The Ministry of Education in Ontario is committed to implementing research-based best practices. Hence the endless in-services and training. One of the new expectations that we (ok I mean I) squawked indignantly about was something called Flexible Grouping. When it was first presented I just didn't get it. Flexible groups are groups that change constantly depending on a diagnosed similar need. We are expected to spend a large chunk of our time working with small groups and these groups must change constantly. I had no idea how I was going to manage this. But after a great deal of experimentation I have developed an effective system and am in the process of filming how this works in my classroom. It will be uploaded soon.
This is not what I wanted to share right now though. What I am sharing with you today is how a student experienced a shift in self-perception because of flexible groups and it is something from which we all need to learn. At the end of the day I discussed with my students what the groups would be for tomorrow, which teachers they'd be working with and what the activities would be. After I had dismissed the class, one boy stayed back to discuss the groups.
"I just don't get these groups."
"Why not?"
"Well they keep changing."
"That's because each week I see who needs to work on a particular skill and then I form the groups."
"Well, which group is the low group?"
"There is no low group."
"Which group is the high group?"
"There is no high group." he stared at me confused so I tried to explain,
"I make the groups based on what each group of students needs to work on next. That changes all the time. Everyone is somewhere on the learning curve and my job is to figure out how to move you along. In your group everyone has a similar weakness so you'll be working on that tomorrow." His group contained some of the top students in the class.
"Oh," he replied.
I could see the shift in self-perception on his face as he realized what that meant. He walked out of the class a little taller that day and I walked out thinking shame on me for all the times I made a child feel that their place of belonging was in the low group.
This is not what I wanted to share right now though. What I am sharing with you today is how a student experienced a shift in self-perception because of flexible groups and it is something from which we all need to learn. At the end of the day I discussed with my students what the groups would be for tomorrow, which teachers they'd be working with and what the activities would be. After I had dismissed the class, one boy stayed back to discuss the groups.
"I just don't get these groups."
"Why not?"
"Well they keep changing."
"That's because each week I see who needs to work on a particular skill and then I form the groups."
"Well, which group is the low group?"
"There is no low group."
"Which group is the high group?"
"There is no high group." he stared at me confused so I tried to explain,
"I make the groups based on what each group of students needs to work on next. That changes all the time. Everyone is somewhere on the learning curve and my job is to figure out how to move you along. In your group everyone has a similar weakness so you'll be working on that tomorrow." His group contained some of the top students in the class.
"Oh," he replied.
I could see the shift in self-perception on his face as he realized what that meant. He walked out of the class a little taller that day and I walked out thinking shame on me for all the times I made a child feel that their place of belonging was in the low group.
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