Teaching Teamwork
What are some of the techniques that you use in the classroom that promote teamwork and help the students to further develop their soft skills.
We engage in many role playing activities in my classes. I create scenarios or career related problems that may arise on the job and assign one to each group. Each group member plays the part of therapist, client, or any other role involved in the scenario, and acts out the resolution in front of the class. It is a fun and memorable way to problem solve, and allows for their classmates to offer their ideas as well.
Role Playing is extremely effective. Do we ever allow students to come with the scenarios for the role playing activities to see what they would come up with? Might be interesting to see what they interpret as opposed to the instructor.
Depending on the course we are in, I sometimes have my students come up with case studies or scenarios and exchange them with their classmates. As part of the assignment,they also have to offer solutions to the scenario they created, and compare them to the solutions of the classmate assigned to their scenario. This gives them the opportunity to be the instructor as to offering what they feel the solutions should be, and discussing them with their classmates.
We develop a phone buddy system to keep informed anyone who misses a class. They exchange tel. numbers with 2 or 3 others who will keep each other up to date so noone in their small group falls behind.
In class the partnering or small groups work really well (MATH!!!) and it's wonderful to see the one on one tutoring that takes place because the all want everyone around them to be successful!!!
Role playing in Math might be a little more challenging......Who'd want to be the decimal point!!!????
How do they like the decimal point role play? That is a great way to get them out of their seats and applying the material they are learning.
Having assignment development that will force them to participate in a team environment.
I have found asking students to exchange projects with another and take it as their own for a certain amount time helps develop a sense of empathy and care for something that is not theirs.
They have to examine it and develop it and eventually present it as if it their own work.
Thus it gives them an understanding of "walking in someone else's shoes" or working on someone else is project with the respect and care that they would give to their own work.
Alexander,
That is an interesting example. What are ways it has not worked? If someone else wants to try this it might be nice to see what issues you ran into and sharing them for others.
We teach semi truck driving and students are placed in groups of four. The students will work together and each day they rotate their duties. One person does the pre-trip and the next marks it on the paper while the other two have different paperwork to keep the others in order and proper procedure.
I teach a lot of clinical skills. And one way that I promote teamwork is having them practice skills together so they can improve together. It works very well in a clinical setting. I do find it hard though to encorporate teamwork into a traditional classroom lecture. I try to give classwork that can be completed in a group, which speeds up the time it takes, to encourage teamwork behavior.
Teaching communication skills for effective feedback and peer review. Project presentations are peer reviewed, I ask students to list things about the presentation that inspired them, what they learned from that presentation, what were the other student's gifts? Also students are asked to offer feedback on what they feel the other student could improve upon. I encourage students to use loving kindness and have an attitude that you're trying to make the other student a better therapist. I remind students no one is tryng to hurt their feelings, we are all trying to improve performance; which will ultimately lead to better job productivity.
Working with one or two individuals that they wouldn't normally work with on a small or class activity. I know a longterm project can be difficult to pair some people with, but usually most anyone can work together and benefit in the short term.
I allow students to get in small groups and discuss further the topic of the day and have them hear how others learn and complete tasks such as studying for a test or organizing a project to hand in
I usually have students ask each other questions about the content we've just learned. That way I can not only find out the weak areas students may have, but also promote the teamwork learning style.
Xin,
Sounds like it could be rolled into a review activity as well.
I have found that group project are a great way to exercise and improved the soft skills of students. The trick is to create projects where the load is distributed evenly among the team members and the students are excited and inspired to work together. This is of course easier said than done, but I have found if they come up with grou/team names and goals together on the first day or even do a briefly interview of one another to get to know one another better it builds a better sese of team than just tossing them into a project.
I like the idea of exchanging projects and especially presenting to help students gain a bit of perspective on the work and experience of other students.
Laurna,
Good idea on responsibility within the project. This si always a tough activity, because it takes involvement from everyone. Feelings are also very easily hurt if someone does not pull their own weight.
I have the students debate topics and work in groups to promote soft skills.
