Do you ever wonder how to use student helpers in middle or high school effectively?
Here's what a teacher friend of mine does with her sixth grade students and the process is applicable to secondary students of all ages. This illustrates classroom management at its best!
1. During work time, students with questions write their names in a list on the board.
2. The teacher calls the first student to her desk to help them. When finished, the student erases his/her name from the board and the teacher calls the student whose name appears next on the list.
3. The process continues in this manner without a line of impatient students talking while they wait for help.
4. If the list on the board becomes lengthy, students who have already had questions answered become experts.
5. A second list is created with names of students who can help others, including what problem numbers they can explain. They become student helpers.
This method of classroom management frees up the teacher to work with students who require more intensive help, or those who are further along on the assignment. At the same time, other students are not becoming frustrated by having to wait to get help.
