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 forcing her to work with mostly males despite her objections is the wrong way to go. She not only refused to cooperate but now probably doesn't trust you as a teacher. I say this with having made a similar mistake in my first year of teaching by refusing to listen to a Jehovah's Witness student's objections to doing part of a project I assigned because of his beliefs. I think Aisha should be accommodated. Place her in a group with all girls or if this is difficult try to compromise and maybe limit the group to one or two boys, making it mostly girls. I would then want to talk with Aisha's parents in a conference to see if there is any way she would be able to work with males in an academic context. I would explain how important it will be for Aisha's future career success to learn to do this. I would also try not to push the issue too hard to avoid her parents taking offense. It is a tricky situation and trying to push new social norms too hard can lead to more resistance by both Aisha and her parents.