DevelopingEffectiveClassroomGroups ByGeneStanford
SharedbyValerieShaw [email protected]
GROUPBUILDINGACTIVITIES Stage1:Orientation
Learningnames:
NametagsorNameplatesHavestudentswearnametagsorhavenameplatesontheir desktohelplearnnames.NameplateissheetofcardstockfoldedintoaV.Nameplates workwellforrandomlyassigninggroupsinlateractivities. SelfIntroductionsHavestudentsintroducethemselveswhileclassmemberswritedown theirnamesandonethingtheylearnedaboutthem. NameChainSitorstandinacircle.Eachpersonsaystheirownnameandthenrepeats thenamesalreadyintroduced. Whoareyourneighbors?Studentssitinacircle.Personinthemiddlewalksuptoone personandasks,Whoareyourneighbors?Ifthestudentcantanswercorrectlythen thatpersonisit.Iftheplayeranswerscorrectly,thenthepersoninthemiddleasks,Do youwantnewneighbors?Iftheanswerisno,theplayermustnametwopeoplewho havetochangeplaceswhilethepersoninthemiddletriestostealoneoftheirseats.Ifthe answerisyes,thenalloftheplayersmustchangeseats.Thelastpersonupisnowit.
Getacquaintedactivities:
Studentscansharewithonestudent,smallgroups,orthewholeclass.*Note:beginwithless threateningactivitiesuntilstudentsaremorecomfortablesharingpersonalinformationabout themselves. ClassInterviews(20questions)Theclassinterviewseachstudentandteacheroneata timefindoutwhatkindofpersontheyare.Thepersoncansaynocommentiftheywish. Iusedthisactivitywithdatingtoreinforcegettingtoknowsomeonebeforeaskingthem out.Itwouldalsoworkwellwithothertopicsortofillthelast5minutesofclass. RoundRobinHaveeachmemberoftheclass(includingtheteacher)answeroneormore questionsaboutthemselves.Youcandoallofthequestionsatonce,orspacethemout overseveraldays.Iusedthisactivitywiththefriendshipunit,butitwouldworkwithany topic.Seehandoutforsamplequestions. DoubleCirclesDividetheclassinhalf.Makeequalcircleswitheachpersonintheinside circlefacingonepersonintheoutsidecircle.Jointhecircleifthereisanoddnumberof students.Havestudentsmeettheirpartnerandansweraquestion.Thenrotatethe outsidecircleoneperson,introduce,andaskanotherquestion.Studentsmaypassifthey dontwanttoanswerthequestion.Iusedthisactivitywiththe8developmentaltasks. Seehandout.
Getacquaintedactivitiescontinued:
ArtProjectsHavestudentsmakeacollage,trademark,orcoatofarmsaboutthemselves andthensharewithoneperson,smallgroups,orthewholegroup. Iam...list.Studentslist10thingsthattheyareandshareoneormorewiththeclass.I usedthisactivitywhenwetalkedaboutseniorstocomparesimilaritiesanddifferences. VotingQuestionsHavetheclasssitinacircle.AskHowmanyofyou...?Thenhave studentsraisehandsorputthumbsup/downtovote.Iusedthisactivitywithfamilytrends toseehowstudentsfeltondifferentissues.Seehandout. ForcedChoiceStudentsansweraquestionbymovingtoadifferentpartoftheroom.I usedthisactivitywhenItalkedaboutbirthorder.Oldest,middle,andyoungestwentto differentpartsoftheroomanddiscussedtheprosandconsoftheirbirthorder. SecondhandDescriptionHavestudentsworkwithapartneranddescribethemselvesas theythinkanotherpersonwoulddescribethem.Forexample,Howwouldyourparents describeyou?Itwouldalsoworkfromthepointofviewoffriend,brother/sister, grandparent,date,etc.
