group roles work!
Today, during whiteboard work, I really emphasized our group roles, making sure every kid was passing the pen, reading the problem, using the calculator, and rotating after every problem. It took me three periods to get my intro right, but, man, my 3rd period Geometry was AMAZING. I saw students who like to hide in the back, crouched low, avoiding my gaze, actually doing work! I saw students who like to take over and do everything on their own actually helping others and letting others direct them when they had the pen! And to hear a student say the phrase “I’m the navigator now”, man…
My student teacher actually said it best to me afterwards: “And whiteboards, we are teaching them how to be group members, not solving math problems”.
And THAT is where the learning comes in. THAT is what matters.
Sometimes the math is just a tool, a funnel, a path that leads towards collaboration.
It’s not the destination.
It’s the friends you make along the way.
A reminder of the group roles:
