D1 BOS 2 for Remedial Instruction (RI) in primary school
1. The Objective of this Breakout Session:
1. To discuss current practices in managing the mixed-ability classroom
2. To understand how you are currently supporting your remedial students in the
mixed-ability classrooms
Breakout Session 2
2. In your Breakout Room:
1. Read the three scenarios about teachers, Remedial students, and classroom
management issues.
2. Select two of the three scenarios and discuss how the teacher in the scenario could
manage their mixed-ability classrooms and what would you do if you were in the
teachers' shoes.
3. Each group has two slides and is to compile all the ideas/current practices to support
two of the three scenarios.
4. Be prepared to share your group’s notes, when you come back to main room
Session Overview
3. Scenario 1
A teacher has 38 students in her class, out of which, 17 of them are remedial students. The
teacher believes she plans her lessons well but can’t seem to balance out activities for the
remedial students. When focused on their activities, the other students become bored and
disruptive… and when the teacher is focused on non-remedial students, the remedial
students become just sit idle and don’t seem to do anything.
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their
classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in
such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the
students, etc.)
4. Scenario 2
For today’s lesson, the teacher has placed all the remedial students in their levelled groups.
Eventually, one of the more fidgety remedial students begins pestering one of the other
students at their table (e.g. taking things off her desk, staring at her paper, not completing
the task, etc). The teacher has repeatedly reminded the student to stop pestering, but the
pestering has not stopped. The teacher wants the students to complete their assigned task,
but the pestering is affecting the dynamics in that group.
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their
classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in
such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the
students, etc.)
5. Scenario 3
It's the beginning of the academic year and a teacher and her students are getting to know
each other and learning the class routines. The teacher wants to differentiate and has set
up 3 different group activities. Unfortunately the lesson doesn't go according to plan. The
teacher gets overwhelmed as the students are not following instructions, the good
students are finishing faster than expected and the remedial students are feeling left out.
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently
in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the
students, etc.)
6. Room 1a
Room Number: 1
Members: Habibah, Christine, Mohd Ghazali, Kunaselani, Ngo Chiew Kiang, Yew Kwong Ing, Elijah
Second selection: Scenario No._1_____
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their classrooms?
Yes.
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in such scenarios? Any new
ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
a) Teacher can use peer teaching so the lessons will be more student centered.
b) Give the non remedial students extra task to fill their time.
1. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your recommendations from No.2?
(mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the students, etc.)
a) Non remedial students might not be able to teach their friends because they don’t know how to explain to
others.
b) Some pupils might not cooperate because they dislike their peers.
c) Some non remedial students give the direct answer to their friends instead of teaching them.
7. Room 1b
Second selection: Scenario No.______
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do
currently in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of
the students, etc.)
8. Room 2a
Room Number: 2
Members: Wan Nasilla, Siti Zulaikha, Ting Hung Ing, Tania Fiffy, Mark, Phiong Rosena, Khaliq & Jonathan
Second selection: Scenario No.___3___
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their classrooms?
Yes, we had experienced such situation before.
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in such scenarios? Any new
ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
○ Differentiated tasks according to their levels.
○ Implement collaborative learning to build up confidence & positive learning environment.
○ Initiate a reward system to further motivate them.
○ Give direct and simple instructions.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your recommendations from No.2?
(mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the students, etc.)
- The HP students might take control throughout the whole classroom activity if there isn’t any clear instruction
and guidance from the teacher.
- The LP remedial students might feel timid if they are not given an appropriate task that they could achieve in
their own group during the activity
- Rewards should be given to students of all proficiency levels to provide encouragement and not only focused on
success of HP students
9. Room 2b
Second selection: Scenario No.______
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do
currently in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of
the students, etc.)
10. Room 3a
Second selection: Scenario No.___1___
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their classrooms?
Yes, me and my fellow teachers have experienced such challenges before.
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in such scenarios? Any new
ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
- Positive pair-work = Pairing up weaker and a stronger student for activities will allow them to communicate and help each
other.
- Teacher could provide on activity or exercise at one time. But the level of the activity or exercise differ depend on the pupils
(remedial and non remedial). For example, worksheet. Full 10 questions for the non remedial and 5 questions for the
remedial (simplify questions if necessary). So that the pupils, remedial and non remedial won’t feel left behind during
lesson in class.
1. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your recommendations from No.2? (mindset?
assumptions the teacher has made of the students, etc.)
- Some of the smarter students often just willing to help their closed friends and easily get bored to repeat explanation to
their classmates.
Room Number: 3
Members: Ezahan, Nomansia, Raymon, Jorge, Nurazeani,
Bernardine
11. Room 3b
Second selection: Scenario No.______
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do
currently in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of
the students, etc.)
12. Room 4a
Room Number: 4
Members: Cikgu Grace, Cikgu Peter, Cikgu Nararossa, Cikgu Ahmad, Cikgu Ali, Cikgu Marion & Cikgu Theresa
Second selection: Scenario No.____1__
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their classrooms?
Yes
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in such scenarios? Any
new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
a. Differentiation strategies (types of tasks) - Simpler tasks such as matching, circling, fill-in the blanks for remedial pupils
whereas advanced pupils are given more complex tasks such as completing sentences or short essay.
b. Peer coaching - Non-remedial pupils are selected to be “little teachers” in guiding remedial pupils completing their tasks.
c. Use different teaching strategies and approaches which cater to pupils’ multiple intelligences - language games,
interactive activities, project-based learning
d. Using reward system to motivate pupils
1. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your recommendations from
No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the students, etc.)
a. Remedial students may face difficulties during UASA exams which have uniform questions.
b. Some peers might exacerbate the situation by inviting remedial students to play with them.
13. Room 4b
Second selection: Scenario No.______
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do
currently in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of
the students, etc.)
14. Room 5a
Room Number: 5
Members: Majang, Azwan, Cleopatra, Wong, Easter, Effendy
Second selection: Scenario No.___1___
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in their classrooms?
- Yes
1. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do currently in such
scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
- Prepare extra worksheet for the non-remedial (enrichment activities/fast finishers}
- Buddy system (advance pupils help remedial pupils)
- PLC: lesson study (among teachers)
1. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your recommendations
from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of the students, etc.)
- Some of them might be exhausted due to too much work/ extra activities given
- off-task
15. Room 5b
Second selection: Scenario No.______
As a Teacher:
1. Have you experienced this or have your colleagues highlighted such challenges in
their classrooms?
2. How can the teacher support the students in this scenario? What do you do
currently in such scenarios? Any new ideas/strategies to help this teacher.
3. What are some of the challenges you foresee, if the teacher were to take on your
recommendations from No.2? (mindset? assumptions the teacher has made of
the students, etc.)
