Cindy Truong
Webinar Conferencing Video by @mohamed_hassan on Pixabay
Small Group Instruction, commonly known as SGI, went into effect on December 1st following grade-level meetings before Thanksgiving break. SGI sessions are mandatory, 30-minute additional instruction taught by one of your TBLS magistri in a small-class-size environment over Zoom. Discipuli must participate on their microphone unless they have a documented accommodation based on the mic check done in November. Each course, except for Art and P.E., has SGI sessions to further support and aid in the success of online learning at TBLS during these unprecedented times.
Small Group Instruction was initiated after the TBLS Instructional Leadership Team realized they were approaching a situation where classes were behind on the DOE's requirements of live class instruction time. Based on a survey conducted by TBLS, 86% of students were content with the amount of live class time prior to the addition of SGIs, compared to about 50% of parents that were in favor of adding more live instructional time. Assistant Headmaster Malcolm Hill also noticed that students were often not verbally participating on Zoom during his observations directly in classes. He commented, “That is not supportive of student learning. It's lose-lose for everyone because students learn less when they are not actively engaged, and your teachers cannot get to know you well -- and therefore teach you well -- if they can't interact with you.”
The TBLS Instructional Leadership Team felt that the balance of live and asynchronous time, as well as the creation of a space where students and teachers would be able to connect more directly, were important aspects of SGIs. “SGI creates a consistent space where students can connect with their teachers and each other and receive more individualized attention to help them in their learning, while only adding 30-minutes a day of live time to their schedule,” Hill said. “We viewed these as sessions to help you excel at the work you are already doing rather than ‘here's another thing you have to do.’”
Although there were other options to meet DOE's requirements, they would require a whole reconstruction of our schedules. Hill added that “this would be disruptive,” that “it would be too much of a grind for teachers and students and would lead to more burnout.”
Discipuli have been fairly supportive of SGIs so far, but the feedback TBLS has gathered from surveys show that there is room for improvement. “At first, I did not like the idea of SGIs. I’m doing well in my classes and my schedule was filled enough. But when SGIs started, I realized that I do benefit from the extra help and productive conversations,” said an anonymous discipula, Class III. “Truth is, I don’t really care much for them,” she added.
Others have also similarly expressed that SGIs have allowed them to connect with other discipuli and magistri while being in a setting where they could review past lessons. “I love it when we play Kahoot or other online games as review in SGIs. I like English, Latin, and History SGIs the most because we can talk with our peers in them,” said [a different] anonymous discipula, Class III.
However, Hill said that “there was also a significant contingent of students expressing confusion about the purpose of the SGI” and “the survey has shown a big uptick in indicators of stress and burnout, particularly for Class II and Class I.” An anonymous Class I discipula commented that “SGIs have been really helpful in reviewing class material and in getting the chance to ask my teachers questions in a smaller group setting. However, they've also made my schedule busier, and so, they demand even more energy from me.”
The Instructional Leadership team plans to take all concerns and feedback obtained from surveys into consideration in order to support the TBLS community better. Hill concluded with, “As with everything this year, it is a work in progress but I have great faith in the community and I know we will get there.”
Comments