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Implementing Group Work in the Classroom | Centre for Teaching Excellence

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Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making sk

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Using Classroom Expectations to Hold Students Accountable

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Too often teachers confuse compliance with accountability. Simply following directions and formulaically obeying the plan of the lesson is not accountability. In fact, punishing students with zeros, sending the student to the dean and other such tactics when they fall short of following the procedure of learning only results in reduced motivation and performance.

Accountability is not about following rules and procedures rather it is staying committed to learning and growing. It is being responsible for developing one's own self-efficacy and taking the initiative to follow through with the application of learned content and skills.

This takes a lot of effort to cultivate or even manage but teachers can not throw in the towel and resort to the detrimental practices of point deduction or other passive aggressive moves such as using a passing grade to create accountability.
None of that works.
To cultivate accountability, to help students feel accountable and connected to their learning, teachers should try and do the following:

1. Set clear expectations: Teachers need to be clear about what we expect from students. We must articulate the proficiency aspects of what exactly we are looking for from our students. We must involve the student in conversations and feedback about what we expect from them and how they will know whether they are successful or not. Proficiency-based learning targets help outline to students what we expect from them, how they are going to achieve it, and the criteria to self-assess whether they are hitting our expectations.

2. Deploy formative assessments: Students use formative assessments to practice skills, and more importantly, become fully aware whether they actually possess those skills. Formative assessment helps students see the skills and supporting content they will need to use to be proficient in a particular expectation. It also helps them decide how to acquire the skills or knowledge that may be lacking and more importantly it helps students begin to trust their own reflective thinking. Ultimately formative assessment builds learning accountability by allowing students to gain a perspective about their own learning that is authentic, digestible and applicable.

3. Use Common Assessments: By combining common assessments with formative assessments we allow students to fail cheaply, in other words, failure of any kind is not a surprise and is even avoided. If a teacher and team of teachers are using commonly developed formative assessments they can give a student an extended stretch of time to engage in reflective dialogue or independent thinking about their learning as well as give them time for the application and reapplication of feedback. All of this allows for more accurate measurement of student performance. The more accurate something is the more we trust it.

4. Co-construct feedback: The most direct way to hold a student accountable is through the feedback we provide them. We must make sure that the feedback is open, honest, ongoing, and leads to action. Students need to know where they stand at all times to be held accountable. Even the slightest distortion in perspective by a student, overconfident or unsure where they stand, can lead to a distrust of the learning process. If a student thinks they are doing well and feedback speaks otherwise, students will be quick to rationalize away feedback to protect their self-perspective. If feedback isn't clear and accurate students will always side with what they believe to be true about their learning, even if it is based on a general gut feeling.

Furthermore, students must be involved in feedback. By allowing students to first self-evaluate and then cross check it with the teacher, we better involve them in their own learning and ensure that feedback is more accurate.

5. Use Evidence only to grade performance: Students need to be aware of what success criteria they had or were lacking during a performance. If a student received a low mark on their performance they should know exactly what supporting skill or content led to that low proficiency score. Conversely, if they did extremely well on a performance they must know what supporting skill or content got them there. If we simply leverage the evidence a student provided us during the performance to create the grade, we invite a more formative dialogue. This leads the student to a clear indication of what they're lacking but also why developing that supporting skill or content is important. The student will see that the particular supporting piece is essential to the mastering expectation (target) thus making the learning and application of it more valuable. Now the student is more accountable to learning and applying it.

These five practices are the building blocks to creating a culture of learning accountability in your classroom. All five of these take time to implement but are essential to holding students accountable for learning. If all five are being implemented with fidelity, accountability will be the norm. My question to you is "If you are struggling with student accountability, which of these practices are you leaving out?"

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Cultivating Student Learning Accountability - Psych Learning Curve

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Too often teachers confuse compliance with accountability. Simply following directions and formulaically obeying the plan of the lesson is not accountability. In fact, punishing students with zeros, sending the student to the dean and other such tactics when they fall short of following the procedure of learning only results in reduced motivation and performance.

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Student accountability matters more now than ever as K-12 schools and districts move to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a remote education environment, teachers must rely on students' self-motivation to push them to their full potential at the end of a uniquely difficult school year.

Motivating students to take responsibility for their learning and achieve their best has always challenged teachers. Even veteran educators admit this struggle. But holding students accountable for their own success is key to improving outcomes, especially when they're doing most of their work outside of the classroom environment.

Here are six key strategies for promoting student accountability in or out of the classroom.

1. Create a culture of trust and responsibility

Student accountability begins with establishing the right learning environment. A good place to start is by teaching and reinforcing the core competencies of social and emotional learning, in which students learn to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, build and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible choices.

When students feel connected to each other and their teacher, and when they learn that their actions have consequences, they are more likely to take responsibility for their behavior and their learning.

To promote student accountability, teachers also must create an environment in which all students feel trusted and respected and have the support they need for success. "If students sense that they are not welcome, accepted, or supported in the classroom, it is unlikely that they will engage in classroom activities," says education researcher Robert Marzano. This also applies to distance or blended learning. "Carol Goodenow (1993) found teacher support was consistently the strongest predictor of motivation among students in sixth through eighth grades."

2. Set high standards and clear expectations

Explain to students what you expect of them, and don't be afraid to set high goals. For remote teaching, this means setting clear due dates for assignments and doing daily attendance check-ins at a set time. Visit our PowerSchool COVID-19 support page for tips to make taking and managing attendance easier when using PowerSchool SIS for distance learning.

Students still need encouragement. Tell them you believe in them and are there to help them succeed, whether that means setting virtual office hours or simply inviting questions in project comments or by email. Above all, make sure they understand that attaining high standards is possible if they apply themselves to the task at hand.

"Self-efficacy is quite possibly the most important factor affecting engagement," Marzano says. "Even if students feel good, are interested in what is occurring, and believe it to be important, they will probably not fully engage if they believe the task is impossible. Clips from movies such as Rudy, Oliver Twist, and Apollo 13 can be used to help students discern common traits among those who accomplish great things even in the face of significant obstacles." Finishing the school year remotely is difficult, but it's a challenge they can rise to overcome.

3. Give students ownership of the learning process

Ask students how they think distance learning can be improved. When students are given a voice and a choice in their learning, student accountability often follows. Giving students a say in how they will learn has been linked to gains in student effort and achievement. For instance, a Stanford study of four urban high schools that have adopted a student-centered approach to instruction found that all four schools are outperforming most other schools in their communities that serve similar student populations.

In his book Who Owns the Learning?, education thought leader Alan November says shifting control from the teacher to the student can be very powerful-but it doesn't absolve teachers of their responsibility. In fact, it places teachers in a more important role than ever. "Frankly, I think it's easier to do the traditional transfer model of knowledge," he notes. "It takes more skill to create a classroom where students are really motivated to manage their own learning."

PowerSchool Ecollect Forms offers a great tool for listening to students and families. Custom pulse surveys help you quickly collect feedback and learn how to best support students. Some districts already use the tool this way, like Marysville Exempted Village School District in Ohio. They use Ecollect Forms to create Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for each student based on survey responses.

4. Help students learn to self-assess their work

Without a teacher in the room, students need very clear direction on how to assess their own work and progress. Students are more likely to assume responsibility for their learning if they are regularly reflecting on and assessing their own work, studies suggest. "When students self-evaluate their progress toward learning, reflect on their learning, and generate strategies for more learning, they will show improved performance with meaningful motivation," one research paper indicates.

Building in self-reflection assignments as part of larger projects can help. This provides opportunities for students to stop, assess, and make sure they understand their progress before moving on. But for this to work, teachers must set very clear expectations and offer methods for students to check their work along the way.

