Class Building What does class building look like? When pupils are doing class building activities they are up out of their seats working with classmates beyond their teams. Class building is the process by which a room full of individuals with different backgrounds and experiences, become a caring community of active learners. Class building creates a lively and fun environment where students are cared about by others. Class building creates an ‘our class’ feeling where students feel they belong together and enjoy learning together. What is the point? Class building lowers anxiety levels in class, elevates students’ esteem level, and boosts motivation. Students feel safe asking for help, sharing how much they really know, presenting different perspectives on contentious issues, and testing out fledgling knowledge and language skills. Class building works to eliminate classroom fears: the fear of being ridiculed; the fear of not fitting in; the fear of failure. Is class building time off academics? Think of class building as an investment. We invest some class time to create a positive learning environment so that learning time is more productive. But not all class building time is necessarily off the academic curriculum. All of the class building structures can be used to have students interact with classmates in positive ways while still focusing on the learning objectives. For example we can use quiz - quiz trade as a class-builder where students get to interact with their classmates, but the structure also promotes academic learning since the classmates quiz each other on academic content. The twin goals of interacting with classmates and mastering academic curriculum are accomplished simultaneously.

Teambuilding Understanding teambuilding In the cooperative classroom, teamwork is the norm. It is at the team level where the rubber meets the road. The majority of cooperative interactions are with teammates. If students don’t like their teammates or don’t want to work with them, we can expect management problems or poor achievement. How willing is a student to ask for help or offer tutoring to a student they don’t like? If teammates know, like and trust their teammates, they will not only work together well, they will go the extra mile to ensure that their teammates understand the content and how to solve problems. Team building creates a genuine liking, trust, and caring among students on the same team. We want teams where students can argue their point, politely disagree, and reach consensus. Teambuilding is a catalyst that speeds the interaction process and discovery of shared goals and interests, strengthening the bonds between teammates. 5 aims of teambuilding: Getting acquainted: When teammates are well acquainted, there is a friendly, positive team atmosphere, an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable being together and working together. Team Identity: Creating team identity gives students a sense of ownership, affiliation, and solidarity. Teammates feel their team is special and unique. Mutual Support: Teammates need to feel mutually supported by one another. When students feel they share common goals, they are positively interdependent. Teammates are willing to help when help is requested and request help when needed. Teammates congratulate each member’s success. Valuing differences: Teammates from diverse backgrounds with differing values, learning styles, and skills not only need to learn to tolerate diversity, but actually learn to celebrate each member’s uniqueness. Richer interaction, more creative products, and more cognitive flexibility result from teammates who value homogeneity. Developing synergy: Working cooperatively unleashes a synergistic force, enabling students to learn and do more than they ever could independently. We are all smarter together than any one of us.

Positive Interdependence Both components of positive interdependence create cooperation and boost achievement. If there is a positive correlation between my outcome and yours, I will tutor and encourage you to do well – Your gain is my gain. If we are interdependent, neither of us can do the task alone, but we can do it if we work together, then we will work together. By putting positive interdependence in place, we create a caring, cooperative community and increase achievement in the process. Positive If two students have a positive correlation of outcomes, the success of one student is linked to the success of the other. Picture two mountain climbers tethered together. If one gets a good grip, he/she can better pull up the other. When student outcomes are positively correlated, students see themselves on the same side and encourage and help each other. If, for example I know that your doing well will help me, I want you to do well, so I will encourage and help you. When all students in a team or class know their outcomes are linked, a powerful force for achievement is released. Peer norms shift in favour of achievement, and students become a helpful community of learners, supporting each other’s learning. A positive correlation among outcomes creates a cooperative classroom. Interdependence Picture two boys who want to build a skateboard. One has a board and the other has wheels. Only if they work together can they achieve their goal. Interdependence means students are dependent on one another. They have to rely on their teammates. If it is impossible to achieve a goal or be successful at a task without the help of others, then there is strong interdependence. The strongest form of interdependence occurs when a contribution by every teammate is necessary for the success of the team – everyone has to do his or her part. When students are interdependent, they are motivated to encourage and help each other; they know their success depends on the success of their teammates. Perceived interdependence creates bonding within teams and within a class. Each student knows, I cannot do it alone, but we can do it together. Thus, interdependence creates cooperation and strong peer norms.