Late April energy is real, so we’re sharing how to use group work to channel that energy into structured, meaningful collaboration. We break down a simple framework for assigning groups, prepping students with clear expectations, designing tasks that truly require teamwork, and wrapping up in a way that improves future activities. Group work can be the key to keeping students engaged, and might even create extra time for you to get things done before the school year ends.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/group-work-in-the-classroom/

Resources:

• Nod Pod
• Check out our book Structure and Spark
• Join The Teacher Approved Club
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Teacher Approved Facebook group
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Leave a comment or rating on Spotify

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 254. Why Your Students Get Chatty During Transitions (And How to Stop It)
• Episode 251. 5 Classroom Management Tricks That Do the Work for You
• Episode 243. How to Protect Your Planning Time (So You Can Stop Working For Free)
• Episode 223. The Core 4 Routines Every Classroom Needs to Run Like Clockwork

Mentioned in this episode:

Set up back-to-school the right way, so the year doesn't come undone by October. Get your free ticket: https://secondstorywindow.net/summertalks

This is episode 255 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Heidi.

Window, where we give research-based and

teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to the show.

more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources

from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's episode, we

are talking about how to make group work actually work at the

end of the school year, and we're sharing a teacher approved

tip for building up your students' stamina for

collaboration.

But let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share

a quick one that you can try in your classroom right away.

Emily, what's our suggestion for this week?

Okay, if you're giving directions before students start

a partner activity or group work, instead of asking, Do you

have any questions, have students explain the directions

to their partners before you turn them loose. So say, tell

your partner what you're going to do, and then your partner

will repeat what you said.

And then you got to have the partners switch roles so you

know, they both get a turn to listen and talk.

Yep.

That way they will have heard the directions at least

three times before they had to try it on their own.

Yes, and I just love anything that can cut down on my

least favorite question, which is, what are we doing? What are

we supposed to do? So if you like this idea too, or anything

else, we share here on the podcast, would you take a second

and give us a five star rating on Apple podcasts or your

podcast listening app?

So we are deep into that weird late April energy right

now. Have you felt that?

Yeah, I'm gonna bet that you have, talking to the

teachers at my kids' school. It's, it's in the air right now,

because it's like, somehow your class has just forgotten how to

walk into line, but they can recite every single lyric to

whatever song is trending this week.

It's all about priorities.

And at this time of year, you know, the instinct, or at

least mine, was kind of just like, I give up. It's almost the

end of the year anyway, right? And then I would let the little

stuff build up until it became big stuff, and then I just would

panic and crack down.

Yeah, nobody's doing their best work right now,

especially the kids. I think they're as done as the grown

ups.

Yeah, everybody, everybody is so done. I don't

think anyone craves summer break as much as a teacher, though,

but the kids are probably a close second.

Yeah, they are so full of energy, but the last thing they

are willing to do is invest it in class work.

So instead of fighting that impulse, what if we worked

with it? That's what today's episode is about. The end of the

year is actually a great time for group work, collaborative

projects, learning games, partner challenges. You're

wrapping up your curriculum, the kids have energy to burn, so

hey, let's channel that.

But, and this is important, group work at the end

of the year can go from productive to chaos in about 90

seconds flat if you have not thought it through. Schools need

those signs like they have in the mountains. Maybe, if you

don't live in the mountains, you don't know this, but they put up

big put up big signs that tell you the fire danger. So they'll

say, like, no campfires today, the danger of wildfire is high.

Yeah, and because everyone is teetering on the

edge right now in your classroom, all it takes is the

tiniest spark to ignite a meltdown, and you do not want to

be dealing with that when you are already so tired.

And you already have a mile-long to do list before

summer starts. So today, we are walking through four categories

for making collaborative work run smoothly so we avert any

wildfire risks. We will show you how to build groups, how to prep

kids for success, how to structure a meaningful activity,

and how you close it out so it goes even better the next time.

Our first category is about assigning groups. The key,

and we cannot stress this enough, is that teacher assigned

partners and groups need to be the default right now.

Oh, do we sound mean?

Well, we are mean.

Well of course kids love choosing their own partners, and

there's a time and a place for that, especially at the end of

the year, maybe as a little treat.

Yeah, letting them pick once in a while feels like a

reward, but has a rule, you want to be the one assigning. And it

isn't because we're mean, even though we are mean, but it's not

because of this that we're mean. No, but really, it's because, as

the teacher, you know things that the kids don't. You know

who amps each other up the second they sit down together.

