If not us, who?

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I read an article recently that talked about the importance of kids learning to work together.  Several years ago I read in U.S. News and World Report that the # 1 request of Fortune 500 CEO’s is that their hirees know how to work with other people effectively; not to be good spellers, good communicators, good writers, reading on grade level, but to work well with others.  This got me thinking…if we don’t teach them these skills in school, where will they get them? 

You don’t learn this in families, typically. I was an only child so I know I didn’t get that training at home.  I learned to obey and negotiate and occasionally whine, but not how to get along with my peers.  Even in families with siblings, getting along might mean staying out of each other’s way for the most part, not working together to achieve a common goal.

There is on the job training but from my experience in the classroom, these skills are complicated, require a great deal of ongoing practice, and greatly improve with specific feedback about what’s going right and what needs improvement.  What company is set up that way? 

When I began this school year, I was determined that cooperative learning was going to be a cornerstone of my instruction.  Teaching six different classes on three different levels meant that the students were going to need to help each other when I wasn’t available.  I didn’t think 7th graders would like it, really.  That whole boy/girl awkwardness and kids feeling self conscious 24/7 doesn’t really lend itself to group camaraderie. 

I was wrong to doubt them. Here’s how I know.  The kids have been in colored coded teams since the beginning of school  The first week and a half, they could sit where they wished (until I got to know them better) and then I placed them in 2 girl/2 boy teams wherever possible.  My class of 17 boys and 2 girls is the exception.  I will NEVER split up those two girls! 🙂 

 If one of the members does something great, they get points for their team.  When one of the boys brainstormed a list for writing of ‘The Ten Greatest Steelers of All Time’ he got 10,000 bonus points for his team.  Do something kind for a teammate = points.  Say encouraging words to your team = points.  Clean up your team area = points.  Here’s the thing, though, they haven’t even asked what the points are for!  That tells me that the team is the important part.  I think maybe building the future workforce is the important part.  And it’s really, really fun, too…