If you are currently or ever have been entrenched in the world of education, then you probably know what we mean by the “back table.” In many K-12 classrooms, especially Elementary classrooms, there has historically been a table, usually in the back of the classroom, which either intentionally or unintentionally becomes designated as the table for kids who need more academic support than their peers. When used for this purpose, at best, most students dread going there. At worst, this table stigmatizes the kids who spend the most time there. The effects of this stigma stay with them for years. We think you’ll agree that any teacher would want to prevent this stigma from ever developing in the first place.
Enter one of our favorite small group models: Alternative Teaching.
What exactly is Alternative Teaching?
When Alternative Teaching is used in a co-taught classroom, one teacher stays with most of the class, doing something that is NOT new instruction. This could be a Do Now, an Exit Ticket, independent work, or some kind of review activity. While this is happening, the other teacher is taking a small group (in an average size class, no more than 5 or 6 kids) to either pre-teach, re-teach, or extend a topic. The small group lasts only 5-10 minutes, after which they rejoin the large group. Here are the three things that must change on a regular basis:
- The students who are pulled for the small group
- The teacher who is teaching the small group
- The purpose of the small group (to either pre-teach, re-teach, extend, or address skill needs based on student work data)
The most common mistake we see teachers make when using Alternative Teaching is that one or more of the components above stays the same all the time. Regardless of which component it is, this can become problematic. However, when teachers use Alternative Teaching with these guidelines in mind, many students often end up enjoying the small group pull-out, while skipping the stigma that sometimes goes with it.
Here are some of the most common FAQs about Alternative Teaching:
- What should I do with the student who always needs pre-teaching or re-teaching?
We have all had those students who we feel, for whatever reason, need to be pulled constantly to prevent them from falling further and further behind. However, as well-intentioned as this is, the student will benefit far more from being left with the large group at least some of the time.
- Should the focus of the small group be the same or different from what the large group is doing?
That depends! Your small group might be working on precisely what the large group is working on but with a narrower focus, or you may choose to target a completely unrelated skill based on student output from the day before…there is no right or wrong here.
- How do I make Alternative Teaching a routine in my classroom?
We have seen the most successful instances of Alternative Teaching in classrooms where it is a regular classwide system. In these instances, teachers have chosen to create a name for the system other than Alternative and create passes to hand out to students when they are being invited. Within this classwide system, Alternative Teaching is used on a regular basis, at least once a week or more.
- Do I have to call it Alternative Teaching?
Absolutely not. In fact, we have seen teachers come up with some amazing names for their system over the years. You can either invite students’ ideas when generating a name, or you can simply use your subject area and/or interest(s)! Here are some of the names teachers have come up with over the years:
- Coffee Corner
- Clinic
- Math lab
- Math Minds
- The Dugout
- The Pit
- Brunch Bunch
- Backstage Pass
- Lightbulb Lab
While implementing Alternative Teaching in this way is by no means a requirement, we have found that it makes students way more likely to buy in, streamlines the process for teachers, and makes it more fun for everyone!
- Can I keep the students in the small group for a whole lesson if I really need to?
The short answer is no. The long answer is…there may be times where you need to work with a small group for a longer period of time. If that is instructionally necessary and you have data-driven reasons for it, trust your judgment! In that case, you just wouldn’t call it Alternative Teaching. When you are truly using Alternative Teaching, the small group only lasts 5-10 minutes.