Trustbuildingactivities:
*Note:besurestudentsarewellacquaintedbeforedoingtheseactivities. SeekingalliesHavestudentsnameanothermemberofthegroupthattheythinktheyare mostsimilarto.Studentsmayormaynotexplainhowtheyarethesame.Iusedthis activitywithfriendship. ImaginingreactionsHavethegroupsitinacircle.Haveeachpersonthinkofasecretthat theyhave.(Thesecretwontbeshared.)Havestudentsimaginewhatthereactionofthe groupwouldbeiftheyhadjusttoldtheirsecret.Havewillingstudentsdiscusshowthey thinktheclasswouldrespond.Talkaboutbuildingtrustandrespectforeachother. IdealReactionsHaveclasssitinacircle.Haveeachstudentanswerthisquestion:What couldthepeopleinthegroupdotomakeyoufeelmorecomfortabletotalkinfrontof themaboutthingsthatareimportanttoyou?Encouragespecificanswers. PerformanceGivestudentsalistofembarrassingactivitiesandhavethemratethemin theorderthattheyaremostwillingtodothem.Discussstudentschoicesandwhythey chosethem.Seehandout.
DoubleCircles
ThesequestionsgoalongwithHavinghursts8developmentaltasks 1. Doyoutalkproblemsoutwithyourfriendsoristherealotofdrama? 2. Shouldmomsworkorstayhomewiththeirkids? 3. Ifyoucouldchangeonethingaboutyourbody,whatwouldyouchange? 4. Doyoumakedecisionsbasedonyourfamily,yourfriends,oryourself? 5. Doyouwanttogetmarriedandhavechildren? 6. Whatcareerareyouinterestedinsomeday? 7. Whatisagoalyouhaveforyourfuture? 8. Doyoufeellikeyouareveryresponsible,somewhatresponsible,ornotveryresponsibleat all? Youcanstartoutwithsomeoftheseeasierquestionstohelpstudentsfeelmorecomfortable. Wherewereyouborn? Whendidyoumovehere? Ifyoucouldlivesomewhereelse,wherewoulditbe? WhatisyourfavoriteTVshow? Whoisyourbestfriend? Whatwouldyoubuyifyouhad$50tospend? Ifyoucouldchangeyourname,whatwoulditbe? Whatisonethingthatmakesyouhappy?
RoundRobinIdeasforquestions
Whatisonethingthatotherpeoplelikeaboutyou? Howareyoudifferentfrommostpeopleyourage? Whatdoyouvaluethemost? Whatwillyoubeliketenyearsfromnow? Howhaveyouchangedmostsincelastyear? Whatwasatimewhenyouwerehappy?angry?hurt?,etc. Whointhisgroupareyoumostsimilarto? Whointhisgroupcaninfluenceyoumost? Whatsonethingittakescourageforyoutodo? Whocanyoutalktowhenyouhaveproblems?
Votingquestions
Studentsanswerwiththefollowing: Yes,verymuchraisehandsandwavethemaround Yes,moderatelyraisehands UndecidedORdontwanttosaysitwitharmsfolded No,moderatelythumbsdown No,verymuchthumbsdown,movinghandsbackandforthrapidly. IdeasforquestionsforFamilyTrends: Howmanyofyouwanttogetmarried? Howmanyofyouthinkitisokaytolivetogetherbeforeyougetmarried?Notokay? Howmanyofyouwanttogetmarriedwhenyouare18?earlytwenties?latetwenties? later?Never? Howmanyofyouwantkids?Morethan2kids?Morethan4kids? Howmanyofyoulivewithasingleparent? Howmanyofyouthinkthatsingleparentscandoitallbythemselves? Howmanyofyouhavedivorcedparents? Howmanyofyouthinkthatwhenparentsdivorceitisthekidsfault?Theparentsfault? Howmanyofyouthinkitisimportanthaveagoodfatherinyourlife? Howmanyofyouthinkthatastepfatherorothermalescanfilltheroleofafather? Howmanyofyouthinkthatblendedfamiliesarejustasstrongastraditionalfamilies? Howmanyofyouthinkthatyouhavearesponsibilitytoyourselfandyourfuturechildren forthechoicesyoumakenow?
Performance
Instructions:Numbertheactivitiesonthislistfrom17intheorderthatyouwouldmostprefer doinginfrontofthegroup.1=mostpreferred7=leastpreferred _____Imitatethecrowingofarooster. _____Givea2minutetalkaboutyourbestqualities. _____Doasilentpantomimeofaverysleepypersonwashingtheirfaceinthemorning. _____Givea2minutetalkonwhatyoulikemostaboutyourclassmates. _____Shareanurseryrhyme,song,orpoemyourememberfromyourchildhood. _____Balanceabookonyourheadandwalkacrosstheroom. _____Chooseashortpassagefromanybookintheclassroomtoreadaloud.
