Strategy 5: Intentional Grouping and Community Building
Forming effective groups starts with understanding what each student brings to the table, including their prior knowledge, their working preferences, and their personalities. While it is possible to create groups that work well together, there is no such thing as a perfect group. It is also important to regularly change group membership so students have opportunities to learn from the diverse perspectives of different classmates. We also cannot expect new groups to function smoothly right away. Students need time and support to build rapport before jumping into complex tasks. Simple activities like icebreakers, quick team-building games, or reflection prompts can help groups establish trust and comfort, setting them up for stronger collaboration. Here are a few quick activities teachers can use to help new groups connect: - Two Truths and a Stretch: Each student shares two true facts about themselves and one “stretch” (a goal, dream, or wish). Group guesses which is which.
- Common Ground: Groups have 2 minutes to find three things everyone in the group has in common (not school-related). Share out one with the class.
- Would You Rather?: Pose a fun question like “Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet robot?” Group members take turns answering and explaining why.
- Team Name + Logo: Groups brainstorm a team name and sketch a quick logo or symbol on a sticky note or whiteboard.
- Choose a collaborative stoke from the Stanford d.School’s Stoke Deck.
When teachers are intentional about how groups are formed and give students time to build rapport, they create the foundation for stronger collaboration. A few minutes spent connecting at the start can lead to more trust, better communication, and more productive teamwork.
Let's see this strategy in practice with Ms. Roberts
After noticing struggles in her table groups, Ms. Roberts decides to be more intentional about how students are grouped for their science project. She looks at what each student already knows about environmental issues, considers their working styles, and then creates new groups that bring a mix of strengths and perspectives together.
In Practice with Ms. Roberts
Before the new groups dive back into their project, Ms. Roberts gives them time to build rapport. She starts with a quick team-building activity: each group shares one fun fact about themselves and then works together to create a group “team name” and logo. The activity only takes a few minutes, but it helps students relax, laugh, and feel more connected. With that foundation of trust in place, the groups are better prepared to collaborate productively on their carbon footprint solutions.
Image Credit: Allison Shelley for EDUimages
[old] Collaboration - Strategy 5
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Transcript
Strategy 5: Intentional Grouping and Community Building
Forming effective groups starts with understanding what each student brings to the table, including their prior knowledge, their working preferences, and their personalities. While it is possible to create groups that work well together, there is no such thing as a perfect group. It is also important to regularly change group membership so students have opportunities to learn from the diverse perspectives of different classmates. We also cannot expect new groups to function smoothly right away. Students need time and support to build rapport before jumping into complex tasks. Simple activities like icebreakers, quick team-building games, or reflection prompts can help groups establish trust and comfort, setting them up for stronger collaboration. Here are a few quick activities teachers can use to help new groups connect:
- Two Truths and a Stretch: Each student shares two true facts about themselves and one “stretch” (a goal, dream, or wish). Group guesses which is which.
- Common Ground: Groups have 2 minutes to find three things everyone in the group has in common (not school-related). Share out one with the class.
- Would You Rather?: Pose a fun question like “Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet robot?” Group members take turns answering and explaining why.
- Team Name + Logo: Groups brainstorm a team name and sketch a quick logo or symbol on a sticky note or whiteboard.
- Choose a collaborative stoke from the Stanford d.School’s Stoke Deck.
When teachers are intentional about how groups are formed and give students time to build rapport, they create the foundation for stronger collaboration. A few minutes spent connecting at the start can lead to more trust, better communication, and more productive teamwork.Let's see this strategy in practice with Ms. Roberts
After noticing struggles in her table groups, Ms. Roberts decides to be more intentional about how students are grouped for their science project. She looks at what each student already knows about environmental issues, considers their working styles, and then creates new groups that bring a mix of strengths and perspectives together.
In Practice with Ms. Roberts
Before the new groups dive back into their project, Ms. Roberts gives them time to build rapport. She starts with a quick team-building activity: each group shares one fun fact about themselves and then works together to create a group “team name” and logo. The activity only takes a few minutes, but it helps students relax, laugh, and feel more connected. With that foundation of trust in place, the groups are better prepared to collaborate productively on their carbon footprint solutions.
Image Credit: Allison Shelley for EDUimages