Have you ever sat down to teach a small group only to realize you’re spending half your attention wondering what the rest of your class is doing?
Maybe students are interrupting you with questions. Someone is suddenly wandering around the room. Another student has been “working” on the same question for 20 minutes. And you’re starting to wonder: How am I supposed to actually teach my small group AND manage everyone else?
If small groups feel harder than you expected, it doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong.
In this episode, Sara and Emily are wrapping up our Small Group Success series by tackling one of the biggest challenges of small group instruction: managing the rest of your class while you’re teaching.
And we’re starting with a reminder we think more teachers need to hear: You have flexibility.
If your students can’t successfully work independently for 45 minutes, don’t ask them to. If they can handle 15 minutes, teach a 15-minute small group and then bring everyone back together. You don’t have to force your students into a small group schedule just because you think that’s what small groups are “supposed” to look like.
We also talk about why you don’t need to meet with every student in a small group. Instead, ask yourself: Which students actually need additional practice with my support? Your goal isn’t to fit every student into a rotation—it’s to use your instructional time where it will have the greatest impact.
From there, we’re sharing simple, practical ways to make small group time run more smoothly. We talk about explicitly teaching expectations, giving students plenty of opportunities to practice being independent, creating a plan for what students should do when they need help, and using visual cues to reduce interruptions.
And before you create an elaborate new reward system or classroom management plan, Sara has an important reminder: keep it simple. The behavior systems you already use may be all you need. Small groups don’t have to become one more complicated thing for you to manage.
Finally, we share a quick reflection routine that can help students take more ownership over small group time and recognize that what they’re doing while you’re teaching matters, too.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to structure small groups around what your students can realistically handle
- Why you don’t have to meet with every student in a small group
- How to set clear expectations for independent work time
- Simple ways to reduce interruptions while you’re teaching
- Why you probably don’t need another behavior management system
- How a two-minute reflection can help students take more ownership
If small groups haven’t been working the way you hoped, you don’t need to throw out the whole idea or assume you’re doing something wrong.
You know your students best.
Give yourself permission to adjust the schedule, shorten the independent work time, rethink who actually needs a small group, and create routines that work for the students sitting in your classroom.
Small groups don’t have to look perfect. They need to work for you and your students.
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