When you first set out to create meaningful intervention and enrichment time, the idea of making every minute count can feel overwhelming. You look at other schools on social media celebrating student success during WIN Time and wonder, What are they doing that we’re not?
The truth is, there’s no secret sauce. Schools that make WIN Time powerful have simply committed to doing the small things consistently well. They’ve learned what to prioritize, what to let go of, and how to transform “extra time” into the most valuable instructional block of the day.
In this post, I’m sharing 8 surprisingly powerful strategies to make WIN Time your school’s most impactful (and purposeful) part of the day—without confusion, chaos, or burnout.
Stick around to the end because I’ve included a free 10-day challenge that will help your campus put these strategies into action.
One of the biggest mistakes schools make is treating WIN Time as “just another block” in the schedule. It’s not about filling 45 minutes—it’s about filling gaps.
The difference between busy work and impact work comes down to intentionality. If WIN Time activities aren’t aligned to essential standards, data, or specific student needs, they become motion without movement.
Instead, use this time as a strategic response to learning needs. Every student should be placed in a small group designed around a precise goal—whether that’s mastering main idea, multiplying fractions, or deepening comprehension through enrichment.
🎯 Example: At one South Texas elementary school, teachers shifted from “catch-all” review packets to targeted TEKS-aligned small groups. Within one semester, students in the “approaching” category decreased by 15%, while mastery levels increased across every grade.
When the purpose of WIN Time changes from “time filler” to “skill builder,” everything changes—student engagement, teacher confidence, and academic results.
It’s tempting to reshuffle groups each week when new data rolls in, but rapid regrouping can cause more confusion than clarity. Students need time to grow, practice, and show progress.
Instead, adopt 3–4 week instructional cycles. Use your formative data at the beginning of each cycle to group students, then stay the course while you teach, track, and adjust instruction within those groups.
This consistency allows teachers to:
Quick Tip: Use quick checks or exit tickets every Friday to monitor trends. Ask, Who’s ready to move on? Who needs one more week of support? This keeps the process agile but focused.
When grouping becomes intentional rather than reactive, teachers gain valuable time back—and students gain stability and growth.
WIN Time becomes most effective when it’s aligned to essential standards—the skills that carry the most weight across multiple concepts and grade levels.
Start by identifying one high-leverage TEKS per cycle. This becomes your North Star. Every group, activity, and assessment should connect back to this focus.
For example, if your campus identifies “main idea and supporting details” as the focus standard, all WIN Time groups—no matter the grade—can spiral this skill through appropriately leveled texts and tasks.
This consistency fosters vertical alignment and builds coherence between grade levels. Teachers begin speaking a shared instructional language, and students begin to recognize patterns in their learning.
Pro Tip: Display your monthly focus standards in the hallway or teacher workroom. Visibility reinforces alignment and helps keep the campus focused on collective outcomes.
Without real-time tracking, it’s easy for assumptions to replace evidence.
A visual tracker—digital or on paper—transforms data into actionable insight. Whether you use a spreadsheet, chart, or the built-in tools in WIN Time Software, tracking helps teams identify which students are moving toward mastery and which still need support.
Color-coding (green, yellow, red) is a simple but powerful method. When teachers can glance at a visual and immediately see growth patterns, data meetings shift from talking about kids to talking about instruction.
📈 Campus Example: One middle school implemented real-time tracking during WIN Time using a shared Google Sheet. Within six weeks, teachers could pinpoint common misconceptions across grade levels. The result? Collaborative reteaching plans and measurable improvement in benchmark data.
Tracking mastery weekly creates a rhythm of reflection, ensuring that instruction stays responsive rather than repetitive.
Even the strongest educators hit roadblocks. You might feel like your WIN Time isn’t producing the results you expected—or you’re not sure how to differentiate within a small group.
The best leaders don’t go it alone—they seek clarity and collaboration early. A brief coaching conversation, a peer walkthrough, or a campus data huddle can help reset direction and reignite momentum.
