Chapter+7

Chapter 7: Group Work That Grows Understanding (p. 89-99)

In chapter 7, Cris Tovani discusses the importance of group work. She talks about the difficulties that can arise as a result of group work and admits that, at one point, she was ready to give up reading altogether. According to Tovani, one of the central problems with group work is the range of reading ability. Teachers have “struggling readers, excellent readers, and everyone in between, all at the same time” (Tovani 90). Her solution to this problem is small, flexible groups.

In order to create successful small groups, Tovani outlines the groundwork that needs to be laid. The process is a collaborative one in which students identify their concerns/problems and the teacher addresses them accordingly. For each student concern (i.e. the student wants to work in a group with their friends) there is a prescribed solution from both the teacher and the student:
 * Student Action:** If I’m not in a group with my friends this time, I’ll tough it out and request a different group next time.
 * Teacher Action**: I agree to honor group requests as best I can. However, as the person responsible for classroom instruction, I get the final say about group composition (Tovani 91, 92).

In addition, Tovani models both positive and negative group behaviors for the class by role-playing a group exercise with a colleague. Students take guided notes about the role-play in an effort to make them more conscious of effective approaches to group work.

Tovani points out that specific and timely feedback is essential to promoting successful group work. In one anecdote, Tovani circulates around her classroom, recording positive and negative group behaviors. She shares this with the students and, over time, the students demonstrate improvement in their ability to work collaboratively.

At the conclusion, Tovani acknowledges the difficulty of group work: “Group work is challenging. Groups don’t always work and that can be frustrating. It’s tempting to go back to whole-group instruction because it is so easy to control” (Tovani 98). However, she points out, the benefits far outweigh the frustrations. Human beings are social animals and much of their success is dependent upon their ability to cooperate effectively. At the end of the chapter, Tovani lists some pointers on page 98 and 99 for implementing effective group work.

1. Show kids how to discuss using real-world examples 2. Give students specific feedback: Debrief with them what you notice about their discussions. 3. Use powerful pieces: No one wants to discuss something dull. 4. Anticipate stumbling blocks and establish norms.

In all, it is evident from the limited section that I read of Tovani’s book that she is obsessed with Post-It (sticky) notes and stands to make some significant financial gain by shamelessly plugging them throughout.