Grouping students efficiently is essential for collaboration, differentiation, and classroom management. But finding the right mix of students—quickly and intentionally—can be a challenge. What student grouping strategies are most effective?
Grouper is a fantastic, free EdTech tool that helps you group students together in a simple and strategic way. Instead of sorting through index cards or moving students from one table to the next in the middle of a lesson, it sets you and your class up for success.
Today on the blog, I’m sharing a rundown of five ways to form student groups using Grouper. Whether you need quick pairs, randomized rotations, or data-driven clusters, Grouper has you covered!
5 Ways to Form Groups on Grouper
When I first came across Grouper this year, I knew I had to get it in front of teachers. You might remember one of these blog posts:
Earlier this month, I had the chance to share Grouper at the KySTE conference. If you were at the event (or followed along on social media), you saw how I led nine sessions over two days as a featured speaker, including a summit for digital learning coaches. In a few of the sessions I shared Grouper, and it was incredible to see how excited educators were about this free tool.
Grouper makes forming student groups easier than ever, whether you’re balancing skill levels, encouraging social connections, or ensuring specific students don’t end up together. Let’s dive into five ways to make the most of this powerful tool.
Custom-Sized Groups
Sometimes, you just need to divide your students into evenly sized groups—whether it’s groups of three for a project or groups of five for a science lab. With Grouper, you can set the number of groups or the number of students per group, and the tool automatically organizes students accordingly.
Perfect for: Small group instruction, project-based learning, or centers
Quick Tip: At the same time you pick a number, you can also specify key attributes (like “strong leader” or “quiet thinker”) to ensure balanced group dynamics!
Split the Class
Need to divide your class into groups? Grouper makes it easy—whether you want to create a specific number of groups (like six table groups) or set a specific group size (like pairs or trios). The “Split Class” function lets you customize your grouping preferences so you’re not just counting off even and odd numbers. It’s perfect for creating balanced teams or making sure each table has a group. Many teachers miss this feature, but it’s the key to quickly forming just-right groups for your classroom setup.
Perfect for: Debates, classroom competitions, or breakout discussions
Quick Tip: Indicate attributes like gender, leadership skills, or reading level to keep the two haves of your class balanced.
Create Pairs
Pairing students thoughtfully can boost engagement and learning. Grouper can create completely random pairs or use specific attributes (like language proficiency or leadership skills) to form strategic pairings. It’s an excellent option for quickly making groups of two
Perfect for: Peer review, think-pair-share, or partner activities
Quick Tip: Want students to work with a new partner each time? Use the shuffle option (see #4 below) to keep things fresh!
Shuffle & Rotate
Repetitive groupings can limit student interactions. You might want to change it up and have new groups every time students work together during a unit of study. Grouper’s shuffle feature quickly randomizes students into new groups each time, ensuring variety throughout the semester. You can also use the rotate feature to systematically shift students between groups over time—great for station rotation or collaborative projects that evolve over several days.
Perfect for: Mixing things up and building classroom community
Quick Tip: Use rotating groups for station rotation or jigsaw activities, where students learn different parts of a topic and then regroup to share their findings!
Single Attribute & Do-Not-Group-With Rules
This is kind of a two-for-one grouping strategy and where Grouper can address classroom management challenges before they happen. You can assign key attributes to students (like skill level, leadership traits, learning preferences), and Grouper will automatically consider these when forming groups. Additionally, if you know two students don’t work well together, simply use the “Do Not Group With” feature to avoid potential distractions or conflicts.
Perfect for: Intentional grouping based on student needs, addressing classroom management issues
Quick Tip: With a few taps on the screen, you can use multiple attributes at once, such as ensuring each group has at least one high Lexile-level reader and that two specific students are never paired together!
Bonus: Drag-and-Drop for Fine-Tuning
Even though Grouper does the heavy lifting, you always have the final say. The drag-and-drop feature lets you manually adjust groups after they are generated, so you can tweak as needed before finalizing. This means you are always in the driver’s seat and can further customize groups if something in your classroom changes in the moment. If you see a group that needs a last-minute swap, just click, drag, and drop—no need to start over.
Getting Started with Grouper
If you’re ready to streamline your group formations, Grouper is free and easy to use. You can sign up with Google, Clever, or email. The roster syncing saves tons of time, and if you can even use AI to upload a class list or list of attributes super quickly. These AI-powered features make intentional grouping faster than ever.
The excitement at KySTE was a great reminder of how much teachers value tools that save time and help them focus on what matters most—teaching. If you’ve joined me for a workshop or webinar in the past you know that this is always front of mind.
Whether you’re forming groups for academic differentiation, social interaction, or classroom management, Grouper makes it quick, easy, and effective. Ready to try Grouper? Sign up and start forming the just-right groups for your students today!