How to Address Group Work With Middle School Students
Children of middle school age are at a fascinating stage of their development. They are becoming more independent, and this extends to the way they work in class. The teacher can sometimes stand back and be the facilitator, while the children interact and cooperate with each other to achieve goals. M. Lee Manning, however, urged caution when considering middle school children's level of maturity. A child may seem grown up in many ways, not the least of which is his physical development, but the child may be immature in other respects. The teacher can help the child develop both socially and academically by encouraging group work.
Instructions
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Discuss the meaning of group work with the children. Turn this into an experiential learning session. Organize the students into groups. Distribute pens and charts. Ask each group to write a few sentences about the meaning of group work. They could also write a few short sentences about the benefits of group work. Combine the answers into a display to put on the wall.
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Assign the children tasks to do. Vary the activities, so that they learn to work according to their strengths. You could, for instance, ask a group to prepare a display on the Civil War. Some members of the group may be good at art work, whereas others may enjoy doing the research. Observe how well they distribute the workload and how well they cooperate and interact.
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Prepare for some of the common difficulties. Children of this age are not yet skilled at working in this way, although some may seem to do it well. You may find that some children stay in the background, some dominate and others seem to do all the work. Intervene tactfully at the first sign of trouble. Ideally, help the children to find their own way through these difficulties. This prepares them well for the world of further education and work.
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References
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