Re: peers working together

[Kruchma@aol.com]

Hi, Deb,
 
I have not yet read the whole thread, since I have just "rescued" my  
middle-lit posts from my spam folder--but you may try modeling the kind of  
cooperative, problem-solving behavior you expect with three of your students  that you 
have prepped to fishbowl this process.   You could also see  about getting a 
few students from last year to join you for this modeling,  because your class 
will immediately see older kids that they look up to---also,  ask the fishbowl 
members to talk a little about their processes in  listening, responding, 
using resources, and in developing a sense of team.   Coming from the big kids is 
big motivation to emulate that behavior.  Plus,  the eighth graders will 
probably be more than happy to help.  Of course,  you have to work that out with 
your colleagues.  About fifteen minutes or  so should do it.  
 
I am sure you are already doing this, Deb, but be sure to make your  
expectations clear.  I like to post these on an overhead and keep them on,  or write 
them on the board or on a poster that is easily seen by all.  
 
You can break up the smaller tasks in a group and ask students to stop and  
report out on their progress at specific points.  
 
Also--and this is BIG---you can think-aloud your own processes as  you work 
to solve a problem.  Be sure to discuss the usual blocks when  working with 
peers,  such as team members being off-task (and how to pull  them in), and be 
sure to rotate facilitators within groups for each day.  I  like to sit in with 
groups and stay a few minutes, re-directing only if I see  they are not 
working out their glitches.  Sometimes it takes a while.   I like to sit in on all 
groups, not just the naughty ones.  I  also recommend that you use a lot of 
positive reinforcement as well  as some light humor to redirect---my favorite 
thing to say when there  was/is whining (adults don't always get along, either!) 
is,  "That's  nice--now get back to work!"  Always with a smile.  Of course, 
if  there's inappropriate behavior, I would stop it at once, but I don't like 
to  single out students in front of their peers.  An occasional  well-placed 
note with a request to assist you with a task or make a trip to  the office for 
you serves to re-direct even the sarcastic gems in class!
 
Just some general ideas.  E-mail me off-list, and I will send you some  
specific lesson ideas once I know what your topic/theme of study is and how that  
relates to the bigger picture of what you hope to accomplish.  
 
Mary Anna Kruch, Ph.D.
President-Elect,  Michigan Council of Teachers of English
K-12 Writing & Literacy  Consultant

kruchma@aol.com

P.O. Box 561
Williamston, MI 48895
517-655-1633

"If  education is to be done expertly, it must be done by the teachers 
themselves who  as experts use their own knowledge and understandings to define in 
particular  pedagogic situations the problems that are worth solving and  
soluble....education cannot be exercised mechanistically or according to  
prescribed programs and algorithms." (p. 33)

Donna H. Kerr in The  Ecology of School Renewal, John I. Goodlad, Ed.  (1987)



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