You know who's strong in math and who's going to benefit from

being paired with a kid that's strong in math, and you know

which of your quieter students has a secret leadership streak

when they're with the right partner.

But since we know that kids don't love having their

partners assigned, the only way to keep it fair is to change up

those assignments frequently. You don't want any one kid stuck

managing the same tricky classmate for weeks on end.

That's just not fair.

Just because a kid is responsible doesn't mean they

should always have tough partners. I think those of us

who grew up hearing we were a joy to have in class spent more

than our fair share of time helping manage tricky

classmates, because our teachers needed the backup.

And you know, sometimes that's what you got to do to get

everyone to that three o'clock bell. But it is also true that

responsible kids should get a break from having to be the

helpers all the time. So here is what I used to do that made this

group arrangement so much more manageable. So as I was heading

into the end of the year, I would sit down and I would make

four different group lists ahead of time, like list A, B, C and

D. Each list had different pairings or different groupings.

I might need, you know, I separate them so I have lists

for pairs and lists for groups. I found that in my class I

really liked groups of three. I thought that was the sweet spot.

If I could make that work, I try not to go larger than that.

This is so smart because it means that you don't have to

reinvent the wheel every time you want to do a partner

activity. If every single collaborative activity requires

you to organize a strategically balanced grouping chart from

scratch, you're probably just going to want to hand out a

worksheet.

Yeah, you're never going to want to do it. So I would

make all of my lists at once, and then I rotate through them.

So maybe on Tuesday, for doing readers theaters, I grab list A,

and then for Tuesday afternoon's math game, list B, Wednesday

science partner activities, list C, and then, you know, just

rotate through them.

And this is great because you're doing the upfront work

once, and then for the rest of the year, or at least for a long

stretch, you just pull the list you need and go.

Exactly. And everybody's needs are accounted for, but the

kids are still getting some variety.

Okay, so once you've got your groups built, the next

category is how you prep kids before the activity starts. And

there are really two pieces to this. Kids need to know how to

behave during the activity, and they need to know what to

actually do during the activity. And those are two different

things, and you need to address both.

Yeah, and I think sometimes we blur these

together, and then we're surprised when it doesn't go

well. So let's start with the behavior piece. By the end of

the school year, there's this assumption that kids should just

know how to work with a partner. They've been in school for eight

months. They have done group activities before, shouldn't

they have it down by now?

And the answer is, no, no, they do not have it down.

They do not. In fact, at this point in the year, they've

somehow forgotten everything that they ever knew. It probably

should be studied.

Yeah, it's very remarkable. So just assume

nothing and teach the social skill.

And we're not talking about like a character ed

lesson. We're talking about a quick mini lesson on one

specific skill that you know your class needs. Think about

what's been going wrong during partner work lately. Maybe it's

figuring out who goes first. Why is that always a battle? Or

settling disagreements, active listening, speaking kindly when

a partner does something that you don't love.

Pick one per activity and teach it. The mini lesson

formula is really simple. Just name the behavior, model what it

looks like, explain why it matters, and then state the

consequence if it doesn't happen.

And you can do this a couple of ways depending on what

feels right. You can teach the social skill first and then say,

Okay, here's the activity. Remember what we just practiced.

Or you can explain the whole activity first, and then, right

before you send them off, you say, let's review how to

disagree respectfully. I'm going to be looking for that today.

Yeah, both of those work. So just go with whatever fits

your flow. If you can make an anchor chart, great. You can

refer back to it next week when you need to go over this skill

again.

But seriously, don't let that hold you up. Don't make an

anchor chart, if that is just one more thing to manage. Yeah,

anchor charts are nice, but you know, if you don't do it, a two

minute conversation still gets the job done.

Absolutely. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the

good.

I feel like I have to learn that lesson all the time.

Yeah, especially at the end of the school year. The

skill mini lesson matters way more than whether it's captured

on a piece of chart paper.

Okay, so that's the behavior piece. Now the activity

steps are different, and those actually do need to be written

down.

Yeah, this one is non negotiable if you want to keep

the peace. So list every step students need to remember. Step

one, get your material. Step two, read through the

instructions with your partner. Step three, start with problem

one. Yeah, whatever your steps are, those need to be visible

and easy to reference.

