Group Work Norms Posters

I’m excited to share some group work norms posters I created with you today. One of my big goals for the upcoming school year is to incorporate effective group work into my classroom.  Group work is something I really struggle with.  I try it, it doesn’t go how I want it to, and I give up.

Back in May, I read Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Learning in Secondary Mathematics by Ilana Horn.  This book was chock full of ideas on how to implement effective group work.  I can’t recommend this book enough!  One of the main points in the book is that students need to be aware of the norms that you have for group work.  I took the norms listed in this book and added a few others from other sources to make my own set of posters.  

I will be printing off these posters, laminating them, and hanging them in my classroom.  Each time we do group work, I will pick 2-3 norms to focus on.  I will indicate these by taping a small star on the posters of these norms.  This will provide a visual reminder of what I am looking for.  As we practice these norms more and more, they should become second nature to my students.

Class Groupwork Norms

Take Turns

Listen to others’ ideas

Disagree with ideas, not people

Be respectful

Helping is not the same as giving answers

Confusion is part of learning

Say your “becauses”

You have the right to ask anybody in your group for help

No talking outside your group

You have the duty to give help to anyone who asks

Remember to play your role

No one is done until everyone is done

No naked numbers

 Naked numbers refer to answers without proper units.  I’ve been really bad about letting my students get away with not writing units.  Not anymore!

Put the question in your answer

Do you have any suggestions of norms to add/revise?

Updated Set of Group Work Norms Posters

I’ve been working on putting the final touches on my room.  Tomorrow is my last day of summer.  Thursday and Friday will feature mandatory trainings, time to work in our rooms, and meet the teacher night.

One of my last things to hang are my group work norms posters for this year.  I’ve done these before, but I feel like I know so much more than I did last time around.  You’ll notice some of the posters are the same, and others are different.

These norms are based off of what I’ve learned about implementing effective groupwork from reading Elizabeth G. Cohen’s Designing Groupwork and Ilana Horn’s Strength in Numbers.  Both of these books have changed my view of groupwork and how it can impact student understanding.  If you want to get serious about group work, I’d recommend both of these books in a heartbeat!

I’ve adapted several activities that may be of interest such as Broken Circles, Rainbow Logic, and Guess My Rule.

Group Work Norms

• Listen to others’ ideas.
• Remember to play your role.
• Give reasons for your suggestions.
• Explain by telling how.
• Helping is not the same as giving answers.
• Pay attention to what other group members need.
• Disagree with ideas, not people.
• You have the right to ask anyone in your group for help.
• You have the duty to assist anyone who asks for help.
• Make a plan.
• Take turns.
• No one is done until everyone is done.
• Confusion is part of learning.
• No talking outside your group.
• Say your “becauses.”

 You might also be interested in my Growth Mindset Mistakes poster.