Mentor materials
Pairs and groups
Select a development area
Consider the development areas for this topic (below). Then make a note of the area you plan to zoom in on and when you plan to visit so you can observe your teacher in this area. Familiarise yourself with the focused development areas. You will select one later when you observe your teacher.
Development area 1: Planning for purposeful pair and group work
Focused development area
- Teacher, with support of a colleague, decides when it is appropriate to use pair and group work and how much time to spend on pair and group work, e.g. when pupils have the necessary prior knowledge and there is a clear purpose, such as consolidating the material, clear articulation of ideas or extending vocabulary.
- Teacher, with the support of a colleague, plans which pupils will work together purposefully and supportively for pair and group work and reviews pairs and groups to ensure they are changed regularly.
- Teacher plans and explicitly states what they want pupils to achieve during the pair or group work and (if appropriate) how they expect them to feedback what they have discussed or done.
Development area 2: Clear expectations for pair and group work
Focused development area
- Teacher clearly states their behavioural expectations for the speaker and listener(s) and the task instructions for the pair or group work, e.g. what pupils need to do and who they are working with.
- Teacher models their behavioural expectations for the pair or group work.
- Teacher checks pupils have understood the behavioural expectations before pupils begin the pair or group work.
Example precise target: Teacher models their behavioural expectations for the pair or group work
- Not doing it at all: Model the body language you want to see from pupils during pair or group work e.g. facing the speaker and sitting up straight to show they are listening.
Doing it but needs some improvement…
- Doing it but needs some improvement: Model the types of verbal interaction you want to hear from pupils during the pair or group work, e.g. polite language and encouraging others to contribute.
- Doing it well and needs some stretch: Model the physical and verbal behaviours you want to see from pupils during pair or group work, giving non-examples so pupils are clear what they should not be doing too, e.g. looking out the window or interrupting.
Development area 3: Supporting pupils to manage their learning
Focused development area
- Teacher ensures pupils are clear on the quality of work expected in the pair or group work and that each pupil will need to contribute to meet this goal.
- Teacher supports pupils to monitor their progress to check they are on track to meet the goal of the pair or group work.
- Teacher supports pupils to monitor and adjust their behaviour and that of the pair or group, so they can have effective and efficient discussions.
Observe
Consider the following questions based on a short (approximately 15 minute) observation of your teacher.
What was your teacher’s previous target? Are they meeting it? How do you know?
- Thinking about the development area you have selected for this topic, what is your teacher already doing well in this area? Which focused development area best aligns with what your teacher needs to get better at? What one precise target (bite-sized action) might you work with them on during your mentor meeting?
- Reminder: You can choose to stick with this previous target if they have not made enough progress. When moving on to a new precise target, you can select one from the table above or, if this doesn’t fit your teacher’s needs, you can write your own.
How will you model the target to your teacher to show them what good looks like? What questions will you ask to check your teacher understands the model? For example, ‘How it is different from your current practice?’ and ‘What impact might it have on your practice and pupils?’
Reminder: Your model should help your teacher develop their ability in some of the following:
- Create a culture of respect and trust in the classroom that supports all pupils to succeed.
- Teach and rigorously maintain clear behavioural expectations.
- Consider the factors that will support effective paired or group work.
- Practise routines for paired and group work at the beginning of the school year.
- Reinforce routines for paired and group work.
Next, meet with your teacher to work through the ‘Feedback’ stage of instructional coaching.