Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning (Corwin Mathematics Series)

by Peter Liljedahl

aside from mobilizing knowledge, frequent visibly random groups also mobilizes empathy. As a society we give far too little credit for the empathy that children have for each other. Perhaps this is a by-product of our efforts to stem school and social media bullying and exclusion. In our efforts to stem these social ails we build up an assumption that, without our interventions, all kids would be capable of perpetrating such acts. But this is not true. Children have an unbelievable capacity for empathy for each other. They know which students are strong and weak, which have special designations, and which receive adaptations or accommodations, and yet they still see each other as peers and as friends. Random groups puts this empathy into motion and gives it a venue to play out in.

Lead teacher