How do I schedule small groups?!

Scheduling is a big challenge every school and teacher faces each year.  I had to rethink my instruction this school year when my schedule changed.  It took some getting used to, as well as some trial and error.  Currently, my students are grouped by reading level.  I meet with 5 groups everyday.  This ensures that I meet with every student (I have 25 second grade friends.) 3-5 times/week depending on their needs.  If I am assessing students, I do it during their small group time.

Here is what my schedule looks like.  It may look a little crazy at first, but after using The Daily 5/CAFE I've never been happier with the way things are going!  It took the first 2 months of school just to practice these routines and the transitions before I started meeting with small groups.  The kids are learning in smaller chunks of time and moving around a lot.  This correlates well with a second grader's attention span!

9:00-9:10  Small Group 1
9:10-9:25  Small Group 2
                 *Rest of the class is working independently in a Daily 5 routine
9:25-9:35  Whole group CAFE Focus Lesson
9:35-9:55  Small Group 3
                 *Rest of the class is working independently in a Daily 5 routine
9:55-10:05  Whole group CAFE Focus Lesson
10:05-10:25  Small Group 4
                  *Rest of the class is working independently in a Daily 5 routine
10:25-10:40  Whole Group CAFE Focus Lesson

Later in the day...
1:50-2:10  Small Group 5
                 *Rest of the class is working independently in a Daily 5 routine