I’ve been using Group Roles for years in my classroom. I love the impact that Group Roles has on my students and in my teaching. I love Group Roles so much that I use them not only for labs, but also for routine class activities like getting supplies, cleaning up, and structured group work.
I teach Group Roles at the beginning of the year and use them all year long. Read more about why I use Group Roles in my blog post: Effective Classroom Management: Harnessing the Power of Group Roles.
Keep reading to learn more about how I make Group Roles work in my classroom, and tips to help you get started:
- What are the Group Roles?
- When to use Group Roles: Labs, Classroom Activities, & Group Work
- How I assign Group Roles
- How to introduce Group Roles: Lost at Sea Activity
- Use modeling and communication to teach Group Roles
- Examples using Group Roles (Teacher Script!)
- Resources in Google Drive to teach Group Roles
What are the Group Roles?
You can find lots of different versions of group roles online. The ones I used are: Captain, Recorder, Time Keeper, Organizer. The main responsibilities of each role stay the same regardless of what we’re working on. Whether it’s a lab, group assignment, or classroom task. Each role is in charge of a particular area:
- Captain – checks the directions, talks to the teacher, makes sure turns are fair. The Captain is the most “leader” role in the group.
- Recorder– writes down all the data, shares data with the group.
- Organizer -gets equipment, coordinates clean-up. Aka the “Equipment Manager.”
- Timekeeper – runs the stopwatch if required, keeps the group on time.
Even though each role has a specialty, every group member contributes and participates towards the group’s efforts. Unless stated otherwise, each group member turns in their own lab or assignment. They are responsible for getting the data from the experiment, which is documented by the Recorder.
When to Use Group Roles: Labs, Classroom Activities, and Group Work
In labs there’s a complex procedure to navigate. You need to negotiate taking turns. There’s equipment to manage and objectives to master. All of this must be done in a limited time! That’s a lot! It takes teamwork and shared responsibility to do labs well. I seriously couldn’t do labs without group roles!
I use Group Roles with group work and when students work in teams. They make sure the team responsibility is shared. This ensures no one slacks off and doesn’t take part.
Group Roles also help with classroom activities. 35 people inside one classroom is a lot. That’s a lot of bodies, lots of talking, lots of moving, and a lot of paper! Group roles for class tasks are crucial to help things run smoothly and efficiently. Group roles come in handy for picking up and returning supplies, and cleaning up after an activity. Basically any time I need a designated person to coordinate a task.
How I Assign Group Roles
There’s a lot of forethought that goes into Group Roles. It might seem like a lot at first. But I promise the extra work up front and the time you invest in these classroom systems will save you time later.
It all comes down to how I set-up my classroom. Starting Day 1, desks/tables are arranged together in groups of 4. Each table has a group number, and every desk has a label A, B, C, or D. When it’s time, I display a Google slide that connects a role with a letter. Or it’s written on the board.
Basically roles are assigned based on seating arrangement. It’s pretty easy for me to assign group roles, since I already have my desks in groups of 4.
If I didn’t already have groups of 4, I would count out groups of 4. Students can also number/letter off. 1, 2, 3, 4, Group 1! 1, 2, 3, 4, Group 2! and so on.
Some of the roles are arguably “easier” than others, or students prefer some roles over others. For these reasons I like to rotate the roles so students experience every role. Whether they shine, or are challenged by the responsibility, they get something out of it.
How to Introduce Group Roles: Lost at Sea
I start using Group Roles on Day 1. Class activities are a great way to incorporate Group Roles early on. If there are directions to read, the Captain reads them to their table. If there are supplies to pickup or put away, the Organizer retrieves them or coordinates the cleanup.
In the first 2 weeks of school we learn about Lab Safety. Students review for the test by taking a Lab Safety Group Practice Quiz. Check out my blog post How She Teaches Lab Safety. I explain how I use group roles in that lesson.
Lost at Sea is a fun class activity to do towards the beginning of the year. Students work in teams of 4. Often in the activity, working together as a team gives a higher survival score than working individually. It’s a great opportunity to talk about the strength of teams.
Use Modeling and Communication to Teach Group Roles
Group Roles are pretty self explanatory. But I can’t just sit back and let the students run the show. They need prompts and feedback.
I use a direct communication style that comes from my classroom management strategy Class Points. With Class Points, I give lots of praise for a job well done. Students learn cooperation and communication skills through me from positive reinforcement when I acknowledge their successes. Check out my blog post Why Class Points is My Favorite Classroom Management Strategy. Also check out my blog post Class Points: Transforming Classroom Management with Positive Reinforcement to read more.
You might also be surprised by how much encouragement students need to talk to one another! My role is to encourage groups to work together and communicate. I help students fulfill their roles. I prompt them and give reminders (see Examples below).
Examples Using Group Roles
If you’re familiar with my blog, then you know I love a Teacher Script! Scripts help me feel prepared to teach my lessons through all the distractions and disruptions. Check out these key phrases when using Group Roles during labs, group work, and class activities:
- “Take a look at the board for your group role in today’s lab. Write the letter on your paper like this so you remember.”
- “OK Captain, tell the group something please, where you’re at in the procedure, what’s coming up next, who’s doing what?”
- “Recorder, what do you need? Talk to your group.”
- “Timekeepers, give your group an update. How much time is remaining?”
- “Organizer, talk to your group. What still needs to be done?”
- “OK now if you’re in seat A, you’re the Captain, or team leader. Captains, please read the case to your team.”
- “Table 3 is doing a great job taking turns. Nice teamwork!”
- “If you’re sitting in letter D, you’re the Organizer today. Organizers please grab a pair of scissors and colored pencils from the supply shelf. Bring them back to your table.”
Resources in Google Drive to Teach this Lesson
Check out my Group Roles folder in Google Drive. I shared some of the resources I use to teach Group Roles in my class. Make a copy and tweak them to your needs.
Google Drive > How She Teaches > Classroom Management > Group Roles
Give Group Roles a Try!
I started using Group Roles during labs. Then I had a teacher friend and mentor show me how he uses teams every day in his classroom. He incorporates them into every activity and lesson. I started doing something similar and I loved using Group Roles in my everyday teaching, not just for labs. I’ve been using them ever since.
In this day and age young people socialize a great deal through their screens. When we come together in the classroom it gives us the opportunity to collaborate face to face. Group Roles make the most out of these opportunities by adding structure, norms, and lots of practice and feedback. That’s maybe one of my favorite things about Group Roles is the social interaction.
Many just spend way too much time on their phones! So nowadays they need way more guidance on developing their communication skills. Students are just waiting for these meaningful connections. I love how Group Roles makes it so easy to collaborate. Students contribute to the group and share their ideas every single day!
I hope you find the information in this blog post useful. Let me know if you have questions by leaving a comment below. Do you use Group Roles in your classroom? Do you remember doing the Lost at Sea activity when you were in school? I would love to hear from you! Read about more of my favorite classroom management strategies by checking out the blog posts below.
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