Groupings First and third

Somehow I don’t find this surprising at all:) And,unless you have a teaching assistant who can be with one of the groups, it probably isn’t going to change until the first graders get older. That is the way they are supposed to be- they are only 6.

Is there any way that you could undo this schedule? I cannot imagine how you are going to provide quality remedial instruction in this sort of a set up. Both of these groups are sent to you, I assume, because they require more intense instruction than the classroom teacher is able to provide. You can’t do that right now- as you are finding out. This is not a slam on your teaching ability- which I am sure is more than adequate. It is a comment on what looks like an impossible teaching situation. I was a Resource teacher for a long time- so I understand how this can happen. However, I also understand that my responsibility is to schedule so that I can provide quality instruction to the students. If that can’t happen- and your schedule has to be this way- than you need another adult.

Robin

For starters I would like to know how many are in your first grade math group? Assuming that your group is small and the achievement level is very low in the group (or they wouldn’t be in resource in first grade if they were on grade level), I would like to know WHY they must receive 1 hour or resource math if they are first graders who are 1 or more years below grade level? I would think finding enough activities to keep these youngsters going for an hour on number recognition and the like would be challenging. Yes, I can teach 4-6 grade math for an hour. There are lots of things we can do.

Now, do you keep them this long because your classroom teachers don’t want them back before 10:30?

Boy, I’d change their IEPs. Certainly having them that last 15 minutes, while you teach third grade language arts is really just marking time. They probably won’t be involved meaningfully in learning activities w/o teacher direction given the handicaps they probably have. Forget the math, put them on a computer, in a listening station.

Well said, Robin. Nothing I hate worse than students marking time in a resource room waiting for me to finish a completely different lesson. My first goal when I schedule is to provide dedicated, quality time to each group I see AND I try like the dickens to create workable groups. Thank goodness the teachers I teach with buy into the same approach.

I’m having the same problem with my second grade, fourth and fifth. There is a major gap betwwen the groups. Please give me some ideas to resolve the problem.