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 think that as a teacher in today's society, you should definitely accommodate Aisha by having her work only with girls. I would begin by contacting her parents and assuring that it is a religious issue rather than a dislike for the opposite gender. From there, I feel it is the teacher's job to understand that each child in the classroom has their own cultural differences and it is our job to assure that we accommodate these differences so that students feel a sense of "home" in the classroom and feel comfortable to share their ideas and beliefs. Aisha working with all girls does not affect the outcome of the project. The goal is to assess if students can cooperate, exchange ideas, and produce a project in a team. It did not specify with a variety of people and/or cultures. I think that Aisha will feel more comfortable and willing to participate and perform her best if her religious beliefs are respected. Although Aisha may have to work with males later in life, this is something that she will have to confront when the time comes. I believe that as educators, it is our job to ensure that students develop a love of learning that will follow them throughout life. We can only do this if we show them we care about their cultural differences and allow them to stay true to themselves in the classroom.