Classroom Setup
Table Arrangement:
If possible, arrange tables in groups of four to six. This allows two
to three student pairs on each table group. These pairs sit side by
side and are sometimes called shoulder partners or buddies.
Tables of four also afford more flexibility as a second pair group can be formed
- students sitting opposite each other, sometimes called face partners (Kagan,2009).
Tables of six can be useful for small rooms. Both allow group or team work
within a table grouping.
Placemats & Placetubs:
Placemats placed in the middle of each table group clearly marking Student A and Student B in a group, and numbers marking each member of a team (either 1 to 4 or 1 to 6) help the teacher delineate students during the various structures that are used in Cooperative Learning. For example, if the teacher needs to choose a student in each pair to go first in a structure, they can ask 'Student A' to go first. If the teacher needs to choose a student from each team during a structure, they can call out 'Student 3' and every team with have a particular student chosen. See the Resources section for examples of placemats.
Student ability team selection:
Although some teachers are apprehensive about organsing students according to ability groups, in Cooperative Learning, students can be grouped randomly, heterogeneously, or homogenously. Many teachers find benefit in segregating groups not according to ability, but rather paired with someone who will not be completely dissimilar in abilty. Essentially it is best not to have a (literacy) high ability student paired with a low ability student, as they both can become frustrated. Studies suggest that high ability students learn greatly from teaching content themselves and lower ability students find peer teaching very helpful in understanding content.