Vicky Davis, host of the 10-minute Teacher Podcast, suggests giving students rubrics up front. This way, they know the criteria and can assess and track their progress throughout large, complex projects. Students should know whether they've met the required criteria before they receive a grade.

5. Connect the classroom to the home

Keeping families updated about distance learning schedules, activities, and expectations cannot be understated. Parent and guardian engagement can have a significant effect on their children's learning. When they take an active role in monitoring their children's assignments and progress, students tend to take more responsibility for their learning and are more likely to stay on track.

Teachers can encourage family involvement in distance learning by establishing communication directly with parents and guardians. Consider scheduling a weekly video conference to loop them in on upcoming work. This gives them a chance to ask any questions they have and get a face-to-face response.

Teachers can still use tools like PowerSchool Unified Classroom® to help students take charge of their own learning. Post project-based or inquiry-based assignments that give students ownership of their academic success, along with rubrics for students to assess their own work. Students and parents also have easy access to grades and assignments.

6. Communicate IT support for students and families

As tech savvy as students may be these days, issues will still arise when shifting to distance learning. Offering easily accessible IT support for students and families helps them fix problems fast and get back to learning and working. Make sure they know that whether they believe the problem is on your end or theirs, your school or district is there to support them.

Set up support hours with a phone number and email contact. Families should know when and how to reach out if they experience problems. Encourage them to use this resource instead of asking teachers to investigate tech-related problems.

While many issues can be fixed remotely, sometimes users need in-person assistance. If allowed by your local policies, you may be able to provide curbside tech support. Wichita Falls Independent School District in Texas began doing this in early April. Families can bring student devices and hardware to one of the district's schools during designated morning or evening hours each week. Assistance is by appointment only to help the school manage support needs.

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6 Tips for Promoting K-12 Student Accountability During Distance Learning

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Student accountability matters more now than ever as K-12 schools and districts move to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a remote education environment, teachers must rely on students' self-motivation to push them to their full potential at the end of a uniquely difficult school year.

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Cite this guide: Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work:
Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/.

Many instructors from disciplines across the university use group work to enhance their students' learning. Whether the goal is to increase student understanding of content, to build particular transferable skills, or some combination of the two, instructors often turn to small group work to capitalize on the benefits of peer-to-peer instruction. This type of group work is formally termed cooperative learning, and is defined as the instructional use of small groups to promote students working together to maximize their own and each other's learning (Johnson, et al., 2008).

Cooperative learning is characterized by positive interdependence, where students perceive that better performance by individuals produces better performance by the entire group (Johnson, et al., 2014). It can be formal or informal, but often involves specific instructor intervention to maximize student interaction and learning. It is infinitely adaptable, working in small and large classes and across disciplines, and can be one of the most effective teaching approaches available to college instructors.

What can it look like?

Informal cooperative learning groups
In informal cooperative learning, small, temporary, ad-hoc groups of two to four students work together for brief periods in a class, typically up to one class period, to answer questions or respond to prompts posed by the instructor.

Additional examples of ways to structure informal group work
Think-pair-share
The instructor asks a discussion question. Students are instructed to think or write about an answer to the question before turning to a peer to discuss their responses. Groups then share their responses with the class.
Peer Instruction
This modification of the think-pair-share involves personal responses devices (e.g. clickers). The question posted is typically a conceptually based multiple-choice question. Students think about their answer and vote on a response before turning to a neighbor to discuss. Students can change their answers after discussion, and "sharing" is accomplished by the instructor revealing the graph of student response and using this as a stimulus for large class discussion. This approach is particularly well-adapted for large classes.
Jigsaw
In this approach, groups of students work in a team of four to become experts on one segment of new material, while other "expert teams" in the class work on other segments of new material. The class then rearranges, forming new groups that have one member from each expert team. The members of the new team then take turns teaching each other the material on which they are experts.
Formal cooperative learning groups
In formal cooperative learning students work together for one or more class periods to complete a joint task or assignment (Johnson et al., 2014). There are several features that can help these groups work well:

The instructor defines the learning objectives for the activity and assigns students to groups.

The groups are typically heterogeneous, with particular attention to the skills that are needed for success in the task.

Within the groups, students may be assigned specific roles, with the instructor communicating the criteria for success and the types of social skills that will be needed.

Importantly, the instructor continues to play an active role during the groups' work, monitoring the work and evaluating group and individual performance.

Instructors also encourage groups to reflect on their interactions to identify potential improvements for future group work.

This video shows an example of formal cooperative learning groups in David Matthes' class at the University of Minnesota:

There are many more specific types of group work that fall under the general descriptions given here, including team-based learning, problem-based learning, and process-oriented guided inquiry learning.

What's the theoretical underpinning?

The use of cooperative learning groups in instruction is based on the principle of constructivism, with particular attention to the contribution that social interaction can make. In essence, constructivism rests on the idea that individuals learn through building their own knowledge, connecting new ideas and experiences to existing knowledge and experiences to form new or enhanced understanding (Bransford, et al., 1999). The consideration of the role that groups can play in this process is based in social interdependence theory, which grew out of Kurt Koffka's and Kurt Lewin's identification of groups as dynamic entities that could exhibit varied interdependence among members, with group members motivated to achieve common goals. Morton Deutsch conceptualized varied types of interdependence, with positive correlation among group members' goal achievements promoting cooperation.

Lev Vygotsky extended this work by examining the relationship between cognitive processes and social activities, developing the sociocultural theory of development. The sociocultural theory of development suggests that learning takes place when students solve problems beyond their current developmental level with the support of their instructor or their peers. Thus both the idea of a zone of proximal development, supported by positive group interdependence, is the basis of cooperative learning (Davidson and Major, 2014; Johnson, et al., 2014).

Cooperative learning follows this idea as groups work together to learn or solve a problem, with each individual responsible for understanding all aspects. The small groups are essential to this process because students are able to both be heard and to hear their peers, while in a traditional classroom setting students may spend more time listening to what the instructor says.

Cooperative learning uses both goal interdependence and resource interdependence to ensure interaction and communication among group members. Changing the role of the instructor from lecturing to facilitating the groups helps foster this social environment for students to learn through interaction.

Is there evidence that it works?

David Johnson, Roger Johnson, and Karl Smith performed a meta-analysis of 168 studies comparing cooperative learning to competitive learning and individualistic learning in college students (Johnson et al., 2006). They found that cooperative learning produced greater academic achievement than both competitive learning and individualistic learning across the studies, exhibiting a mean weighted effect size of 0.54 when comparing cooperation and competition and 0.51 when comparing cooperation and individualistic learning. In essence, these results indicate that cooperative learning increases student academic performance by approximately one-half of a standard deviation when compared to non-cooperative learning models, an effect that is considered moderate. Importantly, the academic achievement measures were defined in each study, and ranged from lower-level cognitive tasks (e.g., knowledge acquisition and retention) to higher level cognitive activity (e.g., creative problem solving), and from verbal tasks to mathematical tasks to procedural tasks. The meta-analysis also showed substantial effects on other metrics, including self-esteem and positive attitudes about learning. George Kuh and colleagues also conclude that cooperative group learning promotes student engagement and academic performance (Kuh et al., 2007).

Springer, Stanne, and Donovan (1999) confirmed these results in their meta-analysis of 39 studies in university STEM classrooms. They found that students who participated in various types of small-group learning, ranging from extended formal interactions to brief informal interactions, had greater academic achievement, exhibited more favorable attitudes towards learning, and had increased persistence through STEM courses than students who did not participate in STEM small-group learning.

