20 Classroom Dynamics and Community Building
- Small group discussion facilitates engaged participation and personal accountability. For the first 5 to 6 weeks, students might work with the same 1 or 2 peers to build familiarity and confidence, but this depends on the personalities and workstyles of the students. In other cases, changing the groups with each class or activity might be best.
- If you learn that students have preexisting relationships, you may find that it’s best to separate them. This is especially true when forming tutoring groups, which often remain fixed throughout the semester.
- Emphasize that tutoring is compulsory for the class and is not a remedial structure. Students attend tutoring to interact with peers and create a learning community. Most students indicate that tutoring, alongside peer review, is one of their favorite experiences in the class.