Making Groups

Devi_Dwi_Rahayu · Oct 12, 2014

The same students always seem to sit and work together. usually the teacher want to form groups in more interesting or more useful ways.
Does the teacher have the right to decide who should or shouldn't work together? if one learner prefers to work with particular other people, should we respect that?

emsr2d2 · Jan 18, 2015

Devi_Dwi_Rahayu said:
The same students always seem to sit and work together. usually the teacher want to form groups in more interesting or more useful ways.
Does the teacher have the right to decide who should or shouldn't work together? if one learner prefers to work with particular other people, should we respect that?

As far as I am concerned, the teacher is in charge of the class in every respect. I would discourage students from always working with the same people. They can become complacent. Mix the groups up in every class.

Tdol · Jan 19, 2015

Yes, the teacher has that right, but there may be times when not exercising the right makes sense. How good are the person's reasons for wanting to work with certain people?

reveluod · Feb 8, 2015

Hey all.

I'd have to agree that the teacher should make the final decision about group forming. That decision could be either the mixing and matching of the different pairs or groups or it could be allowing the students to choose themselves. In either case, though, the teacher should make that decision, not the students.

I, myself, did not allow students to create their own pairs or groups. All pair work and group work was done through random selection, usually through the use of playing cards. Pairs of cards were presented to students (if there were ten students, then there were five pairs of cards) with a carnie-voiced "pick-a-card-any-card" and then students had to find the other person who had the same number. For uneven groups, there would naturally be a trio. Sometimes a student worked with the same partner as the day before, usually, he/she did not.

Allowing the random cards to pair up the students removes all choice, both from the teacher and the students. No favoritism, no odd-man-out that never gets chosen because he/she isn't liked. It's quick and fair and allows the class to get on with the pair work exercise at hand.

peace,
revel.

Making Groups

Devi_Dwi_Rahayu

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emsr2d2

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Tdol

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reveluod

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