Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group

Chapter five of Fires in the Bathroom by Kathleen Cushman talks about students working together in groups and the diverse students that make up each group. Throughout every class there is always at least one kid that represents your typical stereotype. As the book says you have : the eye roller, the hand waver, the wallflower, the dreamer, the con-artist, the goof-off, and the work horse. When integrating group activities into a classroom with such diverse students, it is important for the teacher to recognize and take advantage of the differences. It's important for the teacher to challenge every student and to include every student, perhaps in different ways. There will be times when you will have students that like to dominate a class, this is when the teacher needs to step in and manage a classroom where all students have the opportunity to participate equally. Teachers need to be aware of the differences and take into consideration why some people might not participate as much as others, but it is still important to challenge every student.