If your team feels stuck, it may be time to revisit your WIN Time systems. Are teachers clear on the focus standard? Are groups based on current data? Are we tracking mastery consistently?
💬 Leadership Note: I once coached a team that felt their WIN Time wasn’t working. After one collaborative planning session, they realized their “intervention” time was actually reteaching Tier 1 content. By refocusing on priority standards and skill gaps, their student progress jumped by the next assessment cycle.
If your team needs help creating clarity, reach out to schedule a WIN Time Method Audit. Together, we can refine your structure, tighten your systems, and bring purpose back to the process.
There’s only so far paper charts and sticky notes can take you.
The WIN Time Software is designed to take the guesswork—and the paperwork—out of intervention scheduling and tracking.
Here’s what it does:
This means less time organizing and more time teaching.
⚙️ Real-World Example: A district that implemented WIN Time Software across three campuses reported saving an average of five administrative hours per week—and finally had consistent, campus-wide intervention data to drive decisions.
When technology and intentional systems work together, everyone wins: administrators, teachers, and most importantly, students.
This is my signature method—and it’s the backbone of sustainable WIN Time success.
The Intentional Cycle follows four simple steps:
When this cycle becomes part of your school’s DNA, WIN Time shifts from a daily event to a continuous process of growth.
🌟 Why It Works: Teachers move from reacting to data to anticipating it. Instruction becomes proactive, consistent, and aligned to outcomes.
Download the free Data Action Plan Blueprint to see this strategy in action and learn how to bring it to your campus.
If it isn’t written down, it isn’t a goal—it’s a wish.
WIN Time becomes powerful when your campus sets one clear, measurable goal that everyone can own. This goal becomes the driving force behind every small group, every data conversation, and every instructional decision.
A goal gives direction. It creates alignment. It helps teachers see how their individual efforts connect to a bigger purpose—student growth. Without it, WIN Time risks becoming another block on the schedule rather than a movement toward mastery.
🎯 Campus WIN Time Goal Example:
By the end of the semester, 100% of students identified for intervention or enrichment will demonstrate measurable growth in at least one essential standard through WIN Time instruction. Student progress will be tracked weekly, discussed in PLCs, and used to guide regrouping and next steps.
When a goal like this is visible and revisited often, it builds collective ownership. Teachers begin planning with greater focus, PLCs stay grounded in data that matters, and students start to see their own progress over time.
The most effective campuses don’t just schedule WIN Time—they set goals that define its success. And once that happens, the culture shifts. Teachers teach with clarity, students learn with confidence, and the entire building moves in the same direction—forward.
BONUS! Join the Free 10-Day WIN Time Challenge
You made it to the end—and you deserve something great!
If you’re ready to take these strategies from ideas to implementation, join the Free 10-Day WIN Time Challenge.
Each day, you’ll receive a simple, actionable task to:
You’ll finish the 10 days with a clear, repeatable system—and the confidence to make WIN Time the most powerful part of your school day.
👉 Click here to join the Free 10-Day Challenge and let’s build it together!
Making WIN Time powerful doesn’t happen overnight—it’s built through clarity, consistency, and collaboration.
From tracking mastery in real time to focusing on essential standards, every intentional step brings your school closer to its mission: helping every student get what they need, when they need it.
So now I want to hear from you—
Which strategy will you try first?
Leave a comment below or tag me on social media (@principalprinciples) to share your WIN Time success stories. Let’s make WIN Time the best part of every student’s school day.
I’m Stephanie, and I’m the face behind Principal Principles. I’m a former principal turned educational consultant, presenter, and edupreneur. I’m obsessed with giving school leaders the tools they need to lead a successful school.
Hello friend! Welcome to Principal Principles. I’m Stephanie, and I’m the face behind Principal Principles. I’m a former principal turned educational consultant, presenter, and edupreneur. I’m obsessed with giving school leaders the tools they need to lead a successful school.
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