Cooperation

Cooperation is very important in classrooms. Students need to be able to work well with other students as well as with teachers. It is a skill that is necessary to perfect to be successful in life and in the workplace. Working effectively in a group is a crucial skill in a workplace. School has one main purpose, to prepare students for the real world. Cooperation should be stressed to give the students the best chance of succeeding in life.

This is a complicated skill but strategies to improve cooperation can be easily implanted into lesson plans. Using group activities, grouped seating, and discussions, this skill can be used in class regularly. These strategies will benefit student productivity as well as promote group work.

·       Group Work – This strategy gives the students the opportunity to work together towards a common goal as they will be doing in the workplace. This skill is crucial and normally results in an increase in productivity. Students can work on communication skills, people skills, and the material while this strategy is in use.

·       Grouped Seating – While using this strategy, students will have the opportunity to work together more often. This seating makes it easier for group work to be done and it encourages discussing problems with the material with peers. Also, it will help develop the student’s social skills. Even while working on independent work, the students could discuss both the assignment and other things. It would help with their multitasking and cooperation. Discussion is healthy and students are all very social. Being social in a productive setting is a major skill that is used constantly in the workplace.

·       Discussions – Discussions are a terrific way for students to practice sharing their ideas in a professional manner as well as develop a deeper understanding of the material. As students communicate, they share ideas and opinions. This adds to the overall comprehension of the class and allows the students to develop professional conversational skills and cooperation skills.

Cooperation the cornerstone for success in many occupations. The way that students can develop and practice this skill lies in school. The incorporation of strategies meant to enhance cooperation need to be a major part of school. “Both face-to-face and virtual collaborations online have been shown to increase learning motivation, create better and more innovative results, and develop social and cross-cultural skills.” (21^st Century Learning, 2009). This quote shows that cooperation has many benefits and will be beneficial to know. Even quick discussions, such as book talks, can contribute to the cooperation between students and teachers. “I frequently dangle enticing books in front of readers in book talks and invite them to explore them on their own.” (Middle School Readers, 2009). While it is often overlooked, cooperation is a major part of the workplace and should be incorporated into classrooms everywhere.

Trilling, Bernie, and Charles Fadel. 21. Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our times. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.



Allison, Nancy. Middle School Readers: Helping Them Read Widely, Helping Them Read Well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2009. Print