Spotlight on Small Groups

Small groups are a crucial element of every teacher's reading program, and their importance only grows as teachers face more diverse learners. Spotlight on Small Groups gives viewers an in-depth look at two reading groups led by master teacher and author Debbie Diller. Debbie leads the groups through a structured routine (introduction, guided practice, conferring, check-in, and more practice), demonstrating how to balance whole-group and differentiated instruction and showing how visual aids such as strategy bookmarks pique student interest. One group in the video focuses on vocabulary development, working with a nonfiction title; the other shows how to teach the strategy of inferring in fiction. The third-graders in the groups are English language learners, with their regular teacher, Lisa Gregory, observing and debriefing with Debbie after each lesson. Spotlight on Small Groups, particularly when used in conjunction with Debbie's book Making the Most of Small Groups, is ideal for professional study groups or staff development programs designed to help teachers deliver more targeted instruction. The after-group discussion and reflection between Debbie and Lisa are also appropriate for analyzing literacy coaching techniques. The program includes an extensive viewing guide, with questions, work samples, and reproducibles for groups.

About the Author :
Debbie has been a national consultant since 2000, but still has those "back to school" dreams in the fall. After playing school in the basement of her childhood home in Lititz, Pennsylvania, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Millersville University and Temple University and spent the next four decades as an educator. She's worked as a classroom teacher, migrant education teacher, Title I reading teacher, and literacy coach in Pre-K through grade 10 in diverse public school settings. Her love of teaching stems from her love of learning. "I have always loved learning. Becoming a teacher was a way I could share that love of learning with children and eventually, with adults." A big part of her learning is listening to teachers and their professional development needs. "When I work with teachers, I try to understand their needs by finding out what they know and listening to their questions. Then I begin where they are and work with them to help them take the next steps toward where they (and/or their school systems) want (them) to be. I believe in professional reading and professional learning communities, and support teachers in their quest to best meet the needs of all students in their classrooms." Debbie's ideas for her books also come from her work with teachers. She listens for frequently asked questions, patterns, teachers' needs, and keeps a writer's notebook to collect ideas, thoughts, and notes. "Often, the old joke comes to mind: "how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." That's how I write: Bit by bit, on planes, in hotel rooms, in my office on a rare day. Teachers' questions and comments spur me on through my daily, ongoing work in classrooms, which sustains my craft." Debbie's family has changed and grown in recent years. Her son, Jon, and daughter, Jessica, are both married, and she now has a granddaughter, Chloe, with another on the way. Debbie's husband, Tom, passed away in 2012.