One on One Instruction

What does one on one instruction look like in a classroom.  I love doing small groups and one on one instruction in my Math classroom and I find both to be very effective. With a tight schedule and demanding duties, sometimes it can be hard to find time to meet with students one on one but there are so many benefits from it. 

After working in small group with my students, I noticed that there were some who would leave group still needing more help. My first response was, I don't have time to sit down with this child, I have sooo much more to do but I knew this particular child needed more help. After doing several one on one sessions, I saw a difference in this child. He became more open with me and I found out more about his struggles during our one on one session. There are several benefits of one on one instruction. 

1. Uninterrupted individual attention- 

Students love attention and when they are working with the teacher one one one they know they have the teachers undivided attention. During this one on one time, it is important to have some type of classroom schedule and management in place. During this time the other students to be held accountable for some type of work/project that they can do independently or with a group. 

2. Able to get to know the student on a deeper level

During this time teachers can get to students on a level that they might not have the opportunity to in a whole group setting. This is when you can address their strengths and weaknesses without them feeling embarrassed. This student stuttered and he found himself not wanting to speak out during whole group or small group time but he felt more comfortable with me one on one. During this time is when you might find out more than you care to know about them! :) 

3. Less distractions

For students who are easily distracted by others or everything, this is ideal for them! Even in small groups, I have students who get easily distracted and they still miss the concept of what's being discussed. During this one on one time if the student gets distracted, it won't take much for me to get him back on track.