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 a very tricky situation. To force her to do something she does not believe in would not be effective teaching but having her completely avoid all males is a troublesome idea as well. If a class has an even number of boys to girls or more girls than boys then something like this can easily accommodated. However I have been in classes where one gender outnumbered the other 5 to 1. With Aisha, I feel like you were both right and wrong. I am trying to figure out a situation in life where she would never have to deal with men and I think a scenario like that is far and few between. As teachers we have to try to teach our students life lessons as well as lessons from the textbook. This means teaching life lessons such as "working with other," especially with others you may not want to work with. These are unavoidable situations in life. But then again as teachers we must do what we can to give our students the best opportunity to learn. I think completely dismissing her may not have been the best solution. I would have tried working out a compromise where she would work with only girls with some assignments and then with boys and girls in others after explaining to her all of this.