Forest Street Community School

"Through others we become ourselves." - Lev Vygotsky

Supporting Student Collaboration in the Classroom

Support student collaboration in your classroom by including student groupings and lesson design, background skills students need to work well with others, community norms for collaboration, and technology and tools that support group work. 

Let's teach our students to successfully work together to discuss ideas, build community, and solve problems.

Collaborative Classrooms Support Social-Emotional Learning

The central elements of cooperative learning are (Johnson & Johnson, 1989)

• Positive interdependence: When students understand that their success depends on the success of the group, they will take the time to help one another master the material. This builds social awareness and motivates students who may be used to achieving below their potential.
• Individual and group accountability: Students must also be held accountable both for their own learning and the group work, which promotes self-management, social awareness and responsible decision-making.
• Promotion of others' success: The teacher helps students develop relationship skills by encouraging students to celebrate one another's efforts and brainstorming positive ways to support peers who are struggling. It is also beneficial to model and have students practice negotiating the specific encounters within their group. For example, the teacher may ask students to brainstorm ideas for how they might appropriately respond to a teammate who is getting off task.
• Group processing: As students take on more responsibility for their own learning, have them discuss and reflect on how they are doing as a group to guide their participation and promote responsible decision-making.