I love new teaching ideas. I like to try new strategies and change up my classroom. I find that some change (not to the big things of routine, structures, or procedures) keeps everyone interested...myself included. Burned out teacher robots make me sad. My classroom is not the same year to year because my students aren't the same from year to year. If I expect my students to be continually reflective, adaptive, and grow from knowledge and experiences, I should expect the same from myself.
So yes, I spend a good deal of my free time thinking about teaching. (Don't worry, I've never been better at that work-life balance!). I love what I do and when passion and careers come together, it's a beautiful thing.
I like this idea for placing students in small groups:
Specifically I like that it would get my students up and moving. I like that there is a problem solving component. I like that I would have control over the groupings.
Would this take a little bit of prep time? Yes, of course. But after I've decided on groups, the rest would be mindless writing and cutting while watching TV the night before.
This would be great during the first week of school but could easily be used throughout the year.
Spin off ideas include using famous duos or trios to have students find their partner(s)!
Naturally, my brain started spinning with possibilities, so I'm pleased to announce a new TpT product on creative groupings!
With over seventy pages and a cheat sheet for teachers, it's a great way to make new small groups or partners. I designed this to work for partners, groups of 3, groups of 4, and larger groups (5 or more). I used different colors to help with organization. Print it once, laminate, and you're done!
(Thank goodness it's summer and I can indulge my creative tangents without feeling guilty!)
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