Teaching small groups can be tricky, however, teaching small groups through distance learning can pose a whole new set of challenges. On today’s episode, I am chatting with a 3rd grade teacher from New Jersey who went into distance learning at the start of the pandemic (March 2020) and still has not returned to teaching in-person (now January 2021). Raffaella De Martinis will share her strategies and tips for keeping reading and writing small groups going, especially in a virtual setting. Her methods, words of encouragement, and simplicity are golden! I will also share my fangirl moment here by adding that Raffaella taught Jennifer Serravallo’s daughter and has a mention in one of her books! So cool! I hope you enjoy this informative chat with my literacy friend! Here are the questions asked in this interview: What one word describes your school year so far? How do you create small groups? How do you know what you are going to teach in your small groups each day? How do you check in with your small groups? How do you track data? Are there any other tips to share regarding small groups? Do you have any words of encouragement for teachers to find confidence and success with finishing the school year strong?   Ways to get connected with Raffaella: TpT Store: Thinking About Third Instagram: @thinking_about_third   Resources mentioned in this episode by Raffaella: Reading Goal Bookmarks Reading and Writing Strategies Post-Its Reading (Lower & Higher) Toolkits and Writing Toolkit Small Group Editable Sheets Data Keeping Google Sheets Document Reading Strategies book by Jennifer Serravallo *Amazon affiliate link* Writing Strategies book by Jennifer Serravallo *Amazon affiliate link* Jennifer Serravallo books and resources   Connect with Megan on social media: TpT Store Instagram