Teachers use small group work when the learning goals profit from interaction and collaboration among students. They choose tasks that require and foster collaborative work and provide clear directions that enable groups to work independently and interdependently while holding students accountable for collective and individual learning. Teachers use their own time strategically, deliberately choosing which groups to work with, when, and on what. Teachers work to ensure students are positioned as competent among their peers, that patterns of interaction are respectful, and that the collective work of the group uses the strengths of and benefits each student. To do this, teachers believe that collaboration among students is crucial to student growth and that peer interaction is foundational to learning. (Adapted from TeachingWorks High Leverage Practices)
RANDA Connections: IIIE
What the Research Says...
What the Research Says...
CRT: Collectivist vs Individualist Cultures: Zaretta Hammond gives teachers three actionable steps to include CRT into their classroom practice- emphasize relationships with students, design collaborative learning activities, and integrate cultural learning tools.
How to Empower Primary Students using Accountable Talk: Steps for planning for student-centered conversations that require students to use evidence
Flexible Grouping & Why Flexible Grouping is Powerful Learning: The benefits of flexible grouping for teachers and students is explained, with a process for how to intentionally create flexible groups.
Coaching to Strategically Use Learning Groups...
Coaching to Strategically Use Learning Groups...
In order to develop a teacher's capacity to Strategically Use Learning Groups, the coach will use the continuum above, as well as available data sources, to facilitate reflection and identify next steps. One approach may be to turn the continuum bullet points into questions.
The following resources align with the continuum:
Incorporating Small Group Work When Learning Goal Supports Interaction and Collaboration
Designing Tasks Aligned to Learning Goal
Constructing Routines and Procedures to Enable Groups to Work Independently and Interdependently
Creating Routines and Structures that Allow Students to Self-Monitor
Designing Formative Assessment
Related Teacher Practices, Student Actions, and Classroom Interactions...
Related Teacher Practices, Student Actions, and Classroom Interactions...
Connection to District-Wide Professional Learning
Connection to District-Wide Professional Learning
The indicator "Strategically Use Learning Groups" supports teachers' ability to create learning groups that support the individualized growth of each student. This practice is supported through each component of discourse. The teacher must establish routines and structures for student discourse that match the purpose of the lesson. When utilizing discourse as an instructional move, it is imperative that a teacher provides the necessary supports for all students to access and interact with the work of the lesson. Finally a teacher must monitor student learning and create systems for students to monitor their learning and hold themselves and their peers accountable.
Page updated
Report abuse