have set the clearest of expectations for centers, it's possible there will still be some students who do those "non-examples" that they were taught NOT to do. Certain kids just need a little extra TLC when it comes to learning the appropriate behaviors.

One strategy to help with that is to put some of the power in students' hands. While you're occupied with teaching your small group, give a student the coveted responsibility of helping to monitor the class. This is a special role that I like to call the "On-Task Manager."

As a variation, you could also call it "The Quiet Monitor," or even "The Quiet Queen" and "The Quiet King."

This student's special job is to "supervise" the class to see who is doing the best job of working quietly and staying on task. When the timer is up, they get to go and tap a student on the shoulder that they think was doing the best job. That student is then rewarded by becoming the new supervisor, and the previous student goes back to do their work. This rotation of managers can repeat until the end of independent work time.

If you are interested in more tips about implementing this specific strategy with your class (and/or want to find out how you can get the FREE place cards pictured above), click here to visit another blog post with more details.

Evaluate Your Centers

This one may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to help kids stay on task during center time is quite simply to have high quality centers! If kids are continually doing busy work, or activities that are not engaging or level-appropriate, they are much less likely to want to keep doing them.

It is also important to have a variety of different types of centers. You can have certain ones where they work alone, some where they work with a partner, and centers for a small group of students to work together. Implementing hands-on center activities and engaging learning games makes all the difference too!

Let them Choose

Another powerful way to encourage positive behavior is to incorporate choice. When kids get to choose which center they want to work at, there is a higher level of interest in doing the work. You might provide each student with a check-off sheet of each of the centers they get to choose from, and present them with the challenge of checking all of them off by the end of the week. They are still doing the same centers that you would have assigned them anyway, but you're upping the motivation factor by giving them the opportunity to choose.

If you are worried that too many kids will choose the same center at once, set a maximum for the number of people who can be at a specific center at a given time. Implement any additional guidelines that your particular class needs to be successful- you know them best!

Use Visual Cues

Visual cues are essential for minimizing interruptions during small group instruction. You may know all too well that sometimes it's not enough just to tell students not to interrupt you when you're busy working with a group.

A visual reminder for the kids will save your sanity. When they see it, they will be more likely to remember that it's "Don't interrupt the teacher" time. If they do forget, you can just point to the visual reminder instead of having a verbal exchange.

You could put on something silly like a hat or feather boa, or have a poster on display. If you choose to use a poster, a little humor goes a long way. This one is from @teachersys on Instagram:

Another option is to use a portable light switch. I found this one at Target Dollar Spot a few years back. It was easy to just stick it onto a cheap plastic picture frame. I printed the text and cut the paper to fit in the frame.

If using something similar, clearly set the expectations for it and be consistent. When the light is on, students should not come up to you unless it's an emergency. If they do ever forget, you don't have to say a word. Just point at the light, and they will be reminded to go back to their independent work.

When you first explain how the light works, do a little brainstorm with the class. Have them come up with a list of ways to problem solve on their own when the teacher is busy. If there's a question they don't understand, for example, they could ask a friend for help. They could skip it for now and come back to it later. Post the list visibly in the classroom so they can refer to it when needed.

Have an Accountability Piece

It can be very powerful to have students actively reflect back on their independent work habits during center time. When they are regularly held accountable, behavior is more likely to be positive.

One effective way to do this is to have students fill out a short reflection sheet like the one below.

Students could fill this out at the end of each week, or less frequently depending on the needs of your class.

You can use these for your whole class, or as a tool for individual students who need the extra accountability. You may need to meet privately with any kids who have been repeatedly off task during centers. When doing so, utilize this form as a jumping off point for discussion.

These reflection sheets are only $1 in my website shop and TPT store. If you'd like them emailed to you for FREE, you can click here to sign up for my email list.

The resource includes an editable template too, so you can customize it for your class. List the behaviors that your kids need to work on most. By targeting those, hopefully you should start to see an improvement!

No classroom management strategy is one size fits all. Sometimes it's a matter of trying out various ones to see what works best for your kids. Do you have any favorite small group classroom management tricks? Feel free to help out fellow teachers by sharing in the comments below!

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Small Group Classroom Management: How to Keep the Rest of the Class on Task - Life Between Summers

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Teaching a small group of students sounds easier than teaching a whole class, in theory. But in actuality, small group classroom management has its extra challenges. You can have the most amazing lesson planned for your group, but that won't matter if you keep getting interrupted because the rest of your class is off task.

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5 Easy Steps for How To Manage Small Groups in the Classroom - Simply B Teaching

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It can be hard to learn how to manage small groups in the classroom! As a teacher, you can feel pulled in all different directions when leading small group instruction. This may include a center time or strategic intervention where you only meet with 3-4 students at a time.

