Question

Kathy's student teacher works well with small groups, but she finds it difficult to keep track of the rest of the class during small group sessions. Kathy should work with her student teacher to develop

Answer 1

Kathy should help her student teacher develop strategies for managing the entire classroom during small group sessions, such as using visual cues for assistance and circulating to check in with groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

Kathy should work with her student teacher to develop strategies and tools that allow for effective oversight of the classroom during small group sessions. One approach is to introduce a system that signals when students need assistance or are off-task without disrupting the work of other groups. The teacher can use visual cues, such as colored cards or flags, that students can display if they need help. Additionally, Kathy can guide the student teacher in setting up clear expectations and routines for the students when they're working in groups to ensure efficient self-regulation among the students. Another technique is the 'walk-around' strategy, which involves the teacher circulating the room to quietly check in with each group, thus maintaining a broader awareness of the classroom dynamics.

Answer 2

Kathy should help her student teacher develop classroom management strategies to monitor the entire class during small group work, including setting clear expectations, using visual cues, implementing a check-in system, and introducing classroom technology tools to assist with student engagement and behavior tracking.

Step-by-step explanation:

Kathy should work with her student teacher to develop classroom management strategies that facilitate the monitoring of the entire class during small group sessions. This can involve setting up clear expectations for behavior, using visual cues to help the student teacher remember to scan the room regularly, and perhaps using a ​circle seating arrangement to allow for better visibility of all students. Additionally, Kathy can suggest that the student teacher use a ​check-in system​, where the student teacher periodically engages with each group to maintain awareness of the class dynamics while still giving attention to the group they are working with directly.

It is important to understand that new educators often have difficulty seeing the ​ in the classroom ​because they often have trouble focusing on things in the bigger picture and tend to only focus on smaller details. To assist with this, Kathy may also introduce her student teacher to ​classroom technology tools​ that can help track student engagement and behavior. By practicing and refining these strategies, the student teacher will become more adept at balancing attention between small group work and the larger classroom environment.