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This is a padlet to help secondary teachers with multiple preps and classes figure out how to facilitate grouping when you teach over 100 students.

Although there are some examples from elementary school classrooms embedded into this padlet, I chose to post them because I felt like they could be replicated on a much larger scale with many more students.

Hope you enjoy!

- Mary

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In this example, the teacher labels the supply bins for each table and can easily just lay them on desks to create classroom zones

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Managing where students are in the writing classroom

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Managing where students are in the writing classroom

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This teacher makes little magnets for each student and moves them based on where they are in the writing process, assigning tasks and activities based on pacing.

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Each station has its own designated number and supply station.

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This teacher has each table labeled with a number in order to direct students and a mini-chalkboard where she can write her students' names.

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This teacher gives each student a card so they know when they need to go up to the front and conference with their teacher.

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Have a classroom map of what skill is being worked on at each station and have students self-assess where they need to go.

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Although this is an article for elementary school teachers, this blogger has a lot of great tips for organizing your groups and letting kids know where to go without driving yourself crazy :)

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Grouping is an essential component to M.A.T.H. Workshop success in your classroom. After your warm up and mini lesson are over, students will rotate through M.A.T.H. practice activities each day. If you are not familiar with the M.A.T.H. framework, please read this post first.

So, how do you group your students to ensure efficiency and success for all? A quick pre assessment is worthwhile in helping you design differentiated groups, and will make your daily M.A.T.H. rotations more efficient. Once you've got your pre assessment results handy, use the guidelines below to help you establish your groups for the unit, quarter, or trimester.

Skill Level Grouping

This grouping approach comes in handy when your assessment results show student understanding of the skill(s) being introduced is scattered. To group by skill level, begin by determining the number of groups you will have.

Three Groups

Three groups is appropriate if you plan to have a flexible "Meet With The Teacher" schedule. This approach allows you to call students to the small group area based on your observations of student needs during workshop on some days, and have a set group meeting schedule on other days.

I recommend the three-group/flexible schedule approach. This allows you the flexibility to meet with each group weekly, while leaving room in the schedule for meeting unforeseen student needs without disrupting the flow of student rotations.

Here's a peek at what your schedule might look like if you have three skill levels groups:

Four Groups

Four groups is appropriate if you plan to have a set "Meet With The Teacher" schedule. This approach allows you to pre-plan your small group instruction needs and have a set course each day. Unfortunately, if you have a schedule conflict, the group you are set to meet with that day misses out on their "Meet With The Teacher" time, and there is no flexible room to make it up.

Creating Balanced Groups

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. Factoring in how quickly students catch on to new concepts also helps to create balance.

Work Habits Grouping

This grouping approach comes in handy when your assessment results show the majority of your students have the same level of understanding for the skill(s) being introduced.

When grouping by work habits, create heterogeneous groups that include a balance of students with strong self-direction skills, and students who require additional guidance and support. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn from peer role models who can foster stronger work habits in those who are still developing these essential skills.

When utilizing the work habits grouping approach, you will likely find you'll spend less time in your small group work space, and more time around the room having one on one conferences, and pulling groups on an as-needed basis.

Math Triads

Regardless of the grouping approach you use, establishing Math Triads in your classroom will further foster student independence and resourcefulness.

A Math Triad is a strategically designed group of 3 students who check in with one another during workshop each day. Here are a few roles of a Math Triad:

Provide tips to guide others toward a solution.

Clarify confusions.

Check "at your seat" work for accuracy.

Help with spelling of math vocabulary.

Help troubleshoot tech problems.

Provide constructive feedback.

Provide encouraging comments.

Help others focus and be their best self.

When creating Math Triads, avoid grouping your mastery-level students with students who need the most support. Instead, use your pre assessment data to arrange students in order from highest to lowest score. Divide this list in thirds and pull one student from each third to create your triads, as shown below.

Ready To Give M.A.T.H. Workshop A Try?

For more details about each component of M.A.T.H. Workshop, check out my other posts about this instructional approach:

If you want to give M.A.T.H. Workshop a test drive in your own classroom, grab your M.A.T.H. Workshop Starter Kit, and feel free to share any questions you have about implementation in the comments below.

Check Out Other Smashing Strategies For Math

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How To Organize Small Groups for M.A.T.H. Workshop

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Grouping is an essential component to M.A.T.H. Workshop success in your classroom. After your warm up and mini lesson are over, students will rotate through M.A.T.H. practice activities each day. If you are not familiar with the M.A.T.H. framework, please read this post first.

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Color code handouts or notebooks for each group and then have a colored sign on each table to show students where to go.

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This link has a lot of great strategies for how to let students know (a) what group they're in and (b) where they need to go.

Even though this is created for an elementary school classroom, this display can be folded up and recreated for multiple preps.
http://mountainview.typepad.com/guided_math/photos.html

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Here's another strategy. These little folders are tiny and you could probably fit four or five of these on a small sliver of a wall. Even if you couldn't, you could easily just switch out the notecards between class periods.
http://mountainview.typepad.com/guided_math/photos.html

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Here's another strategy. I like that these are erasable. If you need to switch names from period to period, you can easily do so.
http://mountainview.typepad.com/guided_math/photos.html

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Here's another strategy. Like the one in "Math Stations #2" I like how this version can be moved or switched out from class period to class period while still making where students are going clear.
http://mountainview.typepad.com/guided_math/photos.html

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This is one way to set up a grouping board. It's clear to see who's in what group at all times and might be a manageable strategy for teachers with multiple preps.

If you want to read more, look at the link below for setting up your classroom for self-directed learning and collaboration :
http://minds-in-bloom.com/new-classroom-set-up-encouraging-self/