Grouping students

This is the target that I've chosen to focus on this year for my school growth plan.  Every year we look at one of the TEAM rubric (how we're assessed on observations) indicators and do some indepth research on how to improve that area so impact student learning in the classroom.

So I begin my journey with -- reflection.

See, I've been thinking about since the end of May (when I chose my target).  How do we intentionally group students to work together to achieve success?  How does this happen in the work force?  How does being in a group impact the creativity of answers given?

This led to the questions that have plagued me for years.

How do you make sure everyone in the group is held accountable for their piece?  What does this look like? How do you teach group dynamics when students don't agree?  (I think this may be a second post, I'll just focus on the first ones for now.)

I know I don't have all the answers.  I know that NEW answers will arise when I actually meet my students on August 8.  I know that some of those initial observations will require different ideas and methods as well.

However, I believe in being intentional from the start.  I am planning my groups before they come through the door so that I can start laying the foundation for rich relationships -- not just between the students and me, but between each other as well.

This is my thought this year.  I'm going to have each child in 5 different groups.  I will be naming them after colors, and students will not know the critera behind how they are chosen.  THAT is important to me - all they need to know is that they are important in different ways because each child in the room is important.

Group 1:  Similar score on reading assessment groups.  This is a traditional grouping -- high, medium, lower, etc.  It will be based on the STAR assessment from the end of last year (they all took assessments throughout the year to get a solid base number).  I will revisit this group each quarter to see if changes are happening.  (Sometimes new motivation and a new setting will encourage a student to reach a new level on standardized testing.)

Group 2:  Cross score on reading assessment groups.  There will be students from each level in these groups.  Therefore they can learn new strategies working with people with different viewpoints.  (Once again, I'm willing to be flexible and change as students change throughout the year.)

Group 3:  Similar "learning styles" groups.  I used to do a profile at the beginning of the year painting a picture of each student as a learner.  We look at favored intelligences, learning modalities, and right/left brain preferences.  This will group students with a similar picture together. 

Group 4:  Cross "learning styles" groups.  These groups will embrace students who learn differently to help learn from students who have different gifts. 

Group 5:  Choice.  This one is scary sometimes.  They all want to work with a friend.  There are certainly times for this.

My room is going to be arranged in different groupings around the room (I usually have them in groups of 2-3, but I think these will be more like 4-5.).  Each grouping will have a random number.  When students walk through the doors, there will be a note on the welcome board that tells them which group to sit with for that day.  Through these groups, we will practice the learning targets for the day.

So why groups?

First, this will allow me to differentiate for different learners in the room.  All learners will practice the same skill, but the work in "Purple 1" will probably be a little different that "Purple 4" on days that similar score reading tasks will be processed.  (For example, I may go to newsela.com and pull the same article at different lexile levels for readers, OR I may have a different writing challenge with the group.)  Other days they will all be the same task with a different focus.

Second, it will help me in building relationships across the classroom.  Every single student in that room has something to offer.  Occasionally this is hard to see from the perspective of an 8th grader.  It is my hope that when you learn the stories of another, you start to accept that person for what they have to offer.  It also keeps grouping from being stagnant.

Third, I think this approach puts more emphasis on the student as learner with me as a guide.  It's a fact, students learn more when they're engaged. 

I appreciate your thoughts.  It's a work in progress -- and I appreciate learning from the best.