The top cause of off task behavior during group work is

confusion. A kid who doesn't know what to do is just gonna

find something to do, and it's not gonna be what you had in

mind.

Yeah, it's definitely gonna involve somebody's eraser

and somebody else's pencil and a whole fiasco about who started

what. So let's avoid that. Post the steps on the board, and this

doesn't have to be an anchor chart either, you can project

these on a slide or just write them on the board.

But the best version, the version that will save you the

most headaches, is an individual list that each student or each

group has with them.

Yeah, I'm a big believer in the paper in their hand,

because kids forget to look up at the board somehow. The words

are six inches tall and they're just invisible to them, but if

the steps are right there next to the paper, they're much more

likely to glance down and check.

So teach the social skill and write out the activity

steps, two different things, but both are necessary.

Now our third category is how you structure the activity

itself. This one starts with the question, Does this work

actually merit collaboration?

Oh, this is so important. Because if you're just having

kids sit next to each other and fill out the same worksheet,

that is not group work, that's two kids working near each

other, and they are going to get bored and goof around very

quickly.

Yeah, if you're going to the trouble to let students work

together, there should be work worth doing. There needs to be a

problem to solve, a product to create, or a question to debate,

something that genuinely requires more than one brain.

Otherwise the kids just sniff it out immediately. And

the fun of messing around with our partner is way more

interesting than the task at hand.

Yeah, probably because it is more interesting.

Well, yeah, it is. So first, make sure the work

deserves collaboration. Then plan for the friction points

before they happen. Friction points are those little

transition moments that can derail the whole thing. Think

about materials. If every group needs to grab materials from the

back table, what happens if 28 kids get up at once?

Yikes. So send a few groups at a time. Think we

talked about that in last week's episode. Go back and check that

out. Or have the materials already distributed. Do what you

need to do, just think it through. Then consider where

everybody's going to work. If students are going to spread out

around the room instead of staying at their desks, you

either need to assign the spots ahead of time, or you need to

give them criteria for choosing a good spot.

And my standard for this was always two big steps. You

had to be two big steps away from any other group.

Oh, that rule saved me so many times, and I loved how

serious the kids would get about measuring their two big steps.

These, you know, ginormous steps.

Yes, like, one, two.

And it does seem silly, but those guidelines, without

them, the kids will absolutely try to work right on top of each

other. And then, of course, the two groups are talking or

fighting instead of working.

Okay, so far, you have assigned strategic groups,

prepped the kids for social and academic success, planned a

meaningful task, and the next step is to assign roles within

groups. Think materials manager, timekeeper, recorder, reporter,

whatever makes sense for the task that gives each kid a clear

job.

Now, if you look up anything about cooperative

learning, it will recommend assigning students roles. But

Heidi, you had some problems with that, right?

Well, I did, and to be fair, it could have just been

that I did not prep my kids well enough. It very likely was that,

but I did find that roles were pretty hit or miss.

Developmentally, younger kids don't always understand how

their job is different from somebody else's job. You tell

one kid they're the materials manager and another kid they're

the recorder, they don't necessarily get the big picture

of how those jobs work together to support the group.

So if you're working with younger kids, you might need to

simplify, maybe just two roles instead of four, or maybe roles

with really visual cues, like the materials manager gets a

special badge or lanyard.

Oh yeah, they would love a prop.

Oh, for sure.

And this is another place where the individual step list

becomes your friend, because you can put the role right on top of

that kid's paper. Now Partner A, you're the materials manager.

Here are your jobs.

Or if roles aren't working for you, it's okay to

skip them. Again we're not going to let the perfect be the enemy

of the good, because it is term four.

Yeah, do what we gotta to survive.

Okay, now it's time to close out the activity, and this is the

one that I think teachers skip the most, because by the time

you get to the end of a group activity, you just want to get

on to the next thing.

Which totally makes sense, but a quick debrief at

the end is what turns a one time activity into something that

actually gets better over the year.

Now, obviously you are probably wrapping up an activity

with a discussion about the learning, but this debrief is

not about, you know, what they learned about frogs or

multiplication. This debrief is about the partnering. How did

working together go?

If you want to make sure this is something you can stick

with, keep it simple. Pick two standard questions that you can

use every single time.

Plus, that way the kids get used to the format. Try

asking, How is someone in your group a good partner today, and

what will you remember to do the next time you work with a

partner?

