I just watched the opening ceremony of the London Olympics™. I loved it. It might not have been everyone’s cup of tea but I love the beginning of this iconic event. All throughout the ceremony, I kept wondering what those copper ‘things’ were that the kids were carrying. When I saw them come together to represent each country coming together in peace as the cauldron….perfection. What a great way to represent the unique differences of each nation combining as one.
I read a great post which introduced me to the Köhler motivation effect – the idea that when people work together as a team, the weaker members become stronger. I thought about this in relation to our classrooms. Many would argue that group work is an integral part of the modern classroom, but what about the introverts? The kids who excel when working on their own?
My take on it…
By it’s nature as a ‘class’, our kids are already grouped together. As teachers, we need to turn that group into a team – people who will support, encourage, question and connect with each other through (to steal from Barrie, above) ideas, hopes, faces, dreams, actions, stories, and memories. When it comes to ‘working’ wether kids choose to do this in groups or individually, they should know that they are connected to and supported by the other members of our team.
How do you bring your class together as a team?
sonya terborg 