As educators, it is important to create an engaging and productive learning environment for the students in the our classrooms. The easiest way to do so is by promoting collaboration. Collaboration helps students develop vital skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. All of which are crucial for academic success, as well as positive behavior building.

Here are some ways to promote collaboration in your classrooms:

1. Class Discussions: Encourage and incorporate class discussions, debates, seminars, etc. These techniques allow the student to share their opinions, ask questions, and listen to others. Discussions aid in furthering the understanding of the subject matter, as well as, helping build students’ interpersonal and communication skills.
2. Peer Teaching: Sometimes, it is better to learn from someone who is more likeminded to yourself. Encouraging students to teach each other by assigning them a specific concept and having them essentially express their knowledge and expertise onto the rest of the class or an individual is an exceptional way to promote collaboration. It also is a great way to enhance leadership qualities within a student!
   • Remember: it is important to avoid creating a sense of inferiority within the classroom!
3. Presentations: Along the lines of peer teaching is group presentations. Encouraging students to present their projects and ideas in front of the class will give them the opportunity to voice their knowledge onto an audience. As a group, working together and collaborating builds important skills such as team work, but the presentations also build another important skill. Presenting in front of an audience enhances a students leadership qualities, as well as, their public speaking skills. Presentations, especially as a group are one of the most effective and beneficial forms of collaborating in a classroom.
4. Team Building: Organizing team-building activities such as games, puzzles, and other interactive activities promote collaboration and its benefits greatly. These activities encourage students to work together, communicate, and even build trust within each other. It is also a welcomed change of pace for most students, as normal day-to-day school work can become monotonous to some.
   • An example that I’d like to highlight is using games such as Gimkit. Gimkit is a live learning game show that is run by the teacher. It splits the class into teams and allows them to play against each other to earn rewards and power-ups!

That is not to say that collaboration is limited to just the students! Teaching collaboration at a young age also promotes collaborating in the future. That is why it is important to practice what you preach! Collaborating amongst other teachers and staff members can also benefit you, as the teacher, and it even trickles down onto the students. For the same benefits as collaboration within students, collaborating amongst your peers as a teacher can also be beneficial to the classroom.

All in all, promoting collaboration among students in the classroom is an effective way to create an engaging and productive learning environment. By using the strategies mentioned above and applying them into your academic setting, students are able to develop important life skills that will benefit them academically, professionally, and even morally!

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