Excited, Ms. Jacobs stepped into her first-period math class, confident that the lesson she and her colleagues had meticulously crafted would engage her students. The "I Do" and "We Do" parts went smoothly, but as students began working independently, hands shot up across the room. In that moment, Ms. Jacobs realized that despite all their planning, she and her teaching partners had missed one crucial element: a strategy for the teacher's role as students worked independently. As she crisscrossed the room to address students' questions, Ms. Jacobs knew that there must be a better way to structure her time to ensure that students were supported and that she had the data she needed to move learning forward.
This scenario is all too familiar for many educators. Teachers plan for what their students will do during independent work but often overlook how to use their own time effectively. In my work with school leaders, I frequently visit classrooms across all grade levels. One thing is clear: Teachers are incredibly busy. From planning lessons and completing routine tasks to facilitating engaging learning experiences, teachers have their hands full.
With so much on their plates, how can teachers make a significant impact on student learning while avoiding burnout? It takes strategy. And one key strategic area is how teachers plan for what they will do—not just what their students will do—during independent work time. While the menu of possibilities includes many options, here are three strategic moves teachers can consider.
1. Aggressive Monitoring
Despite its name, “aggressive” monitoring is not as intimidating as it sounds. For those new to this focused approach to feedback, aggressive monitoring is a systematic strategy to provide all students bite-sized, in-the-moment feedback as they engage in the independent practice portion of a lesson. It is also an opportunity for teachers to collect data on specific components of student learning.
Aggressive monitoring is a systematic strategy to provide all students bite-sized, in-the-moment feedback.
Let’s say you are a middle school math teacher who has just finished modeling how to convert percents to decimals. You showed students several examples of how to complete the conversions, and they were given an opportunity to work through a couple of real-world examples with a partner. Now they have a few problems to complete on their own.
As students work independently, use this time to actively monitor by focusing on three key steps: First, decide what to prioritize based on class size, lesson content, and time available. Next, plan your movement around the classroom to efficiently gather data on the designated 2-3 skill areas. Finally, use a simple coding system to track student progress and provide immediate feedback, refining your approach as you learn more about your students throughout the year.
2. One-on-One Conferring
Conferring is a conversation between two learners: Students share how their work is progressing, and the teacher shares observations and opportunities for growth. Carl Anderson, who has extensively discussed the art and science of conferring with students about their writing, says, “Conferring is not the icing on the cake; it IS the cake!” Conferring can help facilitate the lightbulb moment that teachers work so hard to achieve with their students.
Beyond the rapport-building benefits of one-on-one conversations with students, conferring provides a chance to learn more about individual students’ learning gaps, goals, strengths, and interests. While conferring can take many forms, one of the simpler approaches that resonates with me includes the 4Ns: notice, name, nudge, and note.
- Noticing involves observing a student's work and asking questions to understand what they're practicing and how they're approaching their work. Noticing starts with a simple question like, “What are you working on?” followed by more specific questions to understand the student’s progress.
- Naming is two-pronged: the teacher names the strengths they observe in the student’s work as well as a high-yield, targeted area for growth. When naming, a teacher might say, “I see you're good at borrowing from the tens place in subtraction. That's great! But it seems you sometimes forget to decrease the number in the tens column by one, which affects the top number when subtracting. Are you noticing that, too?”
- When nudging, teachers support a student’s growth area through modeling and other techniques that quickly help students sharpen a particular skill. For example, a science teacher may nudge a student during a chemistry lab experiment by showing the student the proper way to mix substances and then having the student practice mixing while the teacher provides further in-the-moment suggestions.
- And finally, noting is a process that happens all throughout a conferring experience and includes a teacher’s careful note taking around key aspects of their conversation with the student. Items a teacher may choose to note are a student’s top strength and growth areas, the teaching point that was selected during the conversation, and any other observations that will help the teacher make decisions on the student’s progression toward identified learning objectives.
3. Small-Group Instruction
Regularly pulling together a few students for targeted instruction is a powerful, research-backed strategy that offers benefits at any grade level. Unlike group work, where students collaborate on tasks with occasional teacher oversight, small-group time allows for focused, teacher-led practice that meets individual learning needs. This approach is particularly effective because it enables teachers to provide immediate feedback, tailor instruction, and address specific skill gaps—benefits that make the extra planning time worthwhile.
Upfront planning and thoughtful execution pay off by creating more personalized learning experiences that drive better outcomes for students.
To maximize the impact of small-group instruction, it’s essential to plan carefully, including determining what each group will focus on based on prior assessments and ensuring that the rest of the class remains engaged in meaningful practice. Setting clear routines from the start of the year can make this time more effective and reduce potential disruptions. After each session, reflecting on both the learning outcomes and the session's structure will help in refining the approach, ensuring that future small-group instruction is even more successful. In the end, the upfront planning and thoughtful execution pay off by creating more personalized learning experiences that drive better outcomes for students.
Making the Most of Time with Students
All of us who have served as classroom teachers know that reasons abound for why we don’t always support students as deeply as we would like. Pressing deadlines, the need to address student behaviors, and other competing priorities tend to thwart our best hopes for a dynamic learning experience for our students. Spending a few minutes strategically considering our roles during independent practice can significantly enhance the effectiveness of the time we do have with students.
