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!) This is definitely a difficult situation. As an American woman, my immediate instinct tells me that she should be taught how to interact with different people so that she will be better able to perform in a work environment later. However, if her religion is against such interactions, there is little to support that she will seek employment where she will be forced to work with males. Perhaps a meeting with her parents to ask about the cultural expectations regarding interactions between males and females would give the instructor a better idea of how to proceed. If her parents are adamant about her not working with males, it should be respected. If they do not think it would be harmful, perhaps they could speak to her about how she should approach group work.