Choose the ones that fit for your classroom. Great for online teaching as well. It gives students a job to do as classwork that can rotate and take away monotony. Hands-on ELA at it’s best. New ideas for roles. Some great suggestions for struggling students.
Tag Archives: small groups
How do I raise the level of my questioning while teaching online, facilitate, and get grades?
Try having a group analyze a text with this checklist for them to check off as they discuss. It allows students to be in charge of their learning and teachers to facilitate the level of their discussion without reinventing the wheel each and every time they complete a close reading analysis about a text. LiteracyContinue reading “How do I raise the level of my questioning while teaching online, facilitate, and get grades?”
Every text you teach should be organized and revisiting objectives
Too many times I see teachers teaching whole group single objectives 5 days straight in a week. Yes, focus on a single objective. Yes, teach it fully for understanding. Yes, practice it throughout the week. But no, don’t continue to beat a dead horse. Present the information, on Monday if that is your routine. But practice itContinue reading “Every text you teach should be organized and revisiting objectives”
Wednesday Tech Tip for the ELA classroom-Sound Clips
Downloading sound clips are a fun, motivating add in for the classroom. For example, add a sound clip of the Jeopardy song when you are playing a Jeopardy game in the classroom. Add a sound clip of “The Twilight Zone” opening to play when something weird in a story happens. Add a sound clip ofContinue reading “Wednesday Tech Tip for the ELA classroom-Sound Clips”
Small Group “Switch-a-roo” day-Gathering several related topic short stories for a round robin quick study-Dystopian
Students like the Dystopia craze. They like the idea of standing up for what you believe in. They like the underdog getting to go at the big wigs. Then even like when the odds are against them and losing, then winning, then doing it over again. Anything’s possible. Impossible odds. Oh, the possibilities. Try puttingContinue reading “Small Group “Switch-a-roo” day-Gathering several related topic short stories for a round robin quick study-Dystopian”
Google Form Prior Knowledge Survey Intros for texts -enrichment
Using Google Forms (or paper or anything you prefer) to introduce a text can be fun and informing. Try incorporating questions you’d like to know about your students as well as geared towards the text you are about to read. Here are some samples of one before reading “Lord of the Flies”. Remember to tell students onlyContinue reading “Google Form Prior Knowledge Survey Intros for texts -enrichment”
Small Group Team Tasks Jobs- Many listed, choose what works with your students
Here are job descriptions and ideas for when doing small groups in ALL grades. When able, in younger grades, try to have consistent groups for a time period. (suggestion: rotate groups every 9 weeks.) This allows the students to acquire the job at hand and be more proficient within the groups. Try not to: rotateContinue reading “Small Group Team Tasks Jobs- Many listed, choose what works with your students”
Poetry Surprise Endings Unit and Paired Texts
Poems with surprise endings are great ways to motivate students to love poetry. Turn it into a song in small groups and perform it. Remember that poetry is open to interpretation so the quick description can be analyzed differently from person to person so is best not to give a theme or hint–let them analyzeContinue reading “Poetry Surprise Endings Unit and Paired Texts”
Teaching all students to a high level. Teach to the high.
This is a phrase that doesn’t get enough press and often is not taught as a training topic like it should be. When we are in elementary settings we teach whole group and then teach on level to each small group. When students move to a middle school level, depending on the school system forContinue reading “Teaching all students to a high level. Teach to the high.”
ELA On The Move 