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52 Group Discussion Skills

Page
443
from
Write Ahead

Group Discussion Skills Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Share with your students a recent Fast Company article about three types of dysfunctional teams:

  1. The War Zone is a "team" of hyper-competitive people who are out for themselves and must constantly guard against getting stabbed in the back. (Focused entirely on outcomes and not people)

  2. The Love Fest is a "team" of people who just want to get along with each other, whether they get anything accomplished or not. (Focused entirely on people and not outcomes)

  3. The Un-Team is a "team" gathered for status updates to report to a top-down manager who makes all of the decisions. (Focused on one person—the boss—with no actual teamwork)

Obviously, none of those examples of teams is desirable. This chapter will help students understand group dynamics, recognizing many roles to play and ways to cooperate and collaborate.

Think About It

“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

—Vince Lombardi

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.SL.1.1

LAFS.910.SL.1.2

LAFS.910.SL.1.3

LAFS.910.SL.2.4

LAFS.910.SL.2.5

LAFS.910.SL.2.6

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.1

110.37.c.1

110.36.c.5.C

110.37.c.5.C

110.36.c.1.D

110.37.c.1.D

110.36.c.5.I

110.36.c.5.J

110.37.c.5.I

110.37.c.5.J

110.36.c.8.A

110.36.c.8.G

110.37.c.8.A

110.37.c.8.G

110.36.c.1.C

110.37.c.1.C

110.36.c.5.H

110.37.c.5.H

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 444 from Write Ahead

Participating in Groups

People often talk about the "chemistry" of a group. Adding a single person to a group, or removing a single person, can completely change the group's chemistry. That's because different group members play different roles to keep the group moving forward (or impede progress).

Review the "Task Roles" at the top of the page, which focus on those who handle the main business of the group.

Then address the "Group Roles," which help people get along and work together—also important business.

Finally, cover the "Disruptor Roles," which cause trouble in groups.

Let students know that, when you witness their group work, you will note which students are performing constructive task and group roles and which are acting as disruptors—and grades will reflect these differences in contribution.

Interviewing Others

Use the material at the bottom of the page to help students interview others in person. Emphasize the importance of preparation beforehand, doing the research to understand the person and situation, and developing a list of questions that will facilitate meaningful responses. Then help students clear the way for listening and recording during the interview. The material on the facing page will help students avoid poor listening habits.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.1, 110.37.c.1
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1, LA 10.3.3.e

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
English Language Arts:
SpeakingListening

Page 445 from Write Ahead

Avoiding Poor Listening Habits

Present the information on this page as a poll. Ask students to number a piece of paper from 1 to 6. Then say that, for each item on page 445, they need to rate their listening habits from 1 (never) to 6 (always). In the end, a low score indicates strong listening skills, and a high score indicates need for improvement.

Afterward, lead a discussion of the biggest pitfalls that students face in their listening habits. Discuss ways to prevent each type of problem. Then have each student write a paragraph reflection naming at least two strategies they can use to become better listeners.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.1, 110.37.c.1
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1, LA 10.3.3.e

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
English Language Arts:
ListeningSpeaking

Page 446 from Write Ahead

Responding

In a word, this page is about respect. Students need to understand that another person is on the other end of whatever they say when they respond. If they get their point across but damage the relationship, they will have won the battle but lost the war. If they preserve the relationship but don't say what needs to be said, they will have failed to communicate. So responding requires attending to both the person and the truth.

Lead students through the tips on this page. Tell them you expect them to use these tips in their group interactions going forward. Watch for "teachable moments," to gently correct and guide effective responses.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.1, 110.37.c.1
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1, LA 10.3.3.e

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
English Language Arts:
SpeakingListening