I like those two questions because one is looking

back at what worked, which helps students recognize the types of

behaviors that are helpful. And the other question is helping

them see how they'll put those behaviors into action for

themselves.

And this check in should be quick, like two minutes. The

kids are as eager as you are to get onto the next thing.

And there is a hidden benefit to doing this every

time. When kids know that a debrief is coming, they know

their behavior might get discussed, not in a scary way,

but just in a, I want someone to recognize what I'm doing way.

That little bit of social accountability can make kids try

a little harder.

It's amazing what a little peer pressure will do.

In the best way. So those are our tips for managing group

work. And this is so great for the kids, especially at the end

of the year, but there's no way around it. It is more behind the

scenes work for you as the teacher.

Yeah, it is. Building the group list, planning the mini

lesson, writing out the step sheets, thinking through the

friction points. There's a ton of work before the kids even

know what the activity is going to be.

But here is a little end of your payoff you might not

recognize. When a group activity is structured well and the kids

know what they're doing and are engaged in meaningful work, it

creates this golden moment of time during class where you are

not actively teaching.

I love those moments. We call them pockets of prep, and

you want as many of these as you can get in May. I used to use

that time to catch up on grading or to declutter the spot on my

counter that had become a disaster. It's like a magnet for

clutter.

Oh, yeah. Or to check something in your avalanche of

end of year tasks like report cards, inventory, cleaning out

cubbies, organizing files. You know all of that that never

ends.

It never ends. So when your group activity is running

well, you can sit down at your desk for 15 minutes and actually

make a dent in something. And that's not slacking. That is

smart classroom management.

The kids are learning, they're engaged, they're working

together. You are doing your job, even if you're not actively

teaching a lesson. You are also getting something done. And so

that is just a win, win in May.

Okay, let's do a quick recap. Build your groups

strategically, change them frequently, and make your ABCD

lists ahead of time, so that you're not starting from

scratch.

Consider how you prep kids before they start. Teach

the social skill with a quick mini lesson and post the

activity steps in writing. Make sure your activity actually

merits collaboration. Plan for friction points and assign clear

roles. And wrap up intentionally so good choices carry over to

the next activity.

If you want to put some of this into practice in the

last stretch of the year, in the Teacher Approved Club in May, we

are discussing how to close out the year strong. You can find a

link to join us in the show notes.

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where

we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters

and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is

build group work stamina. So tell us how to do this, Heidi.

So this tip is for the teacher who's listening to this

episode and maybe feeling a little panicked because they

haven't done a ton of group work this year. It's okay. We've got

you. It's true that if your class hasn't done much

collaborative work all year, you cannot walk in tomorrow and ask

them to tackle a 45 minute stem challenge with assigned roles

and three stages of work. You need to scale your expectations

to match what your kids could actually handle right now. So

remember that group work is like any other skill. It takes

stamina. So if you want to build in group work for the last

stretch of the year, just start really small. My go-to are

always partner games. Start with five or 10 minutes and keep

things very low stakes, something like a quick math fact

game with a partner, or like a partner read of a passage.

And then you can build up to short partner tasks with a

clear finish line, something that takes maybe 15 minutes and

has a defined end point so the kids know what they're working

toward.

And then if and only if, you still have the energy, you

can work up to the bigger collaborative projects, the ones

with multiple roles and longer time frames and bigger outcomes.

You're just building that muscle gradually.

Yeah, and you've got several weeks left. That is

enough time to build real stamina, if you start where your

kids actually are. And even if all you get in are just three or

four short partner experiences, your students are still getting

the benefits of working with a peer, and that will completely

change how the end of the year feels.

All right. To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're

giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your

extra credit?

I'm giving extra credit to the Nod Pod. Have you seen

these before, Heidi?

I have no idea what this is.

Okay. So this is a sleeping mask. And I feel like

masks should sort of be in quotes, because its goal is not

to block out light, although it does do that. But what it is, is

basically a weighted blanket for your eyes.

Okay.

So, I mean, just imagine, like a long strip of like minky

sort of fabric, so soft.

Okay.

And it's got like four little bean bags in it.

Basically, it kind of reminds me of like a pea pod. And so if you

sleep on your back, then you would just put the two middle

pods over your eyes, and then I just covered my face while I'm

talking into the microphone, because I have to demonstrate

putting it over your eyes. So you put those two pods over your

eyes, and then the other two are just kind of to the side of your

head. And so it's just like, it's a lot more comfortable way

to have a mat, a sleeping mask on because it doesn't have to be

wrapped around your head, although it can be. It does

have, like, a little loop. So you can do that if you want to.

