Managing Teamwork: Using Signals and Structures

In your classroom, students will interact, move, create, and do. To assist you in your management of the
amazing synergy created through cooperative learning, simple management signals and structures can be
used. These signals and structures provide you and your students with a set of directives to ease discussion and movement transitions in your class, as well as to help students recognize turn-taking. When students are first practicing the signals and structures, award team cooperation points to teams that respond correctly and quickly.

Zero Noise Signal
Because the students will often be engaged in working with their partners and teams, it is essential to have a way to get the students’ attention quickly and effi ciently. Teach the students that when you raise your hand high without talking, it means that they are to quickly complete their statements, stop talking, give their full, focused attention to you or whoever is giving the signal, and raise their hands to signal that they are ready to listen. As the students become familiar with its use, your raised hand may be all that is necessary.

Active Listening
To prompt the students to focus their attention on the speaker and to listen carefully to what he or she has to say, raise a hand and form a V with two fingers.

Think Time
To prompt the students to think about a question or refl ect on an idea before answering, point to your temple and pause. The pause allows the students time to think. Students may also mimic the signal to demonstrate their commitment to thinking.

My Turn, Your Turn
My Turn, Your Turn is used to cue turn-taking. Pointing to the chest and saying “My Turn” lets the students know that you are reading. Extending a hand toward the class and saying “Your Turn” indicates to the students that it is their turn to read. As the students become familiar with this turn-taking procedure, simple hand gestures may be all that is necessary.

Whole-Group Response
When you wish to have the whole group read or respond in unison, extend a hand toward the class.
 

Thumbs Up
Have students working in partnerships and teams give the Thumbs Up signal. This lets you know that they are ready to share with the class or move on to the next task. The Thumbs Up signal can also be used to show consensus. You may use the Thumbs Up signal to cue students to “up the volume” when reading or responding.

Partner Pyramid
To signal that they are ready, have partners hold hands in the air to form a pyramid. This lets you know that they are ready to share with the class or move on to the next task.

1-2-3 Move
To move the students from one location in the classroom to another during the course of a lesson, signal “one.” On “one,” the students gather materials. On “two,” the students stand and push their chairs in. On “three,” the students move to a new location and sit down.

Ask Three Before Me
One of the most important and effective rules in a cooperative-learning classroom is Ask Three Before Me. Teach the students to ask their partners a question, and then their teammates a question, before asking you.

Think-Pair-Share
A simple, useful, informal cooperative-learning structure called Think-Pair-Share was developed by Frank Lyman of the University of Maryland. When presenting a lesson to the class, have the students sit in pairs within their teams. When posing a question, instruct the students to think of the answer on their own, then pair with their partners to reach consensus on an answer, and fi nally share their agreed-upon answers with the rest of the class.

Random Reporter
Random Reporter is a simple, easy-to-use structure that is effective for answering questions at all levels of difficulty.

• Students number off: Have students number off 1–4, or assign students numbers within their teams. For teams of five, the number three may be assigned to two students.
• Teacher asks a question: Phrase questions so the students know that the answer must include an explanation. Remind students to make sure everyone on the team can explain how they arrived at the answer.
• Put heads together: Team members then discuss the question and make sure each member knows and can explain the answer. Time limits may be given, as appropriate, to keep things moving quickly.
• Teacher calls a random number: The student with that number raises his or her hand to respond. If a complete answer is not given, another student with that number may be called on to add to the answer