By Katie Gibbons and Sarah B. Bush, Posted April 13, 2015 – 

Middle school students are social beings and are often much more concerned with the social aspects of school than with their success in math class. Middle school students often overlook ways in which the understanding of concepts learned in math class connects to real life, such as how the understanding of decimals connects to financial literacy. As a first-year teacher, I’ve learned quickly that the more cooperative learning opportunities that I integrate into my lessons, the more motivated my students are to completely immerse themselves in learning.

The seating arrangement of my classroom is structured to accommodate groups of four students, called study teams. This setup is adapted from College Preparatory Mathematics. Students are encouraged to use their study team members as their first line of defense when they are confused or lost (similar to the “ask 3, then me” practice found on The Teaching Channel). This study-team grouping eliminates unnecessary conversations that interrupt instruction and cause unneeded distractions. My sixth graders initially struggled to stay on task with this side-by-side seating arrangement, but simple reminders about what it means to work successfully in a group, along with consistent and clear expectations, remedied this issue. As a result, students have learned how to use their classmates as productive resources instead of social distractions.

According to the College Preparatory Mathematics model of study team setup, there are four specific roles that are designed to incorporate cooperative learning throughout the lesson. The Facilitator’s job is to “help the team get started by having someone read the task” and “keep the team together to make sure everyone understands the team’s answers before moving on.” The next role is the Task Manager, whose main responsibility is to “make sure no one talks outside your team” and to “make sure your team is on task and talking about math.” This person ensures on-task behavior. The Resource Manager ensures that the team is prepared by gathering the supplies and enlisting the teacher’s help if all other resources have been exhausted. The final role is the Recorder/Reporter. This individual ensures that the group is able to accurately describe the mathematical thinking of the team to the rest of the class, as needed. These roles help students engage in the eight Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practices because students are the ones doing the thinking, reasoning, and problem solving.

Using strategically   planned cooperative groups, as discussed in this blog post, helps the teacher establish a student-centered classroom environment. In such an environment, the teacher can implement high-leverage practices as outlined in NCTM’s 2014 landmark publication Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. For example, such cooperative grouping can provide an avenue for Mathematics Teaching Practices four (facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse, p. 29) and seven (support productive struggle in learning mathematics, p. 48). As teachers, it is our job to make mathematics interesting to our students. One avenue for doing so is to appeal to their social needs through the use of cooperative groups. 

Katie Gibbons teaches 6th grade mathematics at Noe Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky. She strives to maintain a student-centered classroom where students are challenged each and every day.

Sarah B. Bush, [email protected], is an assistant professor of mathematics education at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a former middle grades mathematics teacher who is interested in interdisciplinary and relevant and engaging math activities.