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by Stephanie Chasteen, University of Colorado Boulder

Groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement. This article focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.
Interested in more ideas on student engagement? You can see all my articles on helping students engage in active learning, and also download a PDF summary of all recommended engagement strategies.
How do group structures and tasks affect student engagement?

As you might imagine, not all "cooperative groups" work cooperatively. That is, students may be in a group, but not be working collaboratively towards a common goal that improves their learning. Students can come in with poor attitudes towards group work ( Gillespie, Rosamond, and Thomas 2006), including having a fear of loafers. Or the structure of the groups may be at fault: Often, what we think are cooperative groups are traditional classroom groups (where some students work hard and others do not), or pseudo learning groups (where students have no interest in working together) ( Moreno 2009; Nokes-Malach, Richey, and Gadgil 2015). These types of learning groups often do not actually improve student learning when compared to traditional instruction.

Students need to have a reason to work together ( "positive interdependence"), be accountable as a team as well as individually for their learning, learn skills for working together productively, and have clear expectations for the outcome of group work ( Slavin 2010; Anderman and Dawson 2010). Luckily, students typically find group work fun and motivating, and over time will typically have more productive learning experiences ( Nguyen et al. 2021; Bacon, Stewart, and Silver 1999).

Additionally, the benefits of cooperative learning are highly dependent on the task itself ( Slavin 1995). Students are motivated by interest: if a task feels stimulating, fun, relevant, authentic and novel, this will draw students in. Students are also attracted by the value of a task: A task that is useful, important, and challenging with high benefit and few costs will engage students ( Pintrich 2003; Boekaerts 2010; Engle and Conant 2002; Moreno 2009). Tasks that are less motivating are ones that can be completed using superficial memorization and without setting clear goals or involving any collaboration. A task may also be overly restrictive, offering little student latitude. Design authentic, collaborative, and fun tasks with the goal of sparking pleasure, pride, and satisfaction in students. Variety in group tasks is very motivating and tends to keep students engaged ( Shekhar et al. 2015). A commitment to variety also allows you to address different student interests ( Boekaerts 2010; Pintrich 2003; Tanner 2013), and keep student attention as the semester progresses ( Ertmer, Newby, and MacDougall 1996).

Strategies for helping students work productively in groups

Below are some general strategies for helping to support productive group work. There are many other resources devoted to this topic. See Further Reading for many of my preferred sources. Below are some of the most salient strategies related to student engagement.

Hold students individually accountable for group work

Students must have some accountability for their individual learning in order for groups to work effectively ( Slavin 1995).

Give groups a collaborative goal

It is also important to have the group working together to achieve a collaborative goal, and that the group's success is dependent on the individual learning of all members ( Slavin 1995).

Use productive group structures

The structure of groups is also important for success and engagement. The group size should be well suited to the task, and so that each student will be able to contribute. A group might benefit from having roles assigned to each student, especially early in the semester, to facilitate productive collaboration.

Can support greater group diversity. Reduces anxiety of students who may not feel comfortable asking to join a group. Students gain experience learning to work with people they don't know.

Students may prefer this. Students may be more comfortable and productive if they can choose others with whom they know they can work productively and feel safe. Some research shows students are more productive when they choose their own groups.

Students may not prefer this approach. Instructors may not know students or their context well enough to put them in groups that will work well together. The logistics of assigning groups may be more work for the instructor.

Students may choose to work with their friends and be more likely to be distracted by off-topic conversations or exclude group members who are not part of a friend group.

Aim for diversity in student achievement, gender, culture, and ethnicity. At the same time, avoid putting a single student from a marginalized group alone in a group, as they may be more likely to be excluded. Use CATME' s online team maker to form teams based on such criteria.

In a small class where many students know each other, have students write down the names of other students they do and don't want to work with, and assign groups based on their preferences, to avoid the anxiety students might feel if they have to find people to work with on the spot.

By test scores, random number generation, and then balance by race/gender.

By student choice (nearest neighbors, friends) or by characteristics (e.g., high school attended, mutual interests).

Help groups collaborate effectively and monitor their performance

Students are likely to need some help in working together well. Below are several strategies for helping students to start out on the right foot and keep working together well. See also useful training and supports for productive team-work at CATME.org, including team member preparation documents, team charters and sample team agendas. There are also several helpful suggestions for dealing with dysfunctional teams in Felder and Brent (2016).

Build motivating tasks

Build "motivational embellishments" into your activities, leveraging students' psychology to draw them in naturally to the task and make them want to engage due to intrinsic interest and value for the activity. Motivational embellishments include the insertion of specific challenges, material based on student interest, or giving students perceived control over the outcome of the task.

