The real nitty gritty on flexible grouping.

As we have been discussing hallmarks in class,

they have all been weighing on my mind so heavily lately.

I was having a discussion with a friend about a few of them, 

and she said something that just rubbed me the wrong way. 

"Flexible grouping is great because it makes it easier on the teacher because you are just grouping off ability."

WHAT? no.

Maybe I am a little confused on the whole concept (correct me if i am, please.) but I was under
the impression that differentiation is for STUDENTS not the TEACHERS' benefit.

Obviously the teachers WILL benefit from differentiation, because it helps them to better help each student.

However, making instruction easier on the teacher is not the purpose of differentiation.

Flexible grouping is not just on ability levels and grouping highs togethers and lows together.

In my eyes, the goal of flexible grouping is to provide students with MANY different
kind of groups to interact with other students in meaningful ways that help them in meeting learning goals.

No two groups are ever going to look the same in classrooms,

and that's because no two students are the same.

Differentiation is based on your students individually.

You know the students; therefore, only you can really implement flexible grouping in your class.

Flexible grouping requires thought, though.

It is not just throwing together groups and calling it "flexible grouping".

If it isn't grouped with a purpose of some sort, then it is just grouping.

However, flexible grouping is so essential in classrooms and can be utilized constantly.

Literacy groups and math groups can both be flexibly grouped by learning style and readiness.

You can even use flexible grouping with centers and other activities in the classroom.

To make it simple, flexible groups
- are fluid

- are ever-changing

- do not pigeon-hole students into one "advanced" or "struggling" group

- are NOT based only on ability

- can be based on interested, readiness, learning styles, or randomly designed

- allow for small group, collaborative, or independent work

Flexible grouping provides students the opportunity to work with other students in meaningful ways.

Therefore, if you are just grouping based on ability to "make it easier on you" then you are hindering your
students' abilities to grow, which in turn is hindering your classroom as a whole.

- Mallory