CTESS ebook

Teacher has not provided a task for the student(s) to be engaged in .

Examples : Student is… • done with assignment before end of work time and spends remainder of time on unrelated activities. • waiting for the teacher to begin or resume instruction. • finished transitioning and is waiting for the teacher to resume instruction. • out of seat or sleeping and the teacher has not provided a task to be engaged in. Non-examples : Student is… • talking while class is watching a movie. (mark as Off-Task). • sleeping while class is working on assigned task. (mark as Off-Task).

Down Time (X)

Student Grouping (Mark if Observed)

Descriptor

Definition

Whole group is defined as the teacher providing instruction or an activity for the majority of students, or the entire class. This typically includes the “I do” or the “we do” part of explicit instruction.

How the Students are Grouped for Instruction . Whole Group (W) Examples : All students are… • listening to a teacher lecture. Small Group (S) Examples : Students are… • working in pairs to complete a task.

• doing a worksheet together with the teacher. Students may be working individually, but the teacher continues to guide and set the pace for the whole group (e.g., “We do”). • playing an educational or teacher directed game or watching an instructional video clip with an academic task. Non-examples : All students are… • directed to complete the assignment on their own after teacher instruction. (Independent). • engaged in a non-educational activity. (No-Grouping). Small group is defined as a portion of students in the class (three or more) participating in an instructional scaffold or collaborative group. This is typically the “we do” or the “you all do” part of explicit instruction. Examples : Students are… • working with a small group of other students at a separate table with the teacher. • divided into two or more groups (Teacher is instructing or students are working collaboratively). • rotating through various centers or practice stations. Non-examples : Students are… • working in pairs to complete a task. (Partner). • seated in groups of 2-4 with no specific scaffolding or collaborative grouping task.

Partner is defined as two students working together on a task or discussing a concept.

• discussing an assigned topic or question with their “elbow” partner. Non-examples : Students are… • working in groups of more than two students. (Small Group). • socializing with a classmate without an instructional objective. (No Grouping).

Partner (P)

62