The Benefits at School and Beyond

By facilitating collaborative group work many beneficial skills are developed that extend beyond the walls of the school.

Staff develops camaraderie and positive communication networks.

Students learn to delegate, disseminate, and share.

By creating an atmosphere that supports collaborative group work everyone benefits and is more engaged.

One person can’t make a team, but one person can break a team.

We’ve all been part of groups where one person took on the brunt of the work or wanted to take credit for it all. An unbalanced group can make for an unpleasant experience – and a distaste for collaboration. However, group work offers an irreplaceable learning experience. And, one that is important as working with others is a skill that needs to be practiced and honed.

Most occupations require you to be part of a team and developing those skills early and modeling them to students as a teacher is important. Therefore, approaching group work needs to be done thoughtfully.

Check Out These 5 Simple Steps for Effective Collaborative Group Work

1.Model

Show the groups what it means to be a good listener and collaborator by demonstrating those skills with them. Give them the model of how to be a contributing and supportive group member by being one for them – whether that is in the classroom or the staffroom.

2. Get Clear on Responsibilities & Expectations

Developing ground rules and norms, expectations and responsibilities from the start helps to establish the working environment that will be the most benefitcial and productive for everyone.

3. Teach How to Break up Tasks

Seeing the big picture and then break it into pieces so that each member of the group plays an intregal skill in developing and completing the goal is a key part of collaborative group work and one that has benefits far past the school walls.

4. Monitor Progress

Keeping track of the work being done is an important part of collaborative group work. Knowing where everyone is at, whether it is someone within the group who is tasked with keeping track of progress or a facilitator who is rotating amongst multiple groups, helps to motivate and engage the group.

5. Bring it Back Together

Effective collaborative group work always has some sort of culminating piece. Whether that is an activity such as a presentation or performance or a product such as a publication or video, understanding where the end needs to be helps everyone within the group stay focused and motivated toward the same goal.

Collaborative Group Work in School

The same benefits (and more) holds true when the principles of collaborative group work are applied to teachers and staff members in a school. Working together and learning the basic skills of collaboration are key pieces in creating a community and culture of support. In a school that places priority on teacher resilience, collaboration can be a powerful tool to develop a shared sense of ownership and positive morale.

You can read more tips and ideas about teacher resilience in the book Joy in Teaching: A Research-Based Framework of Action for Educators.