Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Cannot Cooperate Aisha is known as a responsible and smart student. I have known her for the last two years, but this year is the first time she is taking one of my classes. She is in my 10th grade US History class. Recently, I started using small group projects in my class. I simply want my students to learn to cooperate, exchange ideas, and produce the project together. Although Aisha is willing to take part in these small group projects, she does not want to be in groups with male students because of her religious beliefs. When she told me about this, I told her that she was in the United States and that she had to work with whoever she is in a group with. In the first group project, Aisha was in a group with three males and one female students. She simply did not participate in any of the group activities. I wonder if should reconsider my original position on this issue and accommodate Aisha by having her work only with girls. Would I be doing her a disservice? What should I do? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) First of all, I would definitely consider researching and looking in to Aisha's specific religious reasons for not wanting to work with males. Ethically, I would have to understand if I am failing to acknowledge the student's first amendment rights based on his/her religion. If I am trying to analyze whether Aisha can learn a particular academic standard, I feel that I should reconsider and have her work with mainly girls. If I am trying to have her understand gender diversity and cooperation by working with others, I would have to discuss with her the importance of working collaboratively with others and how it will affect her life beyond this particular assignment and classroom. As a teacher, I would have to try to tear down that wall of fear or complex she has toward male classmates. Real world scenarios, application, and examples may help Aisha understand. I'm wondering also if she has any male siblings in her family and if she works cooperatively with them as well.