New students and "seniors".
I like pairing up new students with "seniors" whenever possible. The senior students like the fact that they can take someone under their wing and show what they know. It also keeps cliques from morning in the class, old students vs. new students.
When I send students on technical projects, I pair them up the same way. Works out pretty well for all.
Catherine,
I wish you continued success as a professional educator. You have a great attitude toward your students and this will serve you well in the years ahead.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being a "senior" teacher for the first time I really LIKE this concept. Will incorporate whenever possible. I was also a "senior" in college and wish someone would have been by my side. Thank you!
Dennis, I'm sure that your class is much like mine in that new students come in with a wide range of basic skills. I have found that pairing students of lesser skill with more senior students not only helps the challenged student but benefits the more seasoned student as well. The added benefit is that it allows me to be more active with the class as a whole rather than being tied to one student in order to bring him/her up to speed.
Dennis,
I try to do this also. This is very beneficial because otherwise the newer students could feel alienated and begin to have animosity toward the others.
Val
During my introduction to the class I inform them that their job is very team orientated. I explain that often when they ask questions I will send a senior student over to help them. I explain the reason for this is to get them used to working with multiple people as they will in the field and also have them get their answer from someone who may have a different and possibly better approach then myself.
I explain that as teachers we sometimes suffer from what is called the "curse of knowledge" where since we have been doing it forever it "just makes sense", but other students have just learned this and recently had to make sense of it and therefor their method could be fresher.
I find this to be a moral booster for the student asked to assist, a way to create an opportunity for student interaction and I sometimes learn from these interactions from the students and how they approached it.
Dennis I do the same but with a twist. After the first week I switch again. Many say this is to much but I find that it allows the class to bond that much quicker.
DENNIS,
I use this approach as well for the reasons you state. My seniors like working with the new students. They get to show off a bit in terms of what they have learned and the new students feel comfortable in taking the senior students' advice.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
