Study Team and Teaching Strategies: Choosing the Right Strategy at the Right Time

Start with the Teacher Notes

The Teacher Notes for many lessons name a specific Study Team and Teaching Strategy (STTS) at the point where it fits, such as a Think-Ink-Pair-Share before creating a journal entry or a Teammates Consult before teams begin a challenging problem. Each strategy is fully described in the Study Team and Teaching Strategies section of the Teacher Materials, so you can review the steps before class.

Choose a strategy by the challenge you see

Study Team and Teaching Strategies, located in the Teacher Materials and the Toolbox, are organized into five categories:

• Collaborative Talk
• Cross-Pollination
• Feedback
• Grouping
• Modeling and Pacing

Start with the challenge you see in your classroom, then choose a strategy from the category designed for it. For Core Connections 2nd Edition, see the Slide Deck located in Team Resources under Team Support on the Teacher tab of the eBook.

Call a Huddle when teams get stuck

One strategy teachers find easy to implement is the Huddle. When several teams are stuck at the same point, invite one member from each team to join you while their teammates keep working. Assign competence by highlighting a productive step each team has taken, share the missing information or check for understanding, and send students back to share what they learned with their teams.

Try a Teammates Consult when one voice dominates

When one voice dominates a team’s conversation, try a Teammates Consult. With writing utensils set aside, each student thinks about the problem individually, then teammates take turns sharing ideas before the team agrees on a plan. Every student contributes before anyone starts writing.

Commit to one strategy this week

It takes time to make STTS a part of your day-to-day teaching. If you find you have not been using the STTS suggested in the lessons as well as you might, commit to choosing one this week and using it every day so that you and your students become comfortable with it.

More great tips to consider

• Make it a goal to notice and acknowledge positive team behaviors. Naming specific behaviors, such as asking a teammate a clarifying question or building on someone’s idea, helps every student recognize and practice what strong collaboration looks like.
• Connect STTS to team roles. For example, during a Swapmeet, have the Investigator and Coordinator from each team visit a neighboring team, then return to share new ideas with their teammates.