How to Make Group Projects Successful in Your Classroom

Making Sure Group Projects are Successful in your Classroom

Group projects are a great way to get students engaged in their learning! They get the opportunity to talk with their peers about their ideas and questions. Group projects allow students to show what they learned in countless ways. By having students collaborate, they will impress you with their creativity! Here are a few tips to having group projects be successful in your classroom.

Assign Specific Tasks

A key factor to making sure every student feels valued and has the opportunity to contribute to the group project is to assign specific tasks to students. This is important especially early in the school year. Once students have had the opportunity to work in a number of group settings, they may become more independent at finding and completing tasks. Some task examples could be as simple as being in charge of cutting, gluing, placing, or recycling. Tasks could also include being in charge of a specific section of a research project. For example, if your students are working on a group project about an animal’s habitat, one task could be an animal’s source of food. Another task could be the animal’s predators and another could be the animal’s shelter. Dividing these tasks for your students can help group projects run smoothly. Doing this lays the ground work for group projects to be a positive experience for your students.

Set Short-Term Due Dates

Successful group projects demonstrate student learning. To make sure your students are staying on track, have them strive to attain specific goals for each working block. This allows you to see if they are understanding the task at hand. If you notice students needing help, it is easier to do this in small steps, rather than at the end of a big project. Small goals for students also create a positive experience because they can feel successful every day. Goals are easier to reach when they are small and expectations are clear. Reaching attainable goals throughout the project will result in a beautiful final product.

Check-in for Productivity

Lastly, it’s important to check-in on your students for productivity. You can check that each student is working on their specific task. You can also make sure they are reaching the small goals throughout the project. Check-ins during the group project are important to make sure every student is being productive. It is also helpful to resolve small disagreements among group members and guide them with next steps. Frequent check-ins help students feel supported throughout the project. Providing guidance can save frustration and help projects run smoothly.

Try these strategies with your next group of students! Watch them learn and grow together. They will become excellent team players.