Grouping students is a method that is very important in the classroom. There is an influence that helps understand how to group the students. The Unit Plan created in ED 605 was based on the content area of biology with emphasis on cell division. The activities planned for students included individual and group assignments.

Understanding how to group students in a classroom creates an en effective school, effective teacher, academic achievement, perceptions of self and others, motivation, attitudes toward school, and friendships and interactions in school and the classroom. It contributes to more positive academic and affective outcomes in regards to students. When considering how to group students, it is important to understand the diverse personalities that are in the classroom. Students are created into small groups for a portion of time. I would consider the different sorts of learning goals and tasks, evaluate student performance and maintain group collaboration for different periods of time. Grouping is used to make sure that all students learn, increase student engagement, teach students how to work with others, facilitate social interaction among students, motivate students, improve students’ self-concepts and attitudes toward their self and school, and teach students how to learn in different ways. In order to be effective in grouping, the following must be completed: teacher pre-planning and preparation, tasks to be completed, group size, group composition, roles and responsibilities, advance training for students, effective teaching skills, clarity, monitoring, reinforcement and feedback, substantive teacher time, evaluation, review of group composition, permanence of group, teacher perceptions and expectations and group assignment, importance of group placement, instruction in pull-out groups versus regular classroom instruction, and changes in the role of the teacher required by instructional groups.

The activity regarding the unit plays a role in determining how students will work together and what strategy is best for it. It is important to make sure that the students are grouped with people that he or she gets along with in order to prevent any problems that may occur within the classroom. It is also important to consider the level of the student so he or she can be paired with someone who can help encourage thinking and learning. An example of this would be if I had a student that had difficulties with biology, I would partner this student with someone who is doing very well so he or she could help explain the material for the student to understand. This allows a sense of tutoring and an opportunity for the student to feel comfortable asking questions. It is important to also consider the skills of the students so they could be grouped based on similar skills and interests. In regards to STEM education, considering students reading and writing skills can help determine who to group them with. It is important to emphasize building reading and writing skills within the classroom to help students succeed in the classroom and other classes as well.

Problems can occur if teachers do not have a clear understanding of how to group students. For example, when I was in high school we were allowed to pick our own groups so it left some people struggling to find a part and caused communication issues. Also, there was a time in high school when a teacher partnered a student with another student that he recently had issues with so this lead to confrontation. The teacher should always be aware of what is going on in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Problems can lead to a decrease in academic activity and motivation in the classroom, which reflects on performance as a teacher. This causes the classroom to be disrupted leading to the lesson lacking effective and efficient workflow.