As teachers, we oftentimes go above and beyond to ensure that our students develop an understanding of content as we facilitate learning. However, even when utilizing best teaching practices, there are moments when students have difficulty grasping information and need additional support. Recently, an unexpected pandemic caused a great deal of conversation about how to support our students in the best ways possible. Virtual learning was catapulted to the forefront, requiring completely different pedagogy that many students had difficulty adjusting to. Upon returning to brick-and-mortar buildings, it was undeniable that student learning had been affected tremendously. Learning gaps (and learning loss) are now buzz words that continue to circulate throughout institutions of learning, prompting teachers to make important decisions about how to help them recover. On my campus, a number of ways to support students have been discussed to ensure that learning gaps are addressed and content mastery achieved. One of the ways that has been discussed with a great deal of enthusiasm is small group instruction.

Though the concept of using small groups as an intervention has been around for some time, it has become even more of a priority for teachers at my school. Working in small groups afford opportunities to provide direct instruction with fewer students, dialogue with them about misconceptions, and provide strategies that could help them to develop comprehension of concepts previously taught. This is particularly helpful for English Language Learners (ELLs) who may be grappling with content due to learning gaps that exist due to language barriers. This may seem rather simple, but it is actually a form of differentiating instruction that requires intentionality in order to obtain measurable results. I knew that small groups could be advantageous for students, but I also knew that proper planning was a prerequisite to ensure that they received the full benefit of re-teaching with this approach. With guidance, I learned how to effectively implement them as an intervention in my classroom using these six steps:

• Choose a formative assessment- There are a number of different formative assessments that can be used to determine if students “got it”. These can be simple quick checks that are used throughout the course of student learning. Personally, I have opted to use formative assessments that yield quantitative data to get a feel for students’ level of comprehension.
• Pull the assessment data– Data is typically an accurate indicator of how well students grasp concepts that have been taught. The formative assessment data can provide information about student strengths and weaknesses that exist after they have had an opportunity to learn a concept. Once the data has been collected from the formative assessment, opportunities to create small groups based on student performance becomes available.
• Make a small group student list– After reviewing the assessment data, making a list is the next step. The list that is made should be based on which student group will be the focus. Initially, I felt that small group instruction should only be for students who have learning gaps and/or are having difficulty grasping concepts that have been taught. However, this does not have to be the only reason to pull small groups. While it is understood that struggling learners can benefit from the direct teaching offered in small groups, other students could greatly benefit as well. Rigorous activities used in small groups can increase student depth of knowledge and be an extension of learning. When used this way, differentiated instruction can be helpful for those who have mastered the fundamentals of the content.

• Specify TEKS to be reviewed during small groups– Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, are used as curriculum standards in Texas schools. When facilitating small groups, TEKS can be a guide for teachers to know the exact area that students are struggling with. As a middle school science teacher, my instruction is steered by 7th grade science TEKS to ensure that students are equipped with information that will help them to have a successful learning experience. If I give students a pop quiz that covers the cell theory (TEK 7.12F), levels of organization in cells (TEK 7.12C), and cell organelles (TEK 7.12D), there may be one concept that some students have more difficulty with than the others. Identifying the TEK provides clarity on the specific concept that needs to be retaught so that I am able to target that specific area as opposed to reviewing everything when there is not necessarily a need to do so.
• Determine small group strategies to be used- There are numerous strategies that can be used to support students. Some of them include card sorts, Thinking Maps, graphic organizers, and reading/writing activities, to name a few. Stations are another way of using small groups to review concepts by TEK.
• Determine how frequently small groups will be facilitated- Something to consider is how often small groups will be used, which is particularly important when considering student academic needs that become apparent after collecting data from formative assessments. Will once per week be sufficient, or will it be necessary to pull students more often? Knowing this information is key to effectively plan.

Small group instruction has helped me to be more proactive when meeting the learning needs of students. They have given me the ability to address learning deficits much quicker, positioning students to improve prior to completing summative assessments that have a more comprehensive format. I anticipate using this intervention on a weekly basis to support my students so that they receive ample opportunities to acquire content. When used with fidelity, I am optimistic that there will be positive results.