How Do You Teach Cooperative Activities To Elementary School Kids?
Traditional approaches to schooling involves desks in rows, the teacher talking for an extended amount of time, the students intently listening to every word and test results soaring through the roof. These days, students can be less compliant and test scores can be less-than-soaring. To engage student interest and to increase achievement, using cooperative activities will help you better reach students, especially in elementary school where energy levels are up and patience is sometimes in short supply. Arrange your desks in teams of four. Push the desks together so that they are touching each other. Two desks should be head-to-head and facing sideways to the front whiteboard or chalkboard and two desks should be side-to-side facing the front. This arrangement will help keep students focused on the part of the room where whole-class instruction happens during times when you are using the board or overhead. Use a permanent marker to write “Team 1,” “Team 2,” etc. on construction paper
