Here’s another idea for forming work groups in class:
- Ask students to write down (on their own paper OR on a slip of paper you give them) an alias.
- Ask students what topic/issue/question they’d like to spend about 12-20 minutes in class discussing with everyone. (Hint: it’s important to be specific about a time frame AND to word your prompt in such a way that students know they don’t have to present anything to the class.)
- Collect these slips. (Hint: asking students to walk up and make the pile for you encourages a bit of energetic conversation.)
- Group slips by the topics that emerge.
- Write the aliases on the board so that everyone can find their groupmates.
Rationale: Creative ways of knowing each other emerge with this exercise. Often, folks end up working with people they’ve not worked with before.
