More Than a SMART Goal by Conzemius Anne E.;Morganti-Fisher Terry;

Author:Conzemius, Anne E.;Morganti-Fisher, Terry;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Solution Tree

Culture

The classroom culture establishes the context for collaborative learning—or not. Students, regardless of their age or ability, are keenly aware of the context within which teaching and learning happen from one classroom to the next. Where there is no explicit message about what is important or expected, implicit messages will prevail. If there are explicit messages (classroom rules, talk about cooperation, a sign on the wall lauding teamwork), but the behaviors of the teachers, staff, and students don’t match, the behaviors will prevail every time. Thus, it is the congruency of the messages, both implied and expressed, that will set the tone and culture of the classroom environment.

Creating a classroom culture of engagement and cooperation begins with the teacher’s leadership style and expectations. A classic study conducted by Kurt Lewin in the early 1900s contrasted leaders with autocratic and democratic styles and looked at the impact they had on groups of children in a boys’ club. The autocratic leaders “dominated meetings, set goals, issued instructions, interrupted, made all decisions, and criticized the work. Their followers argued more, showed more hostility, fought, damaged play materials, lost initiative, and showed no concern for group goals or others’ interests” (as cited in Weisbord, 1991, p. 83). The democratic leaders “encouraged groups to set goals, make decisions, and mutually critique one another’s work. These groups stuck to the task and developed more group spirit and cooperation” (as cited in Weisbord, 1991, p. 83). When the leaders left the room, the boys in the autocratic group picked on weaker members, goofed off, and destroyed their work. In the democratic group, the boys hardly noticed the leaders’ absence—they kept on working. Moreover, democratic leaders got results, not just because of their style, but because they required a goal focus and an action orientation. There is a systemic finding in these studies that suggests that the interaction of democratic leadership within a group that is focused on a common task or goal could alter the attitudes and actions of all those in a particular social system (for example, a school) more quickly than individuals acting in isolation (as cited in Weisbord, 1991).

Teachers can promote more democratic cultures in their classrooms with the identification of a set of clear norms or agreements, developed collaboratively with and by the students. Start by having students draw a picture of what teamwork looks like. What elements of a team make it successful? If you are working with younger students who may not have had an opportunity to play on an organized team, help them think about a time when they played well with a sibling, friend, or grandparent. If they can connect their experiences with ideas about how a collaborative classroom would look, they’ll be able to identify what their role needs to be to make it a reality. For older students, the opportunity to define what collaboration looks like, sounds like, and feels like (Gibbs, 1995) can result in a clear set of expectations and agreed-upon commitments for working together.

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