Summary and Action Items
This article is a product of the Framing the Interactive Engagement Classroom project, led by Stephanie Chasteen (University of Colorado Boulder), with collaboration from Jon Gaffney (Eastern Kentucky University) and Andrew Boudreaux (Western Washington University). Many thanks to University of Colorado reviewers Rebecca Ciancanelli and Jenny Knight, plus undergraduate assistant Maya Fohrman. This work was generously supported by the University of Colorado Science Education Initiative Sociocultural theory, social constructivism, positive interdependence, accountability, cooperative learning and the University of Colorado Center for STEM Learning, via a Chancellor's Award. Please contact Stephanie Chasteen with any comments or questions.
Most active learning techniques involve the creation of student groups, but groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement in active learning. This chapter focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.

Hold students individually accountable for group work

Students must have some accountability for their individual learning in order for groups to work effectively.

Follow up group work with individual assessments of learning.

Use assessments of individual effort to adjust grades.

Give groups a collaborative goal

It is important to have the group working together to achieve a collaborative goal, and that the group's success is dependent on the individual learning of all members.

Give students goals as a group.

Use achievement rewards.

Use group exams.

Use productive group structures

The structure of groups is important for success and engagement. The group size should be well suited to the task, and so that each student will be able to contribute.

Use team-building exercises.

Coach students and model effective behavior.

Help teams develop productive goals.

Require groups to self-reflect.

Help groups collaborate effectively and monitor their performance

Students are likely to need some help in working together well.

Use team-building exercises.

Coach students and model effective behavior.

Help teams develop productive goals.

Require groups to self-reflect.

Build motivating tasks

Build "motivational embellishments" into your activities, leveraging students' psychology to draw them in naturally to the task and make them want to engage due to intrinsic interest and value for the activity. Motivational embellishments include the insertion of specific challenges, material based on student interest, or giving students perceived control over the outcome of the task.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Vary group learning methods.

Give clear, written instruction.

Focus on authentic, real world scenarios.

Allow for fun.

Give tasks that are just above student ability.

Give students choice and autonomy.

For further reading on this topic, see Ames 1991; Seidel and Tanner 2013; Millis 2012; Slavin 2010; Tanner 2013; Teed, McDaris, and Roseth 2018; Felder and Brent 2016.

Keywords to search in the literature

Image courtesy of PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder

References

E. Anderman and H. Dawson, Learning with Motivation, in Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction, edited by R. Mayer and P. Alexander, (2010).

J. Bliss, W. Firestone, and C. Richards, Rethinking Effective Schools: Research and Practice, 1st ed. (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 1991).

M. Boekaerts, The crucial role of motivation and emotion in classroom learning, in The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, edited by H. Dumont, D. Istance, and F. Benavides, (2010).

B. Brown, A. Gamoran, S. Lamborn, K. Seashore-Louis, N. Mounts, M. Nystrand, B. Smith, G. Smith, L. Steinberg, and G. Wehlage, Student Engagement and Achievement in American Secondary Schools, 1 ed., edited by F. Newmann, (Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, 1992), Vol. 1.

R. Felder and R. Brent, Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide, 1st Edition ed. (Jossey-Bass- A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco, 2016).

B. Linder, M. Somerville, Ö. Eris, and N. Tatar, Work in progress - Taking one for the team: Goal orientation and gender-correlated task division, presented at the IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE) 2010, Arlington, VA, 2010.

R. Mayer and P. Alexander, (Routledge, Abingdon, 2016).

B. Millis, Cooperative Learning in Higher Education: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy, 2nd edition ed. (Stylus Publishing, LLC, Sterling, 2012).

R. Moreno, Educational Psychology, (John Wiley & Sons Inc., Somerset, 2009).

K. Nguyen, J. Husman, M. Borrego, P. Shekhar, M. Prince, and M. DeMonbrun, Students' Expectations, Types of Instruction, and Instructor Strategies Predicting Student Response to Active Learning, presented at the American Education Research Association (AERA), San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

R. Slavin, Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3rd Edition ed. (Allyn & Bacon Publishers, Boston, 1995).

R. Slavin, Cooperative learning: What makes group-work work?, in The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, edited by H. Dumont, D. Istance, and F. Benavides, (2010).

R. Teed, J. McDaris, C. Roseth, Cooperative Learning, Science Education Resource Center and Carleton, 2018).

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How can I help students work well in small groups, so they are more likely to engage?

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Groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement. This article focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.

