Getting a Grip on Group Work

We all know that when students collaborate, they learn and remember more.  (See article from Edutopia here.)  We also know that when students collaborate they talk more, are more off topic and have more room for off task behavior.  Because of this, some of us shy away from group work.  While avoiding group work may give you more control in the classroom, it is not the answer.  Here are some steps to help you get a grip on group work:

1.  Pick a Partner:  Put your students in teacher-selected pairs.  Here you offer them some collaborative opportunities but you also maintain control with small grouping and by hand selecting partners.  Partner work gives you the opportunity to do such activities as Turn-and-Talk and Think-Pair-Share.  As time moves on your can expand your partnerships to groups of three or more.
2. Give a Guide:  Nothing invites students to exhibit off task behavior more than loose guidelines, so provide steps for their group work.  You can do this with a To Do list, a checklist or a list of instructions, guiding your students’ collaborative work in terms of task completion. Your list should be specific enough to address the various tasks that need to be completed and what to do if they finish early.
3. Sit in a Session:  Just because your students are working collaboratively does not mean you can’t join in.  Sit in on one of their sessions for a few minutes—ask questions, make comments, provide advice and/or just listen in.  This shows your students how important collaboration is to you.  Furthermore, all groups will focus on the task so that they are prepared for their sit-in session with you.
4. Note your Noticings:  When you are not sitting in on group work, walk around with a clipboard or your tablet and take notes about how the groups are performing.  This will help you give feedback, provide anecdotes for wrap up AND keep your students on task.  Even if you aren’t taking notes about the students, pretend that you are, shadowing a group with your clipboard will ensure that they are focused.
5. Positive Praise:  Use positive praise to let your class know what you like (and notice) about their collaborative work.  Give specific examples and share with the whole class, not just an individual or a group.  Say, “I really like the way this group is…” or "I am so impressed with this group's....".  Doing this will encourage other groups to mimic the behavior.      
6. Delegate the Duty:  Assign roles to each group member.  This can be done one of two ways.  First you can assign the roles based on the ability and strengths of each student in a group or you can allow for students to choose their role.  Giving students a job that is their responsibility will let each member contribute to the group’s overall success. 
7. Create a Calling: If your students are going to be in these groups for more than one day, ask them to take some times to pick a group name.  If time allows, consider having your students make a poster or banner for their group, displaying the group name and a logo or symbol.  This gives your students ownership over the group and fosters some underlying competition between groups, which increases motivation.