Your problem/challenge/dilemma is as old as teaching Renee.
The struggling kids need you but how do you balance the time with them so the other kids get your
time as well AND you get to observe them while they’re working.
These are just tips from what I’ve learnt from many years of teaching in classrooms – Finding a rock solid solution isn’t easy:
- I set myself no longer than about 2 minutes (I don’t constantly look at my watch) to spend with anyone
- With the struggling kids I always leave them with a task to tackle and reassure them that I will be back or that they can come and get me to show me what they’ve done – as long as they have had a go.
- The important thing here is to try and break the cycle of learned dependency that so many struggling kids fall into.
- They earn your time and attention by listening/trying a task you set them and they soon learn that you won’t just sit there with them. You will sit, you will help/guide, you will set a task and you will leave BUT you will be back.
- Really effective teachers are always on the move trying to spend quality time with as many kids as possible
- This may well mean that you don’t get to every kid in every lesson.
- I don’t even try to – I get to as many as I can – I spend quality time with them (you can offer a lot advice/assistance/support/encouragement/challenge in approx. 2 minutes) – revisit kids who need support/challenge.
- Sit your struggling kids with middle of the range kids and encourage them to ask questions and look at the more competent kids’ work – the more open-ended your work is the more effective this becomes.
- Don’t just a take a group for the sake of having a group. Sometimes it’s efficient to have a group where they all have the some misconception or they are all missing the same skill – but establish that AFTER they have started on the task. That’s efficient teaching but I too often see teachers take a group of strugglers before the task has even started. I wouldn’t do that.
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