One-on-one instruction: When engaging in one-on-one math conferences, I aim to assess students’ strengths and needs while providing timely feedback to close possible learning gaps and brief instruction. These conversations usually last for about 5 minutes. I select students while considering equity rather than equality. I meet with some students more frequently based on their needs while striving to confer with all students occasionally. The Modern Classrooms framework allows me to conduct more one-to-one instruction as students work independently. However, I am also flexible and confer with students as they enter the classroom. 

When working with the students, I can help them if they make errors in their mastery checks and must be taught how to make the strategy work rather than moving to the next lesson. I let them know what they have done correctly as mathematicians and the next steps aligned with their learning progress. 

I can also meet with students to learn when and how to use previously taught strategies. For example, I can present the student with a problem and focus on determining what strategies to use to solve it. These conferences can also help me help students communicate mathematically by teaching vocabulary as they justify their responses. 

At the beginning of the school year, students learn the expectation of being active learners while asking clarifying questions and restating goals or teaching points in their own words. By explaining the goal of one-on-one instruction, students learn that these conferences help all students grow as mathematicians and master learning objectives. Thus, recognize that interruptions disrupt and impact learning. 

To promote independence, students will be encouraged to ask three peers before their teacher as they develop mastery. As a result, students can engage in activities and extra practice without relying on the teacher. If students experience technology failures, they can speak with the Technology Captain, who can assist them.

Small group instruction: The grouping of students changes based on their learning needs. Groups can vary from concept to concept while considering data from mastery checks, observations as students engage in independent work, conversations with students, and benchmark tests. As I work with a small group of students for 15-20 minutes, I can adjust my teaching methods as I introduce new concepts. For students who may lack prerequisite skills or have minimal background knowledge, I can offer lengthier lessons that focus on concrete aspects of the concepts to provide scaffolding. Students who have mastered lessons can benefit from additional challenges. 

Differentiation goes beyond reteaching and can address varying learning styles, foundational knowledge and skills gaps, and even particular students’ interests. Productive small-group work with manipulatives as they make models and use various problem-solving strategies. While managing manipulatives with whole-class instruction can be daunting, small-group instruction requires fewer manipulatives. 

By explaining the goal of small-group instruction, students learn that it helps all students grow as mathematicians and master learning objectives. Thus, recognize that interruptions disrupt and impact learning. 

Whole group instruction: Students participate in meaningful whole-class activities or discussions, including Number Talks and Cognitively Guided Instruction. These whole group collaborative community-building activities enhance the student’s mathematical understanding and development of skills and concepts. 

Number Talks provide students with a collaborative forum to invent strategies, generalize individual strategies into personal algorithms, and build a conceptual bridge to the standard algorithm. Students build understanding and fluency as they share and defend their thinking. 

Cognitively Guided Instruction is used with the whole class as students are given a problem to solve and discuss. As a result, they can use their own strategies while listening to others’ problem-solving strategies.