The box below summarizes three individual studies examining the effects of cooperative learning groups.

What are approaches that can help make group work effective?
Preparation Articulate your goals for the group work, including both the academic objectives you want the students to achieve and the social skills you want them to develop. Determine the group conformation that will help meet your goals.
In informal group learning, groups often form ad hoc from near neighbors in a class.

In formal group learning, it is helpful for the instructor to form groups that are heterogeneous with regard to particular skills or abilities relevant to group tasks. For example, groups may be heterogeneous with regard to academic skill in the discipline or with regard to other skills related to the group task (e.g., design capabilities, programming skills, writing skills, organizational skills) (Johnson et al, 2006).

Groups from 2-6 are generally recommended, with groups that consist of three members exhibiting the best performance in some problem-solving tasks (Johnson et al., 2006; Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992).

To avoid common problems in group work, such as dominance by a single student or conflict avoidance, it can be useful to assign roles to group members (e.g., manager, skeptic, educator, conciliator) and to rotate them on a regular basis (Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992). Assigning these roles is not necessary in well-functioning groups, but can be useful for students who are unfamiliar with or unskilled at group work.
Choose an assessment method that will promote positive group interdependence as well as individual accountability.
In team-based learning, two approaches promote positive interdependence and individual accountability. First, students take an individual readiness assessment test, and then immediately take the same test again as a group. Their grade is a composite of the two scores. Second, students complete a group project together, and receive a group score on the project. They also, however, distribute points among their group partners, allowing student assessment of members' contributions to contribute to the final score.

Heller and Hollabaugh (1992) describe an approach in which they incorporated group problem-solving into a class. Students regularly solved problems in small groups, turning in a single solution. In addition, tests were structured such that 25% of the points derived from a group problem, where only those individuals who attended the group problem-solving sessions could participate in the group test problem. This approach can help prevent the "free rider" problem that can plague group work.

The University of New South Wales describes a variety of ways to assess group work, ranging from shared group grades, to grades that are averages of individual grades, to strictly individual grades, to a combination of these. They also suggest ways to assess not only the product of the group work but also the process. Again, having a portion of a grade that derives from individual contribution helps combat the free rider problem.
Helping groups get started Explain the group's task, including your goals for their academic achievement and social interaction. Explain how the task involves both positive interdependence and individual accountability, and how you will be assessing each.
Assign group roles or give groups prompts to help them articulate effective ways for interaction. The University of New South Wales provides a valuable set of tools to help groups establish good practices when first meeting. The site also provides some exercises for building group dynamics; these may be particularly valuable for groups that will be working on larger projects.

Regularly observe group interactions and progress, either by circulating during group work, collecting in-process documents, or both. When you observe problems, intervene to help students move forward on the task and work together effectively. The University of New South Wales provides handouts that instructors can use to promote effective group interactions, such as a handout to help students listen reflectively or give constructive feedback, or to help groups identify particular problems that they may be encountering.

Assessing and reflecting

In addition to providing feedback on group and individual performance (link to preparation section above), it is also useful to provide a structure for groups to reflect on what worked well in their group and what could be improved. Graham Gibbs (1994) suggests using the checklists shown below.

The University of New South Wales provides other reflective activities that may help students identify effective group practices and avoid ineffective practices in future cooperative learning experiences.

References

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., and Cocking, R.R. (Eds.) (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Bruffee, K. A. (1993). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Cabrera, A. F., Crissman, J. L., Bernal, E. M., Nora, A., Terenzini, P. T., & Pascarella, E. T. (2002). Collaborative learning: Its impact on college students' development and diversity. Journal of College Student Development, 43(1), 20-34.

Davidson, N., & Major, C. H. (2014). Boundary crossing: Cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and problem-based learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25 (3&4), 7-55.

Dees, R. L. (1991). The role of cooperative leaning in increasing problem-solving ability in a college remedial course. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 22(5), 409-21.

Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative Learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1).

Heller, P., and Hollabaugh, M. (1992) Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 2: Designing problems and structuring groups. American Journal of Physics 60, 637-644.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K.A. (2006). Active learning: Cooperation in the university classroom (3 rd edition). Edina, MN: Interaction.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Holubec, E.J. (2008). Cooperation in the classroom (8 th edition). Edina, MN: Interaction.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K.A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journl on Excellence in College Teaching 25, 85-118.

Jones, D. J., & Brickner, D. (1996). Implementation of cooperative learning in a large-enrollment basic mechanics course. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference Proceedings.

Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J., Bridges, B., and Hayek, J.C. (2007). Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions, and recommendations (ASHE Higher Education Report, No. 32). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Love, A. G., Dietrich, A., Fitzgerald, J., & Gordon, D. (2014). Integrating collaborative learning inside and outside the classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 177-196.

Smith, M. E., Hinckley, C. C., & Volk, G. L. (1991). Cooperative learning in the undergraduate laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education 68(5), 413-415.

Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of small-group learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 96(1), 21-51.

Uribe, D., Klein, J. D., & Sullivan, H. (2003). The effect of computer-mediated collaborative learning on solving ill-defined problems. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(1), 5-19.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively

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by Cynthia J. Brame and Rachel Biel Print Version Cite this guide: Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/. Many instructors from disciplines across the university use group work to enhance their students' learning.

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The new question-of-the-week is:
What are your recommendations for how best to set up and organize small groups in classroom instruction?
Many teachers find that well-organized student small-group work facilitates learning and effective classroom management.

It's the "well-organized" part that can trip many of us up, though.

This four-part series will share "tried-and-true" strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of this kind of instruction.

Today, Valentina Gonzalez, Olivia Montero Petraglia, Jenny Vo, and Jennifer Mitchell provide their suggestions.

You might also be interested in a previous series on small-group instruction, as well as Best Posts On The Basics Of Small Groups In The Classroom.

'Teach the Routine'

Valentina Gonzalez is a former classroom teacher with over 20 years in education serving also as a district facilitator for English-learners, a professional-development specialist for ELs, and as an educational consultant. She is the co-author of Reading & Writing with English Learners and works with teachers of ELs to support language and literacy instruction. Her work can be found on Seidlitz Education and on MiddleWeb. You can reach her through her website or on Twitter @ValentinaESL :
Image by Valentina Gonzalez
I didn't learn overnight how to make small-group instruction work for my students and for me. When I taught mainstream language arts (reading and writing in elementary school), we planned together as a team. Planning went very quickly because the more experienced teachers would bring their lesson plans from previous years and tell us "newbies" what we would be teaching. We all taught the same thing and mostly the same way.

It quickly became clear that teaching in a whole-group setting wasn't meeting the needs of all my students. Some students breezed through what I taught because they already knew it. Others had no idea what just happened. And most of the time I felt like students did not understand their role in learning. We were all just going through motions.

It wasn't long before small-group instruction organically formed in my classroom. After teaching a whole-group lesson and formatively assessing, I divided the class. For example, at the end of a lesson. I asked students to write a ticket out or gave them five questions to answer on a sticky note. Based on their answers, I quickly formed three groups for our next lesson; one for Enrichment, one for Guidance, and one for Reteach.
Image by Valentina Gonzalez
Here's what I learned along the way.
1. Teach the routine.
This is make or break. If students understand what small-group time is going to look and sound like, they will be more successful with it. Before you begin implementing small groups, hold a lesson with students telling them what small groups are and why you are doing them. If possible, model for the class what a small group will look like AND what the rest of the class will be doing. By teaching the routine, you set students up for success. On the other hand, if you don't teach the routine, don't be disappointed if while you are working with your small group the remainder of the class is off task. Clarity is key!

