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!) By allowing Aisha to work with just girls you would not be doing her a disservice. It's very ignorant of a teacher to tell a student that they are in America and that they have to work with whoever they are grouped with. At the same time Aisha should also be willing to be a little more flexible with whom she will work with. She could easily be placed in a small group with majority girls and not have to physically interact with the male. It might be hard depending on the class size for Aisha to be placed in a group with just girls. Maybe she could be given and independent assignment or a partner assignment instead.