Every week, I’ll hold small groups between two and three times, with each student placed in a different group. In two of the four stations, there are teacher tables where my Cooperating Teacher and I alternately split up practice problems or manipulative breakdowns. After finishing their daily math review, students go on to the next two stations, where they play math games or complete boom cards that test them in preparation for forthcoming quizzes. Each cycle takes between 10 and 15 minutes for each group, and this gives me the chance to work with particular students who might be struggling with certain math concepts.
I usually explain to my students before I start my small groups that the particular subjects we will cover are not always simple, and I am aware that sometimes it will take time for them to understand. As a result, I provide my students lots of chances to use a variety of tools such as specific manipulatives, especially to my lower and intermediate groups in order to help them better understand these topics. Moreover, students can accomplish various projects while working at stations, where they can collaborate on specific tasks to improve collaboration and receive scaffolding as needed.