A few things to teach students about the routine are:

the time frame for instruction

what you expect from the time

the acceptable noise level

how students can move about

when it's acceptable to interrupt the small group

how to interrupt the small group

2. Teach students what to do independently.

It's possible that one of the biggest reasons why some teachers abandon small groups is because they become frustrated when they feel they've lost control of the classroom. To avoid this, clarity in goals and expectations for the end result is a must. Be as explicit as possible with instructions before sending students off to work on their own.

Tips for teaching students what to do independently:

write out the goals on chart paper or under a document camera and keep them visible during the lesson

show examples and nonexamples of end products if applicable

give options/choice

Keep in mind that while you work with small groups, the rest of the class can be working on various learning tasks. In primary grades, some teachers implement "centers" or "rotations" while gathering small groups. These can be described as short and interesting learning activities that students move through tied to previously learned skills. Older students can be reading or writing independently, working on research, problem solving, experimenting, or more!
3. Keep groups fluid.
These are your small groups. As Penny Kittle says, "Follow the child." Don't get too firm about them. Do what students need and keep flexibility alive. Today, "Jasmin" may be in the enrichment group but next week, she may need reteaching when we move to another topic. Small groups are fluid. They move and change with the time, topic, and needs of the learners.

There are so many reasons to hold small groups. Your small groups might include:

'Practice, Practice, Practice'
Olivia Montero Petraglia began her teaching career as an upper-primary bilingual teacher in San Diego. Over the last 23 years, she has served in leadership, as an instructional coach, language-acquisition specialist, consultant, and teacher in international schools in Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Laos:
To be fully present and have quality instructional time with small groups of students is golden. While we all know what the research says about the positive impact of small-group instruction, it can be challenging to set up and manage.

Something I wished I would have understood earlier in my teaching career is that setting small-group work is a process that requires an investment in time and a collaborative classroom-community effort. A carefully co-crafted approach can transform small-group work into much more than just ideal conditions for differentiated instruction. It is also a great way to build community and help students develop skills such as self management, time management, and independence. Dedicating two to three weeks at the start of the school year to learn about your students while practicing different aspects of small-group work routines will gain you lots of mileage throughout the remaining school year.
Grouping students
When I start the year, I usually plan heterogeneous groups to work through fun, low-stakes activities. This allows me to notice several learning behaviors at a time. By keeping these initial sessions short (8 -12 minutes), valuable data can be collected quickly and minimize the pressure to form "perfect" groups straight away. What you notice from each day's session will help you regroup students and identify learning objectives for upcoming sessions. As the weeks go by, you will have opportunities to triangulate a range of data to inform different groupings and learning objectives linked to the curriculum; however, you will have had the opportunity to establish dispositions and a sense of community that will help support small-group work for the duration of the school year.
Invite students into the process
Be explicit when sharing the "why" for small-group work. A simple, yet critical initial exercise is to facilitate a circle-time discussion about small-group work. As students share their ideas, record responses on chart paper so that you can refer back to their plan as needed throughout the year.

What good things can happen as a result of small-group learning opportunities?

What things might get in the way of quality group work and what can help us to have the best small-group learning opportunities?

Visual guides
Create anchor charts or digital slides to display bullet point steps for each session. If a student is not sure of what to do after you have provided instructions or a mini-lesson, instead of telling them, point to the visual. Over time, you will condition students to reference the visual instead of asking you. For younger students, you can use numbered images as reminders. This one simple step can be such a game changer.
Prepare checklists
Create a spreadsheet for yourself of weekly or daily "look fors" to make it easy to record quick notes and keep you focused on key data. This also helps keep track of how frequently you meet with students.
Practice, practice, practice:
Think Vygotsky's "i + 1." Introduce different aspects of small-group work one step at a time. For example, to start, provide the whole class with an independent activity that will keep them engaged for the duration of the time needed for you to meet with one or two small groups. As students begin to understand expectations and routines, gradually add more complexity to the dynamics of small-group work sessions.

Discuss and post a "What to do when I'm done" list ahead of time that includes low prep activities such as independent reading, journal writing, or practice for skills previously learned. No need for students to ever be off task even when they finish work.

Debrief at the end of every small-group practice session. Prompt students to offer feedback for feed forward for improvement during the next session. Celebrate successes and name what students are getting right, and you are more likely to see it again and again.

Use music as a scaffold for transitioning. Starting a two- or three-minute song can cue students to move around, gather needed materials, get to their learning spaces, check in with others, and aim to be ready by the end of a song. Resist giving instructions; let the music do the work. Keep practicing until everyone knows what to do. Kids love this, and with carefully selected music, it can also be a mood changer.

I used to think that I couldn't start small-group work until I had time to get to know my students better. Now I understand that there is no better way to get to know students than engaging with them. Small-group interactions make it possible to take careful note of students' learning behaviors, strengths, and academic gaps.

'Flexible & Differentiated Learning'
Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 26 years in education and is currently the Houston area EL coordinator for International Leadership of Texas. Jenny proudly serves as the president of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all English-learners. She loves learning from her #PLN on Twitter so feel free to follow her @JennyVo15.
What is small-group instruction? Small-group instruction is when you teach the students in small groups ranging from 2-6 students. It usually follows whole-group instruction. There are many benefits of small-group instruction. It is effective because the teaching is focused on the needs of the students, with the goal of growing their academic skills.

Small-group instruction provides opportunities for flexible and differentiated learning. With the smaller number of students, students have more chances to participate. Teachers are able to monitor the students better, thus providing better and more individualized feedback and support. Small-group instruction can be used in all content classes and is beneficial for students of all levels.

How do you best set up and organize small groups? There are a variety of ways you can set up and organize small groups. How you do it depends on your objective and goal for the lesson or activity. Some ways you can group students include: by ability, strategy, expert/interest groups, cooperative tasks, and student choice The three setups I use the most are by ability, by strategy/skill, and by interest.

Grouping by ability: You can group your students by ability, such as by reading level or language-proficiency level. Having students of the same ability in the same group will allow the teacher to provide lessons and activities that are more focused and targeted to the needs of the students at that level. There is less pressure because the students know that they are on the same playing ground as the other group members. For English-learners at that same level, they will feel less intimidated to take chances to speak.

Grouping by strategy/skil l: Strategy groups are great when you want to provide instruction on a specific skill or strategy. Let's say you gave an assessment. Looking at the data from the assessment, you see that certain students need more instruction and practice with a certain skill or strategy. Instead of reteaching the whole class, you can group together students based on the skill they need to work on. You can have reading groups working on inferencing, main idea, or summary. You can have math groups working on multistep problems, graphing, or data analysis. Your science groups can be working on food chains/webs, force and motion, or adaptation. Strategy groups very much rely on data. Groups should be short term and should be very fluid.

Expert/interest groups: Grouping students by subject knowledge or interest is a great way to work with small groups for projects. These types of small groups are perfect for science and social studies classes. Because students are grouped based on areas of interests, they consist of students of varying ability levels. With these groups, it is best that there is a cooperative grouping structure where roles are assigned so that responsibilities are equally divided. In that way, one or two students are not doing all the work or taking over the project and not letting the others be involved. English-learners can benefit from being in this type of group because they can share their knowledge since they may know more about the topic than the other members. It also gives them opportunities to improve their language by hearing more advanced students speak.

What are the other students doing while I'm in small-group instruction? I hear this question a lot when there is discussion about implementing small groups. My answer is: They should be working on activities that you have planned where they can work by themselves, with a partner, or in a small group that will allow you to focus on the group you are working with. For the language arts block, they can be reading and responding to their reading independently or working on their writing. For math, you can set up different workstations with activities focusing on different skills for review. Workstations can also be used for science and social studies class. Giving students a menu of activities to choose from is also a very effective way to keep the rest of the class engaged while you do small groups.

If you have not implemented small-group instruction in your classroom, I encourage you to try it. You will come to see the benefits to the students with your own eyes. With anything new, do it in small steps. Try one way of grouping. Try it once a week and slowly add more time. It is a great instructional approach to add to your teaching toolbox!

Student Leadership
Jennifer Mitchell teaches ELs in Dublin, Ohio. Connect with her on Twitter: @readwritetech or on her blog:
The myriad benefits of partner and group work are clear (particularly for ELs), but a system of purposeful, long-term groups with student leaders can transform classroom culture. Leading groups of 3-5 classmates for a quarter, semester, or year, my "squad leaders" (a structure and term I borrowed from my years in marching band) start group discussions and keep them going, remind their squad members about materials and on-task work as necessary, and, perhaps most importantly, build our community by demonstrating genuine caring for their squad members. As role models for their classmates, these leaders challenge themselves not just to grow academically but also to step out of their comfort zones and hone their leadership skills.

I encourage them to use purposeful small talk and tap into identity-related assignments, just as I do as a teacher, to forge strong connections. They also serve as points of contact between me and their classmates, providing clarification or help to their squad members when possible, notifying me of any concerns, and even pointing out when their squad members excel.

Choosing leaders:

The success of this structure hinges on the effectiveness and buy-in of the squad leaders. It's tempting to choose students who are academically (or linguistically) strong and/or socially popular, and while these can be great characteristics in a leader, they are not as important as the student's desire to improve the classroom culture and grow personally. In fact, it's students who care deeply for others and/or have the personal drive to challenge themselves who are most likely to become effective squad leaders.

Through careful observation during the first month of school, I can usually pick out a few students in each class who will be my leaders. It's so essential to have the right students that if I can't identify at least a couple strong leaders in a given class, I do not move forward with implementation. I've tried and failed to push students who weren't ready, and the whole structure loses credibility too quickly. It's better to stick with typical groups (possibly implementing squads later) than to end up with a class that will never buy into the vision because they've seen it fail with leaders who didn't follow through. (For this reason, it's essential to put careful work into supporting and developing your leaders throughout the year!)

Implementation:

Once I select the leaders, I invite them to a special meeting to introduce the role in more detail, and each leader reflects and sets goals based on their application responses. Next, it's important to discuss the vision of the squad structure with the whole class before seating them with their new squads. I share how powerful this structure was for me and my friends in marching band in terms of personal growth, group excellence, and social-emotional support. Then we split into squads for community-building activities, and from then on, the squads are together for nearly everything. They collaborate, share and reflect on their work together, engage in discussions, and participate in deeper connection-building activities with the squad leaders serving as the glue that binds each group ever more closely. Frequent leader meetings, conferring, and mini-tasks challenge leaders to reflect and problem-solve. Within a classroom culture built around reflection and goal-setting, a focus on learning, and SEL, the squads grow into supportive communities that provide a stronger sense of purpose and belonging in our classroom.

Thanks to Valentina, Olivia, Jenny, and Jennifer for contributing their thoughts.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all Ed Week articles, has been changed by the new redesign-new ones are not yet available). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 10 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column.

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What Are the Best Strategies for Small-Group Instruction? (Opinion)

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For teachers starting out, take small steps in introducing small-group instruction. Try a single strategy, and add time as you go along.

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We talk often in the world of education about data and formative assessment. As an administrator, I challenge my teachers to assess their students as often as possible. But what makes for truly effective formative assessment is not the strategy used to assess, but rather what you do with the data gathered. Using data to drive our decision-making is the pinnacle of assessment.

Too many teachers believe that assessments should be done only at the end of a lesson. Using an exit ticket to determine if students grasped the concept you're trying to teach is great, but it does not give you the opportunity to use the data gathered until the next day. The feedback I find myself giving to teachers most often is to use group work as an opportunity for assessment.

In the army there's a saying, "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." I want to be clear: I am not a veteran. I learned this strategy early in my administrative career from a leadership professional development seminar with West Point's Thayer Leadership. Col. Thomas Magness introduced my team and me to the tactical pause, a military strategy designed to slow the pace of operations on the battlefield. Leaders use this strategy to regroup, assess their observations, and decide how to move forward. I thought to myself, "This is exactly what teachers need to do in the middle of their lessons."

Clutch Time-Outs

While students are working in pairs or groups to complete a task, we, as teachers, can tell when things are not going the way we planned. More often than not, we fear deviating from the plan. We bounce from group to group like a pinball hitting as many groups as possible, re-explaining the task or asking, "How can I help?" or "Do you need anything?" We try to put out fires as they arise, when we should be thinking like a sports coach and calling a clutch time-out.

Rather than muddling through, I advise teachers to use this time strategically. When students are prepared to work independently in groups, the role of the teacher is to be a facilitator, observer, and evaluator. Set clear expectations of what students should be doing, and be transparent about what you will be doing during this time. You might say, "As you do this activity, I want you to work collaboratively. If you have a question, please be sure to ask your classmates before coming to me. During this time, I will be circulating from group to group, listening in and taking notes on what I hear in order to assess your learning."

You should circulate throughout the room, listening intently to the discussions students are having. Resist the temptation to interject or answer questions that students are asking, especially "Hey, mister, is this right?" Listen in like a fly on the wall and take notes on what you hear. Record common misconceptions. Consider if everyone is completing the task the way you expected and what adjustments need to be made. Highlight comments that you hear from groups or individuals. Are two students having a great debate about the task that should be spotlighted as a model for the rest of the class?

A Tactical Pause

Once you've gathered some data, you are ready to do something with it. It's time for a tactical pause-regroup, assess observations, and strategize about how to move forward. Bring the class back to your attention, and share your findings with them. Below are some examples of the type of feedback you might share with the class.

Spotlighting: "I heard Theadora and Jesse having a great debate about the best way to solve the problem. Theadora, can you share with the whole class what the debate was about?"

Misconceptions: "I noticed that several groups are all making a similar mistake as they solve this problem. Let's revisit this as a whole class."

Grouping: "Through my observations, I have decided to make some shifts to how we are grouped. I think that your discussions would work better in pairs rather than groups of four so that everyone will have an opportunity to be heard."

Clarification: "I am noticing that many of you are unclear about my expectations for this task. I want to take a minute to re-explain to everyone so that we can all move forward on the same page."

Once you've delivered the feedback, you should give students a clear next step to make your feedback actionable. You might say something like, "As you are going back to work, I want you to be sure that you are citing textual evidence in your responses."

Most teacher observation rubrics, like the Danielson Framework used in New York City schools, place a heavy emphasis on discussion technique, student engagement, and assessment. The tactical pause is a formative assessment tool that teachers can use to make the data gathered through teacher observation actionable, but by design it also fosters student-to-student discussion and boosts engagement as well.

By pushing students to not use the teacher as a crutch, you force them to ask questions of their peers. This creates opportunities for authentic discussion and meaningful engagement.

Great coaches know that a time-out taken at the right time can be the difference between winning and losing a game. A teacher's time-out is the tactical pause.

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The Benefits of Taking a Time-Out During Group Work

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We talk often in the world of education about data and formative assessment. As an administrator, I challenge my teachers to assess their students as often as possible. But what makes for truly effective formative assessment is not the strategy used to assess, but rather what you do with the data gathered.

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Supporting all class members during an assignment

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Supporting all class members during an assignment

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How to use Class Jobs in a 4th Grade Classroom

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Counseling in the Classroom: Recipe for Responsibility

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Are you looking to improve how your elementary school students work to communicate and collaborate? Would you like to see more teamwork towards a common goal and less arguing or bickering? If so, it sounds like your students could benefit from team building activities.

Team building activities are designed to help students improve their communication skills and their ability to work together to get tasks done. There are many different team building activities that are appropriate for elementary school students. We've compiled a list of 12 of these activities that you may want to try out with your students. For each activity we highlight, we'll share the materials you'll need to perform the activity, how the activity works, and whether the activity is best suited for upper or lower elementary school students.

Before jumping into the 12 different team building activities we've compiled, let's take just a few moments to talk about what team building is and how it can benefit the students in your class. As the name suggests, team building activities are special activities that are designed to improve the way groups, or teams, of students, work together. They can help students learn to cooperate and help them feel a sense of camaraderie with their classmates.

Team building activities are set up so that students begin to learn more about their classmates. They can learn what each person's strengths are and how those strengths can be beneficial when the group is working together to accomplish a shared goal. As students learn more about each other through team builders, their trust and comfort level with their classmates will improve. This can help make each student more vested in group projects and tasks since they not only want to do well themselves, but they want to help their classmates succeed as well.

One of the biggest benefits of team building activities is that they can significantly improve how students are able to communicate with one another. When communication improves, you'll notice so many other improvements in the classroom. Students will be able to work together more effectively since they'll be able to articulate their ideas, there will be fewer blow-ups and disagreements since students will know how to express how they are feeling to their group members, and your classroom will seem like a more peaceful and productive environment.

Team builders can be stand-alone activities you plan out for your students, but you can also embed team building activities into your lesson plans. Many team builders are designed to be quick and can be completed before beginning formal instruction. When writing your lesson plans, consider adding a quick activator section. This can be the perfect spot to include a team-building activity. You can also find ways to tie the team building activity into the content that you are teaching. For example, your team builder for one lesson may include students collaborating as you review previous learning.
12 Best Team Building Activities for Elementary Students:
Below you'll find our list of 12 team building activities you can do with your elementary school students. These team builders are sure to engage your students and improve their communication and teamwork skills.

1. Circles

What You Will Need to Prepare: Draw two large circles (one inside the other) on the floor or use tape to create the two circles

Best for: Upper elementary school students

How to Perform: This activity is designed to help the members of the class express their comfort level with different tasks and activities. Before beginning, have students stand outside the outer circle. Tell them that the inside circle represents being comfortable with a given task, the middle circle represents a feeling that a given task is challenging, and outside of the circles represents feeling panic about completing a task.

To warm up, present students with a few different activities/scenarios and have them stand in the circle that represents how they feel about that task. You can share anything related to school or their personal lives, such as riding a bike, singing in front of the class, and so on. After doing a few warm-up tasks, start asking students to explain why they chose to stand in the circle they selected. Then, ask them what would need to happen to let them move from the panic section to the challenge section, from the challenge section to the comfort section, from the comfort section to the challenge section, etc.

By sharing their feelings and rationale for selecting a certain spot, members of the class will begin to learn more about their classmates and their strengths.

2. The Empty Chair
What You Will Need to Prepare:
One chair for each student in the class

How to Perform: This team builder is designed to help students improve their communication skills with the other members of the group. To start the activity, the chairs should be spread out across the room, and each student should sit in a chair. The teacher should choose one student to get up from their chair and walk to the opposite side of the room.

After that student has made it to the opposite side of the room, they are supposed to try to make it back to the empty chair by walking slowly. However, other students in the class can get up from their chairs and try to beat them to the empty chair. If another student successfully beats the first student to the empty chair, the first student needs to try to get to the new chair that is now empty, but other students can try to get to that chair before them as well.

Once a student stands up from their chair, they are not allowed to sit back down in it. This means that if two or more students stand up at the same time, they will need to try to communicate about which student is going to go for the empty chair and which is going to try to make it to the other student's chair. The kicker is that students are not allowed to speak, so they will have to find other ways to communicate.

This activity can help students improve their non-verbal communication skills as they learn to work towards the common goal of keeping the first student from getting to the empty chair.

Best for: Mid to upper elementary school students

3. The Ball Game
What You Will Need to Prepare:
How to Perform: Students will enjoy this fun, yet challenging, team builder. For this activity, students should stand in a circle. One student should be given a tennis ball. Their task is to throw it to another person in the circle and say their name as they throw it. The person they throw it to then needs to throw it to another person in the circle, also saying their name as they throw it. Once all students have learned everyone's name and mastered this step, it is time to up the difficulty of this task.

Now, instead of saying the name of the person they are throwing the ball to, students need to say the name of the person that should get the ball next. For example, if Student A throws the ball to Student B, they would say the name of Student C, the person Student B needs to throw the ball to.

This team builder can be made even more challenging by having students naming the student two steps ahead, not just one. For instance, with the example above, Student A would say the name of Student D, who would get the ball after Students B and C. Depending on the age of your students and how they do with this added challenge, you can make the task even more challenging by adding a second tennis ball to be thrown at the same time between different students or allowing students to move around the room.

Best for: Mid to upper elementary school students for more challenging variations, lower elementary school for more basic variations

4. Crossing the Line
What You Will Need to Prepare:
Tape to make a line in the center of the room

How to Perform: This team builder is designed to help students learn more about their classmates and feel more comfortable sharing personal information about themselves. To start the activity, create a line using a tape down the center of the room. You can have students pick some topics/categories they are curious to learn about each other, or you may select the topics yourself.

For each topic, ask a related question to students that they can answer by crossing the line or staying on one side of it. For example, if the topic is video games, you can ask students if they play more than 4 hours of video games each week. If students would answer yes to that question, they would cross the line. You or the other students in the class can ask questions to the students who crossed the line, such as "What is your favorite game?" or "What gaming system do you have?"

As students begin to get more comfortable with the activity, the questions asked should begin to get deeper and more personal. One question you might ask could be, "Do you ever doubt yourself?" When asking deeper questions, you want to be sure to give students more time to process the question and decide if they want to cross the line.

With the deeper questions, encourage other students to ask a question that work towards helping all the students in the class feel more comfortable with one another and developing solutions for potential problems. For example, with the question above, another student may ask someone who crossed the line what they could do to help them improve their self-confidence.

Best for: All ages, just vary the question types asked

5. The Trust Fall
What You Will Need to Prepare:
How to Perform: The Trust Fall is designed to help students increase their level of trust with the other students in the class. To begin, students should be paired up with one other student. One student should stand with their back towards their partner and the other student should stand with one knee out and their arms outstretched.

The person in the front should close their eyes (if comfortable doing so) and let themselves fall out of balance back into the arms of their partner. They should start at just a short distance apart and increase the distance as they become comfortable. After a few rounds, students should switch positions, so the person falling is now the person catching.

Next, students should form a circle. One student should stand in the middle of the circle, and the other students should all stand with one let out and their arms outstretched towards the center. The student in the middle can close their eyes (if they're comfortable doing so) and lean in any direction around the circle. They should repeat this a few times, leaning in different directions and being caught by different members of the class. All the students in the group should have a chance to be the student in the center of the circle who gets caught by their classmates.

At the end of the exercise, students can share how they felt doing it and whether it was easy to show that a high level of trust in their classmates.

Best for: Upper elementary school students

6. The Puzzle
What You Will Need to Prepare:

One piece of paper for each student

Crayons or colored pencils

Scissors

One picture/cartoon that has lots of details

How to Perform: For this activity, the teacher will first need to cut a detailed picture or cartoon into a puzzle piece. They should cut one puzzle piece for each student in the class. Then, students should be given one puzzle piece and a large piece of paper. Each student should sit in their own space where they will need to cut their large piece of paper into the same shape as their original puzzle piece, but it should be five times as big. Then, they will use their crayons or colored pencils to make the blank puzzle piece look the same as their original piece.

Once all the students are finished creating their puzzle pieces, they will all come together and try to assemble the puzzle. They must do so by moving the pieces around and are not allowed to talk. When they think they have successfully completed the puzzle, the teacher can show them the original image so they can check themselves. If they are not correct, they can continue working and trying to fix the puzzle.

Students will need to work on their non-verbal communication and teamwork skills in order to correctly assemble the puzzle together. If you have a large class of students, you could have students broken into a few smaller groups to complete this task instead of one large group.

Best for: All ages, you can increase the difficulty level by having larger groups of students for the upper grades

7. The Catching Game
What You Will Need to Prepare:
One blindfold for each student

How to Perform: In this team builder, one student starts as the catcher. That student is blindfolded and goes to the center of the room. The other students in the class start at one side of the room and need to try to make it across the room without being caught (tapped) by the catcher. The catcher and the other students are only allowed to walk on their knees or crawl as they try to move.

When the students go across to the other side of the room, anyone who is tapped by the catcher has to freeze and stay where they are. Once that round is over and all the students have either been caught or made it across the room, the students who were caught become catchers.

This continues until all but one student is caught. The students who are the catchers should try to position themselves strategically in the center of the room to catch as many of the other students as possible. At the end of the game, the students can remove their blindfolds to see which student made it across without getting caught.

8. Make Believe Story
What You Will Need to Prepare:
How to Perform: In the Make Believe Story team builder, students need to work together as a group to tell a made-up story. They should start by standing in a half-circle facing the teacher. The teacher then starts telling a make-believe story and the students listen. After the teacher has gotten a little into her story, she pauses, says "and then," and points to another student to continue the story. After a while, she selects another student and then another to continue telling the story.

If the student selected by the teacher either draws a blank or wasn't paying attention, the teacher can give them the reminder to listen and visualize the story and come back to them after a few more turns to let them continue telling the story.

All the students in the group should have a chance to add on to the story, and the last student should come up with an ending for the story. After all, students have shared, the teacher can provide feedback related to the students' listening skills and ability to add on to the story integrating information that other students shared during their turns.

9. Is This It?
What You Will Need to Prepare:
A typical classroom space with a variety of objects

How to Perform: In this team builder, students will come up with a secret code with their partner and the rest of the class will need to crack their code. To start, students should partner up with a person in the class they don't know very well. One pair will stand off to one side with the rest of the class in a semi-circle. One student should be Person A and the other should be Person B.

Person B will close their eyes and the students in the circle will point to one object. Then, Person B will open up their eyes, and Person A will point to different objects in the room and ask "Is this it?" Person B won't be able to answer since their eyes were closed when the other students were pointing at the object.

So, Person A and Person B will work together to develop a secret code that will let Person A tell Person B what the object is. For example, Person A may point to a round object right before pointing to the correct object. The other students in the class will need to try to figure out the secret code Person A and Person B are using. Then, another group of students can have a turn to develop their own secret code.

Best for: Mid to upper elementary school students

10. Truth and Fantasy
What You Will Need to Prepare:
How to Perform: For this activity, students will all sit in a circle. They will be told that they are going to share three stories. Two must be true and one must be made up. Encourage students to think of stories that others haven't heard and try to make their fake story sound like it could have actually happened.

Choose one student to start and share their three stories. After they have completed sharing their stories, give a quick recap of each story and tell the other students in the class to vote on which story they think is the fake one. Select one student to share which story they selected and why they think it is fake. The student who shared the stories will then reveal which story was actually fake.

You can also make a themed game if you wish. That is, the teacher dedicates the game to various holidays and countries in advance, or discusses the topic with the students. Then kids are given some time to prepare, after which the game goes according to the usual scenario, you can also prepare the material that the students will study before the game. For example, you can find a list of facts about Russia in this article.

All students should get a chance to share their three stories and one chance to explain which story they think is fake and why. You can award points to the students who correctly guess the incorrect story.

Best for: Students of all ages, for younger students you can make the activity easier by having them share three facts about themselves instead of three stories

11. The Orchestra
What You Will Need to Prepare:
How to Perform: For this task, students will work together to become an orchestra. The students should stand in a straight line facing the teacher. The teacher will begin by performing the rhythm of the song, then point to one student to copy what she is doing. Next, she will perform the high hat and point to another student to copy what she is doing. She will continue this by performing the baseline, strings, and whistling the melody and selecting students to copy what she does.

After all the parts of the orchestra have been assigned, the teacher will begin conducting the orchestra. All students should be doing their part. When the teacher points to one student, they should become silent. If the teacher makes a fist and points to one student all the other students should stop. When the teacher points to a student who is already silent, they should begin performing again.

The teacher should conduct the orchestra by pointing at the students for a few rounds, then she should switch with one of the students and take over their part. That student can then have a turn conducting the orchestra. This should continue until all students have had the chance to be the conductor.

After the activity, the teacher and students can discuss how the group had to work together to form the orchestra and how each person's role was important.

Best for: Mid to upper elementary school students

12.Drawing
What You Will Need to Prepare:

Paper for each student

Pencil for each student

Chair for each student

How to Perform: Students will be working on their communication skills in this team builders. They will need to find a partner and sit back-to-back with their partner. One partner will draw an image using basic shapes on their paper. They will then need to describe their picture verbally to the other partner who will need to try to recreate the exact image the first partner drew. Once the partners are done describing and drawing, they should compare their images and discuss differences in the images and which directions were clear or confusing.

Next, the partners can switch roles and the second partner can draw. This time, they can draw an image, not just shapes. Again, they should describe their image to their partner (without using the name of the object) so their partner can recreate the drawing. Once completed, the pair should again examine the differences in their images and share why they think these differences occurred.

At the end of the activity, the whole group can discuss how the activity went and what they learned about how they needed to communicate with their partner. They can also share whether they found it easier to give directions to draw shapes or everyday objects.

Best for: All ages, you can have younger students create more basic drawings

Closing Thoughts

When you incorporate team building activities into your classroom, you'll be amazed by how well your students learn to communicate and collaborate. When students are more effectively able to communicate and collaborate, they will be able to work together more effectively and will benefit from learning from their peers.

Makerspace activities are a great way for your students to continue to improve on their collaborative communication skills. Makerspace activities allow students to engage in creating, experimenting and exploring with a variety of materials and scientific ideas. We have some great makerspace activity ideas for elementary students, middle school students, and students with special needs.
Last Updated on January 11, 2022 by Emily

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12 Best Team Building Activities for Elementary Students

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Are you looking to improve how your elementary school students work to communicate and collaborate? Would you like to see more teamwork towards a common goal and less arguing or bickering? If so, it sounds like your students could benefit from team building activities.

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How to Open Class Participation to Everyone

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Having a wide range of participation tools—in addition to cold calling—helps teachers encourage students of all backgrounds and dispositions to contribute.

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As a student, I was never a fan of group work. I still remember the time my teacher paired me with "Tyler" for a research project. I'm sure my teacher's intentions were good. But I knew from the start that it wouldn't be pleasant.

Tyler wasn't a bad kid, but he wasn't what you'd call a high performer. Our teacher assigned our partners, and we all knew the intention behind the groupings. High achievers were paired with those who could "use some help."

This wasn't my first group project, and I knew my role. Do all the research. Write the paper. Come up with something for Tyler to say during the presentation. Hassle him to learn his lines. Get the same grade.

A Novice Teacher's Perspective

When I began teaching, I was no more a fan of group work than I was as a student. It was messy. It took up too much class time - not to mention grading and planning time. I didn't understand how students would learn the content if I didn't explain it to them.

Group work was something I was to do. I had read the research on the importance of peer learning. Administrators celebrated teachers who used group work. And they encouraged the rest of us to give it a try.

But no one had shown me how to do it well. When I saw other classes doing group work, I noticed all the common problems.

One student did all the work, while others fooled around. Projects that looked good hanging on the wall, but didn't demonstrate meaningful learning. (Jennifer Gonzalez refers to these as "Grecian Urns").

I felt that group work was something you did during an observation. When you wanted your students to actually learn something, you explained it to them or they read about it in a book.

Benefits of Group Work

It took years before group work became a regular part of my classroom routine. But once it did, there was no looking back. Not only were my students getting more out of each lesson, but it was a lot easier on me as a teacher

In a lecture-based classroom, the teacher is at the center of all classroom activity. She delivers the content through lecture. She asks questions, decides who answers, and determines whether the answer is correct. The teacher tells students when they can use the bathroom and what page to turn to in their workbooks. She even provides pencils and paper to students who don't have any.

It is important for both students and teachers to know who's in charge. But teacher-centered classrooms can be terribly inefficient. With twenty to thirty students in a room, the teacher becomes a bottleneck. Students get frustrated when they don't get enough attention or have enough freedom. They begin to act out. Teachers get overwhelmed because they can't give students the attention they need. They get upset because students "aren't listening." They assert their authority more firmly. It quickly becomes a vicious cycle.

Group work isn't about making pretty posters to hang on the wall. And it's not about matching struggling students with high-performers to boost their grades. It's about giving teachers permission to solve every problem or provide every answer. It's about students learning to learn from each other and to use their resources.

Promoting Effective Group Work

For effective collaboration to occur, it's important to understand why group work is valuable. But understanding the 'why' is not enough. Establishing group work as a regular classroom routine takes time. Teachers and students both need to learn norms and develop the social-emotional skills that make group work effective.

I've worked with some educators who believed that effective group work was not possible. Some simply don't see how students will learn if they don't explain the content. Others think it's a passing fad. Still others believe that "it won't work with these kids."

Sadly, the latter is often used to justify regimented and drill-based instruction for students of color. Despite the fact that "collaboration is linked to higher grades for black students." Furthermore, similar benefits were not found for white students. (According to a 2018 report by the American Institute for Research).

If you are coaching or supervising educators who have these misconceptions, it's important to be patient. Many of these teachers have tried group work before, without success. They will need extra assurance and support to be successful this time around.

Here are some tips to make group work engaging and impactful in any classroom.

Start with an Engaging Activity

The first step to effective group work is an engaging activity. Students need to have a reason to work with their group. The right activity should be inquiry-based - where students have a challenging problem to solve. It should be a bit too difficult for any one student to do on their own. But it shouldn't be so hard that they can't get started on their own.

Some great activities for this purpose are The Sieve of Eratosthenes (math) and Team Story Analysis (language arts).

Teach Group Process

Inquiry-based learning allows students to learn content through discovery. But we still teach the process explicitly. Many students have become used to a sit-and-learn approach. If we want them to engage in active learning, we need to actively reset their expectations.

As you introduce group work to your classes, explain what is expected. Start class with a discussion of what good group work looks like: students participate equally, listen to one another, etc. Keeping groups small (2-4 students), helps ensure that everyone has a role.

You may choose to assign roles. For my short story projects, each group had a captain, a scribe, an artist, and a presenter. The team's job was to read a short story and record important information in a graphic organizer. The scribe completed the organizer. The artist created a poster or slideshow. The presenter was in charge of sharing the team's work with the class. The captain coordinated roles. If the group needed to ask me a question, it had to come from the captain.

Make it Count

There's an old saying in business, "What gets measured, gets managed." I still remember how focused and well-behaved my students were on test days. At no other time could I hand them a few pieces of paper and expect 40 minutes of peace and quiet.

Now, I could have just enjoyed the respite those days provided, but that's not my nature. I wanted to harness this focused concentration and reproduce it throughout the year. After all, part of my job as an educator is to prepare students for their future careers. I couldn't think of any job where your value is measured by what you do once or twice a month. In the real world, what matters is who you are and what you do on a daily basis.

If we want students to make an effort during group work, we need to let them know it's important. And the way we let them know is by attaching a grade to it. I use test grades as the standard unit of measure, as students understand that quite easily.

"This activity counts as one fourth of a test grade," or "this project is equal to a test grade."

I use a group work rubric so students will know how their grade will be calculated. This rubric focuses on process, product, and presentation. Students earn 'process' points by communicating well and involving all team members. Their 'product' score is based on the artifacts they produce. 'Presentation' is based on how well they share their work with the rest of the class.

Advocates of standards-based grading rankle at the idea of grading classwork. I agree that it may be more to grade students purely on mastery of standards. But such grading systems can have negative consequences for student confidence and motivation.

Set a Timer

I can't overstate the importance of using a timer in the classroom. Recording times that students are on-task vs off-task can improve student behavior, even in a lecture-based class. For group work, it's an absolute necessity.

A common challenge with group work is that students won't self-start. As teachers, we feel the clock ticking. We know how much we need to cover. Why don't our students have the same sense of urgency?

We need to transfer that sense of urgency to them using clear, measurable units of time. Before they begin, let them know how much time they have to complete the activity. When the time is up, they will be expected to present to the class and hand in their completed work. Prominently display the countdown timer for all to see.

For most students, the clock and the grade will provide enough incentive to stay on task. Others will be motivated by the desire to appear competent to their peers when they present.

It's important to recognize that clocks and grades are extrinsic motivators. When students don't believe they are able to meet external standards, the strategies can backfire. We should constantly assess students' "level of concern." If their concern level is too low, increase the challenge. If their level of concern is too high, dial it back.

Using a timer may not have much of an impact the first time you use it. Some students will not realize their time is up until it's too late. Time management is a component of social-emotional learning (SEL). If students aren't ready to present when called upon, be supportive. They are already developing their sense of time. And learning that they will need to be more focused the next time around.

At First, You Probably Won't Succeed

The key to success with group work is practice and experience. The strategies above will point you in the right direction, but they won't make all your challenges disappear.

Create room in your pacing guides and unit plans to allow for weekly group activities. If you make group practice a weekly habit, the level of engagement and the quality of work will steadily increase.

If you're not sure how to plan an engaging hands-on lesson, use a planning template. This workshop lesson plan template provides a three-part structure that is perfect for group work.

Creativity, Collaboration, and Conceptual Learning

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Group Work Strategies That Work - Room to Discover

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As a student, I was never a fan of group work. I still remember the time my teacher paired me with "Tyler" for a research project. I'm sure my teacher's intentions were good. But I knew from the start that it wouldn't be pleasant.

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24 Ways to Encourage Students to Work Effectively in a Group Setting - The Edvocate

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Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to encourage students to work effectively in a group setting? If so, keep reading. 1. Give the learner the chance to select a cooperative learning experience and the group members (e.g., along with the teacher, decide what the learning experience will be and d…

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43 Awesome Team-Building Games and Activities for Kids

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Students will have fun while learning how to cooperate and communicate.