Let’s be honest – getting middle school students to work together effectively can feel impossible. As a new STEM teacher, I learned this the hard way.
You’d think it would be simple, right? Put kids in a group, give them an exciting task, and be nearby to answer questions and help troubleshoot. But we all know the reality looks very different.
Some students refuse to work with certain classmates. Others try to take over the entire project. You might have a few sitting silently on the sidelines, while some dig their heels in and refuse to compromise. The headaches, messes, and hurt feelings are all too real.
After years of trial and error perfecting effective group work in my classroom, I’ve developed some game-changing strategies. Let me share these tips to help you avoid the stress and tears I experienced!
1. The Teacher Controls Picks the Groups
This is your golden rule – at least until the final month of the course (and even then, proceed with caution). From day one, my students know they’ll work with every classmate throughout the year. Here’s why this matters:
- This prevents students from picking partners you know won’t be a good match.
- It helps the quieter or less popular students who are left out of self-selected groups.
- The grouping happens faster with fewer hurt feelings.
- Students learn real-world skills for getting along and working effectively, even with people who aren’t their “friends.”
2. Explicitly Teach and Reflect on Teamwork Skills
The first 2-3 weeks of my STEM classes focus on team building and teamwork skills. We start the year learning what engineers do and find that in the real world, engineers and computer scientists work with many different people and professions (clients, construction workers, app developers, investors, government officials, etc.). Then, we discuss what makes a good team member.
Students reflect on their experiences on other teams, and we develop a list of traits and actions demonstrated by good team members. This list usually encompasses the traits found on the rubric below.
I introduce students to the rubric they reflect on what they already do well and what they need to focus on improving. At the beginning of each class, we revisit the rubric and students set a teamwork goal. At the end of each class, students rate their own performance. Then, at the end of an activity, they provide feedback to their partners by completing the teamwork rubric.
Their first grades in my course are based on their scores on the teamwork rubric… You get the idea. Everything at the beginning is focused on teamwork!
Grab the free printable and digital STEM teamwork rubric below!
3. Introduce and Teach Group Roles
I use group roles to provide additional support for students as they practice their teamwork skills. The roles are engineering-themed but can be applied to any group work activity. They describe exactly what each group member should be doing throughout the period. This approach:
- Assists with group communication
- Prevents students from doing all or none of the work
- Shows them HOW to be a good team member.
Just like with the teamwork rubric, when the roles are introduced, students reflect on which role they would be best at and which would be most challenging and why. Then, they pick a role to take on within their team. We review the roles before getting into our groups for the day and reflect on how well we did at our roles at the end of the period.
You can grab a set of free group role posters below and the full lesson plan for how I introduce group roles below!
4. Start Small and Build Up
Before diving into major STEM projects, build those teamwork muscles with short, low-stakes activities like:
- Cup stacking challenges
- Building puzzles
- Quick STEM tasks
Mix up group combinations frequently and maintain the goal-setting and reflection routine. Trust me – by the time you reach your first big STEM project, they’ll be pros at effective group work!
5. The Magic Number is Three
Here’s a game-changer: groups of three are the sweet spot. Here’s why:
- When groups are bigger than 3, there are more opportunities for at least one group member to skate by and off-task behavior to occur.
- With groups of 2, an absent kid means that one person is stuck doing all the work.
If your class size doesn’t divide evenly by three, create one pair using students with strong work ethics and good attendance records.
Ready to transform your classroom’s group work experience? These strategies have helped countless teachers develop effective group work in their STEM classrooms. Give them a try and watch your students’ collaboration skills soar!
Want to share your own group work success stories or tips? Drop them in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!
4 Responses