Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Know it all Every class has one: a "know it all." Well, in class I had a student who thought she was the gift to the classroom and knew absolutely everything about everything. We were doing a pair share activity and she was completely insulting one of the students in her group who didn't really feel like participating. On one hand, the girl was being overly mean, but on the other hand the student wasn't doing what he was supposed to do. I was wondering if I should tell the student to calm down and not worry about the other student, or should I tell the unmotivated student to buck up and do the work? Either choice seems to have its draw backs and I can't really tell both of them to leave each other alone and do the work because then they will both be upset with me and not do the work. Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I would talk to and address both students individually and privately about their behaviors--both need to know that they are not acting appropriately and if it continues to go on, it will reflect in their grade. If a group has this issue, I would also consider having ready a scale that you can use to deduct points for participation and group cooperativeness; maybe deduct 2 or 3 points at first, but if problems continue then 5 or more points will be taken off from the whole group's score. It is important for students to know that they need to learn to work with others cooperatively even if they may not want to or like them because this is an important skill that they will need if they want to be successful in their professional (and social) futures.