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Murray Lake third‑grade teachers describe "WinTime" targeted instruction pilot
Summary
Third‑grade teachers from Murray Lake described "WinTime," a targeted, data‑driven small‑group instructional period inside the math block that uses exit tickets and PLC time to form flexible groups for reteach, on‑level practice and extension.
Murray Lake third‑grade teachers and a lead teacher presented the school's new "WinTime" small‑group instructional model to the Lowell Board of Education on Feb. 10, describing frequent exit tickets, teacher collaboration and rotating student groups aimed at differentiation within the regular math block.
"WinTime is just a dedicated period of time within the school day where students receive targeted instruction based on their individual needs," Molly Burnett, a third‑grade teacher from Murray Lake, told the board. She said the program started small this year in third grade and uses the district's professional learning community (PLC) time for planning.
Teachers Catherine Wells, Shelly Sievertz and Olivia Lipsky described the practical steps: they use exit tickets after one to three lessons, meet during PLCs to form three flexible groups (extension, on‑level practice, reteach), and then administer a new exit ticket after WinTime to measure progress. Activities vary by group and rotate among teachers; examples shown to the board included a "design your dream house" extension task for area and a donut‑fraction activity to teach fractional parts.
Teachers said student engagement rose and that data from pre/post tests and frequent exit tickets guided group assignment. "Data is huge," one teacher said, explaining that groups change each cycle so students do not remain permanently labeled.
Why it matters: teachers and district staff presented WinTime as a way to provide differentiated instruction within existing schedules, leveraging PLC time for teacher planning and real‑time data to inform instruction. Staff said the model is intended to expand beyond third grade as they identify uninterrupted instructional blocks and align curricula across grades.
No formal board action was required; the presentation was informational and part of the district's ongoing curriculum work and professional development planning.
