Collaborative Pairs-Implementation and Accountability

Brenda Hill
Jan 10, 2011

How do you effectively implement Collaborative Pairs while holding students accountable for their behavior and responses?

One exemplary practice found in exemplary schools is Collaborative Pairs. The use of Collaborative Pairs allows students the opportunity to discuss and talk about new learning (it’s hard to get lost in a pair) and is used as a procedure for refocusing after students have reflected on the acquired knowledge. Research shows that learning is first a social activity before it is a cognitive activity. These findings emphasize the importance of using Collaborative Pairs to have students discuss new learning, but it does not necessarily eliminate the effectiveness or accountability issues that sometimes cause concerns for classroom teachers. If pairs are to truly have a positive impact on student learning and achievement, then we need to effectively plan for the purposeful and meaningful use of this exemplary practice for the retention of learning, while at the same time holding students accountable for their behavior and responses in pairs.

The effective implementation of Collaborative Pairs is achieved through thoughtful and purposeful planning. It is not only important, but imperative, that we carefully plan for how pairs are to explain, clarify, summarize, or synthesize the newly acquired knowledge that will enrich and enhance each student’s learning.  Collaborative Pairs are used in Acquisition Lessons during the Activating Strategy, during Teaching Strategies as distributed practice, distributed summarizing, and Assessment Prompts and/or are used during the Summarizing Strategy as students answer the Lesson Essential Question. Assessment Prompts in Acquisition Lessons provide opportunities to focus and guide you when planning the discussion points for Collaborative Pairs. Ask:  "What are the essential “chunks” of the lesson that I want students discussing?"  and "How do I want students responding to or thinking about the acquired knowledge?"  Once we have planned for the “what” and “how” of Collaborative Pairs, then guidelines should be established in order for them to be used effectively.

Established guidelines are not only important, but necessary, as the foundational basis for the efficient, effective implementation of collaborative pairs.  Here are some suggestions for planning for and establishing guidelines for collaborative pairs:

1. Determine who will work together as partners (partner selection). Older students may be given the opportunity to choose their own partner. If students are given the choice of choosing a partner, think about how you will have them choose. Remember: partner groupings work best when pairs are grouped by low/average, average/average, or average/high. Once students have begun working with partners there may be times when one or more “pairs” will need to be “re-partnered."  There are several reasons this situation could occur, such as student absences, the inability of the pair to cooperate and work together, off-task behavior, etc.  Make sure you have reflected on how you will regroup pairs and have a contingency plan in place to address this situation if it does occur.

2. Decide the length of time the partners will work together. For example, the same pairs may work together for just one lesson, a week, or for an entire unit.  Collaborative Pairs may even be specifically grouped to work together on a particular task, product, or performance.   

3. Establish and communicate the expectations and guidelines for behavior and discussion in pairs. This is the foundational basis for using partners effectively to increase retention of learning and student achievement. You may want to chart “non-negotiables” for pairs and keep these guidelines posted and visible as a reminder to students of how they are to respond and behave when working with a partner. Role playing is also key to ensuring partners understand the expectations for discussion in pairs. Model appropriate behavior in pairs by role playing with another teacher or another student. Additionally, pair(s) of students can be selected to role play the appropriate responses and behaviors they are to demonstrate. Once the established guidelines and expectations for pairs have been clearly communicated to students through modeling, role playing and opportunities for practice, then the expectations are that all students will follow them all the time. There may be times throughout the year that you will need to revisit the expectations in order to ensure the effective use of pairs.

4. Have a procedure for re-focusing. This may be a raised hand (“Give Me Five”), the start of music playing, a clapping pattern, a bell ringing, etc. If you randomly change the procedure technique for re-focusing the group, make sure it has been clearly communicated to the class.

Once guidelines have been communicated to students establishing the expectations for pairs, how do you hold students accountable for what is being discussed and shared?  The following are some accountability measures that may be used to ensure students are responding as directed in collaborative pairs:

• Give pairs a specified time frame for discussion. For example, you have 1 minute to talk with your partner. Many teachers choose to use a stop watch, kitchen timer, or even an hour glass sand dial to keep discussions within the specified time frame. 

• Assign each partner a specific discussion point. For example, 1s tell 2s the three types of rocks, 2s give 1s one characteristic of each. This alleviates time being spent deciding who will talk first and keeps the second partner from repeating what the first partner has already said.   

• Randomly select Collaborative Pairs to share what was discussed. For example, once you have refocused students you may ask:  “What did your partner share with you?”  “What did you and your partner discuss?”  This builds in an accountability measure for students to stay on task as they do not know who will be called upon to share what was discussed.

• Listen to what is being said and discussed as partners work together. By moving strategically around the classroom and listening to the partner discussions, pairs are more likely to stay on task and respond appropriately to and with each other. In addition to monitoring the discussion and responses of pairs, you will also discover, if or what, you may need to revisit or re-teach.

These guidelines and suggestions should provide you the information necessary for answering the question, How do you effectively implement collaborative pairs while holding students accountable for their behavior and responses?  Remember: Collaborative Pairs is not peer tutoring or “random talk” that is not directly related to helping students answer the Lesson Essential Question, but rather opportunities for students to be actively engaged in thinking about new learning.  Therefore, the effectiveness of Collaborative Pairs as an exemplary practice to positively impact student achievement is directly related to the thoughtful and purposeful planning of classroom teachers to determine “how” and “when” it is to be used in Acquisition Lessons.