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Small-group learning transforms the traditional teacher-driven classroom into a student-centered learning environment characterized by high engagement and achievement. By providing space for personalized learning and collaboration, small groups create a space where students receive the differentiated support they need. Teachers are often hesitant to use small-group learning due to concerns about classroom management and learning support given the multiple pods of students working collaboratively on different tasks around the classroom. How can teachers effectively facilitate learning when students are working on five or more different tasks simultaneously, especially when one of those tasks might be a teacher-led small group? How can teachers effectively administer small groups in online or hybrid learning environments?

For small groups to function well in the physical, online, or hybrid learning environment, there must be levers of accountability established and ready to employ. The following post will delve into concrete strategies teachers can use to create metrics and tools of accountability that will ultimately promote student independence, agency, and leadership in the classroom through small-group learning.

Routines and Procedures

Classrooms that function well have established routines and procedures that lead to safety and organization. Depending on the grade level and subject area of the classroom, these routines and procedures may include expectations for how students enter and exit the classroom, steps for obtaining materials, procedures for requesting permission to go to the restroom, or even ways to ask for help while working. Teachers prepare students for success and make excellent use of instructional time when they plan in detail how students should complete routine activities in class.

For small groups, teachers should consider developing step-by-step routines and procedures for any common movements or transitions that take place during small-group learning. Consider, for instance, how students may move from one small group to another in a timely and safe manner. The following common occurrences may merit the planning of a routine or procedure during small-group learning: accessing technology, obtaining and returning supplies, submitting small-group work, seeking help from the teacher, leaving the classroom to collaborate outside. In my Spanish classroom, I used the following "Workstations Rotation" procedure to empower students to lead the learning process and spend as little time as possible in transition between activities:

1. Step One: At the end of a workstation, the teacher rings the bell twice, stands up, and is seen by all students scanning the classroom. Students end conversations within 10 seconds. For students who are not on task, the teacher says, "Waiting on (specific number) of students to have their eyes silently on the speaker." Then the teacher uses positive narration to call out those who are on task: "Thank you (insert name) for your attention."

2. Step Two: Once all students are silent and have their eyes on the teacher, the teacher says the following instructions in an even tone and a moderate volume: "When I say go and not before I say go, quietly wrap-up conversations, pack up materials and prepare to transition. You have 60 seconds on the timer. Go." The teacher sets and displays a timer and is seen scanning the room or walking around. (Note that the teacher is careful never to speak while students are talking. If students start talking during instructions, the teacher self-interrupts . If a student is not paying attention, the teacher uses close proximity. If a student is wildly off task, the teacher interrupts the transition and tells students to continue working momentarily until the issue can be resolved privately and individually.)

3. Step Three: At the end of the timer, the teacher rings the bell twice and is seen scanning the room. Once all students are silent and have their eyes on the teacher, the teacher says the following instructions in an even tone and a moderate volume: "When I say go and not before I say go, stand up, push in chairs, walk silently to the next workstation. You will have 15 minutes to work." Before saying go, the teacher does a choral check for understanding: "We will stand... (students chorally complete the sentence). We will push in our... (students chorally complete the sentence). We will walk... (students chorally complete the sentence)." The teacher says, "Go." Then the teacher sets and displays the timer and is seen scanning the room or walking around. (Note that the teacher uses positive narration to point out students who are following directions. For students off task, the teacher gives quick verbal reminders in a private and respectful way. If a student is consistently missing the mark, the teacher has a private conversation and practices transitioning.)

4. Step Four: Once all students have arrived at their next workstation, the teacher circulates through stations and assists where needed. Any students who may have struggled during the transition are given a chance to meet with the teacher.

As detailed and specific as this may seem, the procedure I have just described helped my classroom function like a well-oiled machine with little or no disruption due to unwanted behavior or confusion. Students spent the vast majority of their time working independently and collaboratively in small groups because we wasted no time on messy transitions.

Within virtual and hybrid learning environments, it is important to step back and consider the specific context in which learning occurs. Each environment will require different routines and procedures to function properly; however, a few best practices remain true for any effective routine. According to Doug Lemov's groundbreaking manual for effective teaching and learning, Teach Like a Champion 3.0 , highly effective classroom procedures have the following characteristics: simple, quick, requiring little narration by the teacher, and planned in detail. One invaluable tool for small-group instruction online is called "Breakout Rooms," virtual spaces in which a large group of participants in a virtual meeting are split into smaller groups temporarily. This feature is available through the Zoom and Microsoft Teams platforms. to read a comprehensive article on best practices for managing breakout rooms in Zoom, and for the same resource for Microsoft Teams. What routines and procedures are essential for small-group learning in your classroom?

