Problem
Most likely we have heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder.” Today, this phrase kept ringing in my head as I stared down a classroom of 30 freshmen in our Information Technology (computers) class.  Each child represented different needs, skill sets, s(language, culture, etc.), ability, and experiences.
I was about to transition to their next activity – creating a flyer, using their textbook – when I realized I need to do this in a smart fashion. Moments after giving the whole class instructions, hands began to fly into the air.
“Sir”
“Mister”
“I need help”
“What page?”
“I am confused.”
Plan
I needed to act fast to make this class a fine-tuned learning machine. Here’s my plan:
1)Â Â Â Â Â I began by telling the students they need to ask at least 2 of their peers their questions before asking me.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Vocally encouraged students to help peers that are stuck/confused
3)     Vocally praised students for helping others, e.g. “Sam, thank you for helping Gina with how to formatting.”
4)Â Â Â Â Â Utilize students that finished early to aid struggling students, especially the ELL students.
Benefits
Towards the end of class, I looked out and realized nobody was asking for me. Students felt empowered to walk around, helping each other out. Students were on-task and most importantly learning. This allowed me the freedom to visit the students individually, checking in on their understanding and developing the important student-teacher relationship. Not to mention, the stress level decreased.
Ongoing Process
Tomorrow we will follow the same process. I will repeat these steps over and over until there is a culture of collaboration and team work. It’s hard work on the frontend, but over time it pays huge dividends.
