Allow Group Work
Again, this goes along with my past few posts.
I know that there are multiple studies which say that group work should be done almost all the time and you should have a strong learner, a low learner, and two medium-level learners. Sometimes this really does work. in one of my classes, two of the lower learners work better with one of the stronger students, and I allow the three of them to work together whenever there is group work.
I don't think group work should be done all the time, but 1-3 times a week, depending on your time and activities. The students need to interact with each other, whether in pairs or a small group. Not only will they learn more in the end (for some reason, peers explain things better than teachers, even if they're saying the same thing), but it tends to create a more relaxed environment.
Lay down the ground rules from the start. Something I've found myself repeating often this year (becauase I had some problems last year) is that if I hear them getting off-topic and if they don't work, then they all have to do the work independently. I walk around the room and help out the groups and individuals. Because of the groups, it's a little less work for me - but I still have the one-on-one time with them.
Don't force it. If a student says they work best independently, don't tell them they ABSOLUTELY MUST work with someone else. If they're struggling with a concept, see if they would like to work with a classmate, but don't force it. that will make them lose trust in you and may make them less apt to do the work.
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