Group Work Inside the Classrooms

Group work might be one of the hardest task a teacher can ask her students to do, if the teacher is not aware of the way to start a group work inside the classroom. In this post I'd like to talk about my experience in group work and what helped me make it a successful one. According to me any lesson or activity can be taught in groups.My students usuallyunderstand better when I ask them to work in groups and this always reminds me of  Benjamin Franklin's quote "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn". students work better and give great results when they are involved in the work they are supposed to do. If you stand in front of them for decades and give them they same information, or you asked them to find it out through a group work, they'll perform better in their groups, they'll come to a better result and they'll understand more. Here are some steps to make the group work experience a successful and an enjoyable one:      

• Assign each group members before coming to class and in this avoid best friends and worst enemies in the same group. 

• Explain what you want your students to do before assigning your groups, so students won't waste time gossiping with their group members. 

• Assign the role of each group member so students won't fight for their roles. You know better who should take each part/role according to their different abilities. Of course you wouldn't give a hard part for a low achiever.

• keep track on their work while working, walk among them and ask for any questions and clarification.

• Make sure every person in the group is working, and that they are not throwing their tasks on each others.

• Provide your students with positive feedback and help them feel responsible. 

Group working is really tiring to be prepared and accomplished, but very beneficial for both the teacher and the students, because students understand better when they work.