Tier 2 Students: social groups

Tier 2 Students: social groups

Social Group Supports

Some students in need of Tier 2 interventions may benefit from instruction that explicitly targets areas where they show social skills deficits such as:  

• communication
• self-discipline
• self-regulation
• problem-solving. 

Examples of Tier 2 small groups include:

Lunch bunches are groups of 3–6 students who meet once or twice a week with a mentor teacher, school counsellor or behaviour expert during the lunch hour to discuss and practise social skills. Each session focuses on one behaviour/social skill and uses conversation, games, literature or other social–emotional learning tools to help students practise and improve.

Restorative justice circles are similar in size to lunch bunches and serve as an alternative approach to suspension or office discipline. They address behaviours like bullying and harmful actions by focusing sessions on building empathy, responsibility and restitution.

Coaches support Tier 2 small groups by:

• working with the BMT to select and group students appropriately
• managing student/teacher schedules for optimal group times 
• providing mentoring staff with any necessary resources
• following up with mentoring staff and student behavioural data during BMT meetings.