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!) I believe the first step would be to have a discussion with the student about her religious beliefs to try to understand if this really is a religious belief or if it is actually a cultural belief she is expressing. It should also be discussed with the student what would be acceptable in working with male students. Perhaps she might be willing to work in a group with male students if she did a part of the project with only the female students in her group. In the example above Aisha might be willing to work with the other female student on one section of the group project while the boys work on another section. However, in the end the teacher should probably reconsider their original position and put Aisha in only all female students. It is not worth ruining the entire year over.