One of the key rituals in my classroom is the use of line-ups. Inspired by Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl, I began incorporating this strategy at the start of class to form randomized groups. This approach aligns with the BTC model of randomized grouping while also giving students the chance to interact with everyone in the class.

Over time, this ritual has fostered a strong sense of classroom community and reinforced the value of truly random grouping. Students enjoy the variety of prompts I use and appreciate the opportunity to meet and collaborate with different peers each day. As a result, the classroom environment has become more positive and supportive, where students feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from one another.

Here are a few of the prompts that I use to line up my students: