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Audio version of "Teamwork skills: Being an effective group member" tip sheet (MP3)
For small groups to function effectively in a course context, students must attend to both the climate within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Critical to a healthy climate and an effective process are strong communication skills. Below you will find the basic characteristics of effective communicators, plus tips to help students with group climate and process.

Although students can gain many of the skills described below through informal social interactions, they still benefit from having them made explicit. To hone their skills they also need opportunities to practice as well as to receive regular feedback on how they're doing. Share the information below with your students, use it to set activities for them, and work to incorporate three components of feedback into your plan: instructor comments (oral and/or written), reflective group discussions and/or peer assessment, and self-reflection (see the reflection prompts in Appendix A for ideas).

Communication skills

To function successfully in a small group, students need to be able to communicate clearly on intellectual and emotional levels. Effective communicators:

can explain their own ideas

express their feelings in an open but non-threatening way

listen carefully to others

ask questions to clarify others' ideas and emotions

can sense how others feel based on their nonverbal communication

will initiate conversations about group climate or process if they sense tensions brewing

reflect on the activities and interactions of their group and encourage other group members to do so as well

Regular open communication, in which group members share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, is a must for successful group work. Unspoken assumptions and issues can be very destructive to productive group functioning. When students are willing to communicate openly with one another, a healthy climate will emerge and an effective process can be followed.

Skills for a healthy group climate

To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion. Cohesion emerges as group members exhibit the following skills:

Openness: Group members are willing to get to know one another, particularly those with different interests and backgrounds. They are open to new ideas, diverse viewpoints, and the variety of individuals present within the group. They listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for cohesion within a group with the need for individual expression.

Trust and self-disclosure: Group members trust one another enough to share their own ideas and feelings. A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is willing to self-disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as group members demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned.

Support: Group members demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their goals. They exemplify a sense of team loyalty and both cheer on the group as a whole and help members who are experiencing difficulties. They view one another not as competitors (which is common within a typically individualistic educational system) but as collaborators.

Respect: Group members communicate their opinions in a way that respects others, focusing on "What can we learn?" rather than "Who is to blame?" See constructive feedback in the process section for more details.

As an instructor, you can use several strategies to encourage students to develop a healthy climate within their small groups:

Assign students into diverse groups so that they encounter others with different backgrounds and interests.

Design activities that break the ice, promote awareness of differences within the group, encourage reflection on the stresses of working within a group, and point out the demands of working in a group.

Have students participate in trust challenges. For example, try the trust-fall, in which individual group members fall backward off a table and are caught by their fellow group members. Or blindfold individual students, and have their group members guide them orally through an obstacle course.

Encourage students to participate willingly and ask questions of others. To encourage listening skills and ensure that everyone in the group speaks, try the "circle of voices" exercise. See Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) teaching tip "Group Work in the Classroom: Types of Small Groups".

After students have worked in their groups for a couple of weeks, have them fill in a "Are we a team?" checklist individually, then discuss their answers within their group. Have them repeat this exercise when they have completed their task. See appendix B for an example of this checklist.

Skills for an effective group process

Besides knowing how to develop a healthy group climate, students also need to know how to function so that they are productive and accomplish their tasks effectively. An effective process will emerge as students exhibit these skills:

Individual responsibility and accountability: All group members agree on what needs to be done and by whom. Each student then determines what he or she needs to do and takes responsibility to complete the task(s). They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they hold others accountable for theirs.

Constructive Feedback: Group members are able to give and receive feedback about group ideas. Giving constructive feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviours, instead of individuals, being as positive as possible, and offering suggestions for improvement. Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is unclear, and being open to change and other ideas.

Problem solving: Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional advice and help.

Management and organization: Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure that meeting goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too.

Knowledge of roles: Group members know which roles can be filled within a group (e.g., facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate roles to maximize their own and others' group learning experience.

As an instructor, use some of these strategies to encourage students to develop an effective process within their small groups:

Design the group task so that the students must work together. Group members will be more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark; if you choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear. See the CTE teaching tip sheet "Methods for Assessing Group Work" for additional ideas.

Once students are in groups, have them develop, as one of their early assignments, a group contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. See the teaching tip "Making Group Contracts" for details. Be sure that groups discuss how they will respond to various scenarios such as absentee or late group members and those who do not complete their assigned tasks.

Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution. The CTE teaching tip sheet "Group Decision Making" is a good place to start. Have each group articulate, based on this list, a set of strategies for decision making and conflict resolution; this list should become part of the group contract. You may also want to offer yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations, but encourage students to work out problems among themselves.

Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda. Consult the CTE teaching tip sheet "Meeting Strategies to Help Prepare Students for Group Work" for additional suggestions.

Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback. For sample methods, see the teaching tip "Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback". Create an assignment that involves them giving feedback to group members, and make it part of their final grade.

To help students recognize and make the most of their own and one another's preferred roles, outline with them a list of team roles (see the teaching tip "Group Roles" for one such list), have them determine which role(s) suits them best, and give them time to discuss within their groups how their particular role(s) will complement those of other group members. Requiring them to rotate their roles helps them to expand their skills set.

Appendix A: encouraging self-awareness and reflection in group work

One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on their group experiences. Their self-reflection will reinforce and further develop critical teamwork skills. Based on your objectives for the group project, create a set of prompts using the questions below. Have students then use these prompts to journal about their reactions to group climate and process. The journals encourage self-reflection and can help students see teamwork issues in new ways and create ideas for resolution. They can also provide a good basis from which students can choose comments to share with their group members in debriefing sessions. If students submit their journals periodically throughout the semester, give them feedback orally or in writing, and to the extent appropriate, discuss in class any trends that you have identified through observation or in the journals (e.g., reassure groups that many are facing similar challenges). Also, requiring all students to submit a final reflective report after the group project can help them to see the value of the teamwork expertise they have developed through practice.

Climate

Process

What are your group's ground rules and goals? What changes to these rules and goals might improve the functioning of your group?

How is everyone encouraged to stay accountable to the tasks they have been assigned?

To what extent do you and others follow the feedback methods laid out in class? How could you and your group members improve the way you give and receive feedback?

To what extent does your group reflect on how well its goals are being achieved? How would more (or less) discussion about goals help or hinder your group's functioning?

How are decisions made in your group? Who is involved and in which ways? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How could your decision-making processes be improved?

What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision made by the group?

What conflicts have arisen within your group? How (if at all) have the conflicts been resolved? What role do you play in resolving these conflicts? What could you (or others) do to improve your group's ability to deal productively with conflict?

How do your meetings typically proceed? What do you accomplish and in how much time? What is effective about your group functioning during meetings? What changes would improve your meetings?

Who has emerged as the leader in your group? Which other roles do you see team members playing? Which role(s) do you play? Which role do you prefer and why?

Appendix B: "Are We a Team?" checklist (Levin & Kent, 2001)

Check off the statements that accurately represent your group. Be prepared to discuss your choices afterwards with your group. Also consider ways to improve your group's functioning, especially as it relates to the statements you did not check off.

We all show equal commitment to our objective.

We all take part in deciding how work should be allocated.

We are committed to helping each other learn.

We acknowledge good contributions from team members.

We handle disagreements and conflicts constructively within the team.

We are able to give constructive criticism to one another and to accept it ourselves.

We all turn up to meetings and stay to the end.

We are good at making sure that everyone knows what's going on.

When one of us is under pressure, others offer to help him or her.

We trust each other.

We remain united even when we disagree.

We support each other to outsiders.

We feel comfortable and relaxed with one another.

Resources and References

Bosworth, K. (1994). Developing Collaborative Skills in College Students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning,
59. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 25-31.

Breslow, L. (1998). Teaching Teamwork Skills, Part 2. Teach Talk, X, 5.

Hills, H. (2001). Team-Based Learning. Burlington, VT: Gower.

Levin, P. (2002). Teamwork tutoring: Helping students working on group projects to develop teamwork skills.

Levin, P., and Kent, I. (2001). Draft manual on teamwork tutoring: 28 questions and answers for academics on teamwork in universities.

Reynolds, M. (1994). Groupwork in Education and Training. London: Kogan Page.

Silberman, M. (1996). Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

More Resources

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Teamwork Skills: Being an Effective Group Member | Centre for Teaching Excellence

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Audio version of "Teamwork skills: Being an effective group member" tip sheet (MP3) For small groups to function effectively in a course context, students must attend to both the climate within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Critical to a healthy climate and an effective process are strong communication skills.

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Productive Work Places involve good work teams

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Productive Work Places involve good work teams

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There are several benefits for including group work in your class. Sharing these benefits with your students in a transparent manner helps them understand how group work can improve learning and prepare them for life experiences (Taylor 2011). The benefits of group work include the following:

Students engaged in group work, or cooperative learning, show increased individual achievement compared to students working alone. For example, in their meta-analysis examining over 168 studies of undergraduate students, Johnson et al. (2014) determined that students learning in a collaborative situation had greater knowledge acquisition, retention of material, and higher-order problem solving and reasoning abilities than students working alone. There are several reasons for this difference. Students' interactions and discussions with others allow the group to construct new knowledge, place it within a conceptual framework of existing knowledge, and then refine and assess what they know and do not know. This group dialogue helps them make sense of what they are learning and what they still need to understand or learn (Ambrose et al. 2010; Eberlein et al. 2008). In addition, groups can tackle more complex problems than individuals can and thus have the potential to gain more expertise and become more engaged in a discipline (Qin et al 1995; Kuh 2007). Group work creates more opportunities for critical thinking and can promote student learning and achievement.

Student group work enhances communication and other professional development skills. Estimates indicate that 80% of all employees work in group settings (Attle & Baker 2007). Therefore, employers value effective oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to work effectively within diverse groups (ABET 2016-2017; Finelli et al. 2011). Creating facilitated opportunities for group work in your class allows students to enhance their skills in working effectively with others (Bennett & Gadlin 2012; Jackson et al. 2014). Group work gives students the opportunity to engage in process skills critical for processing information, and evaluating and solving problems, as well as management skills through the use of roles within groups, and assessment skills involved in assessing options to make decisions about their group's final answer. All of these skills are critical to successful teamwork both in the classroom and the workplace.

References
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. Criteria for accrediting Engineering Programs (ABET), 2016-2017 http://www.abet.org/accreditation/accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accrediting-engineering-programs-2016-2017/

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., Lovett, M. C., DiPietro, M., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Attle, S., & Baker, B. 2007 Cooperative learning in a competitive environment: Classroom applications. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 77-83.

Bennett, L. M., & Gadlin, H. (2012). Collaboration and team science. Journal of Investigative Medicine, 60(5), 768-775.

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

Eberlein, T., Kampmeier, J., Minderhout, V., Moog, R. S., Platt, T., Varma‐Nelson, P., & White, H. B. (2008). Pedagogies of engagement in science. Biochemistry and molecular biology education, 36(4), 262-273.

Finelli, C. J., Bergom, I., & Mesa, V. (2011). Student teams in the engineering classroom and beyond: Setting up students for success. CRLT Occasional Papers, 29.

Jackson, D., Sibson, R., & Riebe, L. (2014). Undergraduate perceptions of the development of team-working skills. Education+ Training, 56(1), 7-20.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in University Teaching, 25(4), 1-26.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2007). Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Propositions, and Recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 32, Number 5. ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(5), 1-182.

Qin, Z., Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1995). Cooperative versus competitive efforts and problem solving. Review of educational Research, 65(2), 129-143.

Taylor, A. (2011). Top 10 reasons students dislike working in small groups... and why I do it anyway. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 39(3), 219-220.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. © 2016, Washington University.

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There are several benefits for including group work in your class. Sharing these benefits with your students in a transparent manner helps them understand how group work can improve learning and prepare them for life experiences (Taylor 2011). The benefits of group work include the following:

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Dr. Gambari, Amosa Isiaka Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna. E-mail: gambarii@yahoo.com; gambarisiaka@gmail.com; gambari...

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Teamwork Theory: Stages of Group Development 

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Teamwork Theory: Stages of Group Development 

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For many companies, when a project starts it will be staffed with a new team. Some of the team members may have worked with each other in previous projects, but as a whole, the team is new.

As the project manager for a newly formed team, you will want to help them get to an effective and high-performing state as quickly as possible. Understanding the stages of group development can help you build a cohesive team that gets results.

One of the most influential models of teamwork theory was developed in 1965 by Bruce Tuckman. His original model identified four stages that all groups pass through as they move from "newly formed" to "high-performance" teams. In 1977, he revised the model to include a fifth stage. Those stages are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Stages of Group Development

Forming

During the Forming stage, members of the project team meet each other and learn about the tasks they will need to perform. Team members will try to see how they fit in with each other and understand what is expected of them.

During this stage, it is critical for the project manager to provide structure and direction for the team. Clearly defining the project's objectives and making sure each team member understands their role and responsibilities will help you lead the team through this stage successfully.

Storming

The Storming stage is characterized by interpersonal issues such as conflict and polarization. During this stage it is common for team members to challenge each other, including the project manager! Team members will also question what they are doing and how it is being done.

As the project manager, this will likely be the most challenging time leading your project. Understanding that this type of conflict is normal for any team will help you pass through this stage successfully.

During this stage, some of the skills that will help you build your team are conflict management, active listening, and relationship building. It is also important for you to be assertive, confident, and positive during this stage, especially if some of the team members are challenging your leadership.

Norming

As conflicts become less intense and the team members begin to understand and accept each other, the team will gradually move into the Norming stage. It is during this stage that your team starts to come together and is able to focus more effectively on the project tasks and objectives.

During this stage, you will want to focus on keeping everyone moving in the right direction. Communication and constructive feedback will help you do this. You can continue your team building efforts by arranging social events with the team and making sure to give positive recognition to team members.

Performing

In the Performing stage, team members are comfortable with each other and group norms have been accepted. Interpersonal and structural issues have been settled and support task performance. Team synergy is high during this stage which results in high performance.

Now that the team is performing at a high level, you will be able to focus more of your energy on leadership activities and less on supervisory activities. This level of synergy amplifies the overall effectiveness of your project.

Adjourning

As the project comes to an end, the team moves into the Adjourning stage. At this point, the team has become very close and many of the team members will feel a sense of loss. For this reason, this stage is also known as the Mourning stage.

As the project manager, it is important that you arrange for a celebration to recognize the team's accomplishments. This will close the project on a positive note. Plus, you never know when you will work with some of these same people on a future project you are leading. They'll remember the recognition and appreciation you showed them on this project.

In Conclusion...

The Tuckman model is one of the most influential models of teamwork theory. Understanding its five stages of group development can help you develop a high performing project team.
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Teamwork Theory: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning

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For many companies, when a project starts it will be staffed with a new team. Some of the team members may have worked with each other in previous projects, but as a whole, the team is new. As the project manager for a newly formed team, you will want to help them get to an effective and high-performing state as quickly as possible.

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Active Learning Classrooms: Sharing responsibility for learning

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Teamwork Theory: Tuckman's Stages of Group Development
Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's "team stages model".
First developed in 1965, Tuckman's model is widely known as a basis for effective team building. Yet how many people really know how to use it?

Below we explain Tuckman's model and offer some fresh insights on how to take it further.

But before reading on why not take the chance to "team-up" with our great range of e-guides . The complete set is now available at half price!

You'll find advice, tips, tools and new models which you won't find anywhere else. You can read about the real benefits of our teams bundle in our article on team building activities. Or why not download your half price offer right now! You're in good company with satisfied customers from over 30 countries around the world. Click the image below to view some of our most popular e-guides:

Tuckman's model is significant because it recognizes the fact that groups do not start off fully-formed and functioning. He suggests that teams grow through clearly defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams.

Our e-guide: Build a Better Team, has been specifically designed to help you understand and use a team stages model. It contains a tool for each stage to help you build a high-performing team - as quickly as possible.

Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Tuckman describes working with a team of social psychologists, on behalf of the U.S. navy. The team studied small group behaviour, from several perspectives. In doing so, Tuckman reviewed 50 articles on group development and noticed that there were two features common to these small groups: the interpersonal or group structure, and the task activity. From this he identified that groups evolved into teams via four common stages.

Firstly an orientation, testing phase which often led to a period characterized by a degree of conflict. This then generally resolved itself, leading to a more socially cohesive phase. Finally, groups settled to a functional phase, during which they focused on role-relatedness. To summarize these four phases, Tuckman coined the oft-quoted terms: "forming", "storming", "norming" and "performing".

Tuckman's teamwork theory is best illustrated on a graph which shows the link between group relationships (the horizontal axis) and task focus (the vertical axis). The optimal or "performing" position is reached when relationships have developed within the group and it has started delivering with a clear focus on the task.

However, Tuckman's ideas clearly indicate that it takes time to reach the "performing" stage, and it's normal for these teams to go through ups and downs as they develop relationships. Particularly in the early period, which is perhaps why Tuckman called it the "storming" phase!

The 4 Phases of Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Forming:
The initial stage of team development during which individuals have not yet gelled together. Everybody is busy finding their place in the team, sizing each other up, and asking themselves why they are here! Find out more in our articles: Team Building Techniques and Teamwork Tips. The first offers advice on starting a new team while the second will help you take over an existing team (perhaps a far more common situation).

Storming:
People begin to see themselves as part of a team. However at this stage they may challenge each other, and the team leader, about such things as what the team is doing, and how things should be done. As the stage title suggests, conflict and confrontation typify this stage, as differences surface. This may result in some loss of performance or focus on the task, as the diagram illustrates.

Norming:
This is the phase where team members start to come together, developing processes, establishing ground rules, clarifying who does what, and how things will be done. This phase is characterized by a growing sense of "togetherness". Find out more about both the Storming and Norming phases in our article: Team Building Concepts.

Performing:
This is the final stage where increased focus on both the task, and on team relationships, combine to provide synergy. Performance is delivered through people working effectively together. We have written two articles to further develop this stage. Team Building in the Workplace will help you build a performing team. Characteristics of Effective Teamwork will help you and your team sustain that performance.

The value of Tuckman's model is that it helps us understand that teams evolve. It also helps us to consider how they may encounter different problems at different stages of their development.

One limitation of the model may be that it makes team building appear too linear and sequential. Although it's a useful analytical tool, we must remember that some teams may "loop" around in their development.

For example, not all teams evolve smoothly through Tuckman's stages but may yo-yo between norming and storming until they either begin to function, or are disbanded! Regardless of limitations, all well-conceived models can be useful in helping us to understand and better manage our circumstances.

Beyond Tuckman

Read our new book:

Uncommon Leadership: how to build competitive edge by thinking differently
"a tour de force ... all integrated into a fascinating intellectual package"

Professor Dennis J. Garritan, Adjunct Professor, Harvard University

Tuckman's famous phases are part of a teamwork theory based on stages of team development. His theory may have gained popularity partly due to the catchy labels for each of his stages.

However, it also provides a useful and simple way to think about how we humans interact in team situations. Firstly by illustrating that it's normal for teams go through stages as they develop. Secondly, by highlighting the need to manage different aspects of team behaviour at each stage of that development. The beauty and usefulness of Tuckman's model is perhaps in its simplicity.

Team development theories such, as Tuckman's group development stages, recognise that teams develop through different stages, from forming through to performing.

Whilst these theories give a useful understanding of different team requirements at different times, there are a number of questions that aren't particularly well answered by the models. For example:

How should you lead at the different stages of a team's development?

How do you identify when you are progressing through a stage?

How does the team develop in the organisational setting?

How is it affected by other outside influences?

The theory of group stages alone doesn't answer these questions. To do so, and thus to build a more robust teamwork concept, ideas about team leadership and outside factors need to be introduced. We've done just this in our STAR team performance model. You can see how this model applies to group stages in: Stages of Team Development.

This is the first of ten articles in our teamwork series. But for some practical tips on using teamwork theory, look at our great-value guides (below), or at our Team Building Exercises for all team stages.

Team Building Exercises and Team Stages

The exercises in this guide are grouped according to our team stages model. Remember, each team is unique and needs to be led through several developmental stages. These include:
Creating a new team or taking over an existing team

Exercise 1: Being a TEAM together

Exercise 2: True or false

Exercise 3: Who does what in a team?

Exercise 4: Getting the mix right

Exercise 5: Doing something for the first time

Exercise 6: Two years from now

Developing a team

Exercise 7: A clearer vision

Exercise 8: Mad, sad or glad

Exercise 9: Seeing the bigger picture

Exercise 10: Positive feedback

Exercise 11: Conflicting views

Performing and achieving results with a team

Exercise 12: Did you notice?

Exercise 13: Limiting beliefs

Sustaining team performance

Exercise 14: Scarce resources

Exercise 15: Keeping going

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Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's "team stages model". First developed in 1965, Tuckman's model is widely known as a basis for effective team building. Yet how many people really know how to use it? Below we explain Tuckman's model and offer some fresh insights on how to take it further.

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Accountability is the primary practice that will make collaboration a success. After all, if no one is held accountable for the practices that emerge from the collaborative group, then collaboration was a complete failure.

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videos of sharing responsibility in the classroom - Bing video

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education, a shared responsibility - Bing video

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Responsibility Song Responsibility Videos for Students Magic School Bus Responsibility Responsibility at Work Responsibility Rap Personal Responsibility Thomas Responsibility Responsibility as You Grow Responsibility Cartoon Responsibility of a Car Be Responsible Responsibility Dishi and Sammy the Squirrel Accountability Cartoons

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Student Accountability: 5 Fast Ways to Keep Kids on Track

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Student Accountability: 5 Fast Ways to Keep Kids on Track

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School may not be a paid position for students, but the positive habits formed by students today are a good investment in their future.

Holding students accountable for their school work isn't about being a "mean teacher." It is about teaching students life lessons and helping them understand responsibility. The classroom is the perfect place to learn responsible work habits as well as content.

Here are a few simple ways to lead students toward increased accountability:

Create a Paper Trail
I begin the year with two documents: a course outline and an ethics policy. The course outline provides an up front look at expectations, consequences and the general curriculum of my class. The ethics policy makes a frank statement about cheating of any sort and outlines consequences for such actions. Both are signed by the student and a parent. Both provide upfront expectations about actions and consequences and provide valuable evidence during parent-teacher conferences. There are no surprises when, for example, a student loses points for a late assignment or copied homework.

During the school year, students are expected to hand in something every time work is due. If they do not have the assigned homework, they must fill out an excuse slip and hand that in. This half sheet requires students to put their excuse in writing, creating documentation for their missing work.

Communicate with Kids
Try to always speak to students first and document it. One of the small steps in keeping students at the forefront of responsibility is to make them the targeted audience for concerns. Follow up your conversation with documented communication to the parent. Students often become more responsible when they know they cannot play parents and teachers against one another.

Take Advantage of Technology
Technology has become my greatest ally in making students more responsible. I encourage students to email me with questions or concerns. I use Google Docs which allows the sharing of files for handing out and handing in assignments. I maintain a class website where I post homework, important information and link printable handouts. My students learn early on that I make exactly enough copies. If a student loses a paper, and it is available on my website, they are responsible for obtaining a new one.

Many schools now offer the option for students and parents to view assignments and grades online. Each student is assigned a log on and password which enables parents and students to see a students' latest marks. When a student wants to know "What am I missing?", I steer him or her to the "Portal", as it is called at my school. I send the same message to parents, "Tell Johnny to check his Portal." The program my school uses allows me to tag assignments with such attributes as "late" or "incomplete" further explaining a low or missing mark.
Turn Up the Volume on Student Voice
A colleague of mine insists that students call their parents as consequence for incidents of cheating, repeated disruption, or other behavior that interrupts instruction. She stands by as students make the call and speaks to the parent after the confession has been made. This idea puts the focus on the student as the cause for the behavior and helps him / her take ownership of the behavior.

When parents email or call about missing work, I ask them to direct their student my way for a conversation. It's not the parents' education and I want students to come to me about their work. I want to teach my students to communicate with me, even if by email, regarding questions or concerns.

Give Points for Participation
Involved students are invested students. Students who are invested are usually more tuned into their educational responsibilities. Give kids points toward their averages for participation and effort - coming to class on time, being prepared, productive group work and speaking up in class. Awarding points for positive actions helps students to be responsible for their own success. In order to document points, I cover a class seating chart in a plastic page protector and use an overhead marker to keep track of participation during a class period - an idea I gained from a Kelly Gallagher workshop.

As most of us approach the half way mark of the school year, we should think about incorporating ways to empower our students; ideas that help them learn to be more responsible. Responsibility is one of the most valuable lessons students can learn in school.
How do you empower students and encourage responsibility? Share in the comments section!

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Student Accountability: 5 Fast Ways to Keep Kids on Track

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School may not be a paid position for students, but the positive habits formed by students today are a good investment in their future. Holding students accountable for their school work isn't about being a "mean teacher." It is about teaching students life lessons and helping them understand responsibility.

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Another way to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment is to go over the responsibilities and roles of each student. Make sure the students are clear about what the task is at hand and how they can break up the assignment so everyone is held accountable for a piece of the final product. Without accountability the team will not succeed to their highest potential.

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Furthermore, making sure that students are using their time as effectively as possible is crucial. Part of being an effective group member is understanding that their is a certain amount of time given out to complete an assignment and the students must use that time in the most productive way possible. If one students finishes up their responsibility in the assignment earlier than another they can help that teammate out with something they are struggling in. It's all about the end result of the group not the individual.

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One way to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment is to make sure that they all have the right attitude going forward on the assignment. If one student is confused or doesn't feel like doing their fair share of the assignment the whole group can be negatively affected. Keep the students positive!