But I sleep on my side, so I thought this wouldn't work for

me. But then somebody I follow was like, no, no, you you can.

And so if you're sleeping on your side, you have it where you

do two of the the little pods that are on the edge of the

four, and then the other two just go over the side of your

head that's face up, basically. And so it just kind of like

holds it in place. It's so hard to describe this thing or why it

would be appealing.

What does it do?

It's so comfortable. Like, it's just the softest,

most gentle pressure on your eyes. But, like, not in a way

that hurts. It's just so like, I feel like I'm getting to sleep

so fast, like I get into bed now and I'm like, Ooh, I get to put

on my Nod Pod. It always takes me a minute to, like, get

situated. I do think it is harder to use as a side sleeper,

but it still works. And, I mean, I wouldn't even necessarily say

I keep it on the whole night. Sometimes I wake up and it's

Okay, I will take your word for that.

still on. A lot of times I wake up and it's not, but I think

it's main benefits is for helping you fall asleep. Like a

weight, you know, it's just like a weighted blanket, but for your

eyes.

You should try it out. And I did find it on sale. I will say

that, because it is a little bit pricey. But keep an eye out for

it, listeners as well, if you're interested, like, keep an eye

out for a deal. Like, I frequently see at least some

discount on it, so don't buy it at full price. And I actually

saw it at Ulta for, like, 50% off for like a daily deal. So

keep an eye out.

Okay, well, that's that's a good one to try out.

And yet again, I'm giving extra credit to something that's

impossible to describe, like on a podcast, like you need to see

what I'm talking about. I'll have to post a picture in

stories or something.

There you go.

Okay, what are you giving extra credit to Heidi?

I am giving extra credit to the TV show, Jury Duty:

Company Retreat.

Oh, I haven't watched it yet. Is it good?

Yes. So like, gosh, it's been a few years now, like 2021,

2022, something like that.

Yeah.

I think they filmed it before the pandemic, so it would

have been like 2021.

Really? Oh my gosh.

Yeah, they came out with this TV show called Jury Duty,

and it's on Freevee. And the premise is they're filming a

documentary about jury duty and all this crazy stuff is going

on. But that's because everyone in the show is an actor, except

for one guy who has no clue what is going on. It was so funny.

And it wasn't mean spirited, like it's not like a giant prank

show, because the guy is always set up to be the hero, like they

refer to him as the hero. He's the one that's solving the

problems. He's the one that's helping everybody, so he's never

the butt of the joke.

Yes, which I feel like, makes a big difference in

something like this.

So it was so funny. I think it's like five or six

episodes. It was hilarious.

It was a hoot.

And it was just like, well, they, that's sad they can

never do that again. But they did it. They came back this year

with a similar thing. It's Company Retreat. So the

documentary crew is filming this family hot sauce company as the

longtime owner is handing over the reins to his loser son. And

they're on this company retreat in the mountains and all of this

crazy drama and this poor guy's attempt, he just got hired

specifically for this retreat to be like an assistant for this

retreat. He's, like, just trying to do his best. And it's, it's

just like, heartwarming chaos.

And I heard something, even though I haven't watched it

yet, I heard something about how the reason this worked was this

guy was, like, just inherently not curious about any of these

people. He didn't go home and Google anybody. You know, like

with jury duty, they were sequestered, but with this like

he still had access to his phone, and apparently they had

made, like fake social media accounts for everyone in case he

tried to look anyone up, but he never did. So it just helps that

they picked someone who was a nice guy, it sounds like, but

also just an inherently not very curious guy.

And like, he is such a team player. Because, like, he

gets up there and like the guy he's an assistant to, like, the

manager he's helping is, like, just total goofball. And he's

like, I'm Captain Fun, and you're my, you're, oh, not my

captain, but like...

Skipper.

Yes, like, so he like, takes and he runs with it. He

doesn't know any of these people, but he's game, and so

it's just really enjoyable to watch and the situations they

come up with. So yeah.

Oh I'm so excited to watch it.

Well, that is it for today's episode. Try out our

four-category framework for managing group work at the end

of the year, and don't forget to build that collaboration stamina

before you plan anything too ambitious.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

episode.

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye for now.

Bye.