Teacher, I Need Your Help! Managing 1:1 Student Interactions

As classroom teachers, we’ve all experienced it. You set your students up for independent work, then remind them that you’re available to help. Suddenly, you look up, and ten students are standing at your table, waiting for you to sit with them and provide one-on-one assistance. It happens all too often, and it can overwhelm the teacher and distract other students. This year, we’re excited to help you manage your classroom groups and 1:1 interactions by implementing a Teacher Waiting List System!

Take a Number! Join the Teacher Wait List

If you’ve ever been at the driver’s license office or walked into a local deli, you might’ve heard someone shout, “Take a Number!” While it seems a bit odd to consider using the same strategy in the classroom, it absolutely works! Implementing a Teacher Wait List system will allow you to provide the assistance each individual student needs without having to worry about ten other students standing in line behind them.

This printable resource includes a group of ‘Take a Number’ templates designed to help you manage classroom interactions with individual students. Simply print the template size you prefer (we’ve included full-and-half size versions) and make up a set of clothespins labeled with student names. Hang up your Teacher Waiting List poster, and when students need your assistance, they clip their clothespins to the following number in line, then return to their seats to work independently until their name is called.

Download and Print Your Teacher Waiting List Template

This resource is available as an easy-to-use Google Slides or PowerPoint Resource file. To get your copy, click the dropdown arrow on the download button to select your preferred file format.

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Even More Ways to Organize Your Small Groups!

Looking for more ways to make small group and individual student interactions easier? Make sure you check out these handy group activity templates before you go!

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Weekly Group Rotations - Interactive PowerPoint

Organize your classroom group rotations with this interactive PowerPoint.

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MATH Group Rotation Posters

Organize your math rotations with this set of 5 posters.

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Groups Organizer Chart - Orange Starburst

Use this groups organizer to split up your class into groups for rotational activities.