Clear Instructions

Students need access to age-appropriate instructions to guide them in small-group learning. Depending on students' grade level, these instructions may come in writing, pictures/images, or even video. (Consider the impact of combining two or more of these formats for increased student comprehension through multimodal instruction , especially for students with special needs and students with language barriers!) Some best practices to consider in developing clear instructions include writing concisely, eliminating extraneous steps, and integrating flexibility by providing multiple options. Teachers must provide students with easy access to instructions for any small-group task. In the physical classroom, this might be done by providing small-group work binders with specific instructions and materials at the ready; however, in hybrid environments teachers might create tasks on Google Classroom or another learning platform that students can access from their personal computers or tablets. Then students can work in small groups through breakout rooms in Zoom or Teams meetings while the teacher monitors each group periodically. (Note that students can record their breakout rooms and upload them as evidence of their collaboration as permitted by school and district policies.) One way or another, students need access to clear and concrete instructions for small-group tasks that require little or no teacher involvement.

While step-by-step directions are essential for some tasks, teachers must also consider the ways in which clear instructions provide space for students to engage in higher-order tasks that might require collaborative problem solving, synthesis of knowledge and ideas, or even the creation of a new process or product. For this, teachers craft guiding questions that inspire students to engage deeply with the topic at hand by connecting to students' interests and passions or even allowing students to relate back to their own lives. Using guiding questions as a springboard, students become steadfast explorers and collaborators who are excited to learn. Below are examples of effective guiding questions for small-group learning:

Mathematics: How might you model (insert mathematical concept or theorem) using the materials and resources available at this workstation?

Social Science: What constitutes a good home? How can governments, charities, and other institutions contribute to people's access to good homes?

Language Arts: How is the theme of this text relevant and important to folks today? What can we learn and apply in our lives immediately from this text?

Physical Science: How is your life affected by the laws of motion? Provide examples for each law of motion.

Biological Science: What can we apply from our most recent unit of study to promote awareness of the importance of handwashing? How might you present this information to the general public?

World Languages: What are the keywords you would need to learn to communicate effectively about (insert topic) in our language of study? What strategies would best support you in learning those words?

Fine Arts: How do musicians improve the quality of their compositions and performances? What examples can you provide to support your analysis?

Physical Education: What routines and habits from your daily life contribute to your overall wellbeing and health? Conversely, what routines and habits might negatively impact your overall wellbeing and health?

While teachers may choose to develop a task aligned to a guiding question, they may also choose to allow students to be agents of their learning as they develop their own unique responses. In my Spanish classroom, students often developed innovative, creative, and unique projects in response to guiding questions I provided in each of their student-led small groups. Some examples of the types of tasks that students proposed and completed in Spanish class are a classroom newspaper, a hydroponic garden, a cooking show, and even a trip to a local Spanish mission. In the online Spanish classroom, students wrote dramatic skits, recorded group podcasts, and developed computer games in their small groups. Using these guiding questions as starting points for small-group work, students can tap into their own interests, opinions, and perspectives.

Student-Facing Rubrics

Rubrics are a powerful form of accountability that allow teachers and students to work from a shared understanding of the learning outcomes of any small-group learning opportunity. A rubric is an evaluative tool that includes a set of learning criteria and performance levels that are equally applied to all students in a given task. According to EdGlossary , an online resource defining common academic and school-improvement concepts, "In instructional settings, rubrics clearly define academic expectations for students and help to ensure consistency in the evaluation of academic work from student to student, assignment to assignment, or course to course." Rubrics clarify expectations and help create consistency within the evaluation process. Check out the resources below designed to help teachers create their own rubrics:

In the small-group learning environment, rubrics can be used throughout the learning process. Teachers must provide students with access to rubrics either in paper or electronic formats that are easily accessible throughout the learning process, not just at the end. Students at the start of an activity or assignment might be invited to review the rubric in order to plan their work and set collaborative goals as a team. While they work, students might refer to the rubric as a self-monitoring tool. Finally, rubrics allow teachers to provide data-rich feedback to students during and after small-group work by highlighting achievement and growth opportunities in alignment with performance levels detailed for each rubric criteria. The following is an example of a generic rubric I used in my Spanish classes for any small-group assignment students completed in both physical and virtual learning environments. I would make changes and adjustments for specific tasks. This rubric enabled me to create a student-c learning environment through small groups.

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Creating Accountability in Small-Group Learning - Moreland University

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For small groups to be effective in the classroom, there must be transparent tools of accountability including tight transitions, clear instructions, and accessible rubrics.

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Student Accountability during Small Groups - Cait’s Cool School

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Keeping students accountable for work when you’re working with a different small group can be hard. Try these five strategies to keep them engaged.