More examples for Getting to Know Each Other and Working Together

A pupil at Pieter Nieuwland College shared her personal story in class.

Sharing personal stories was a key focus of the Rapucation Foundation (see name change to VOH). At several schools, the foundation organised ‘First ID’ projects in which pupils and teachers wrote personal stories and shared them with one another, with the aim of improving the atmosphere at school.

Here you can find an example of a personal story by Johan ’t Hart, created during a First ID project at his school, Pieter Nieuwland College.

At Pieter Nieuwland College, a pupil conducts his classmates during a music lesson.

2.55 A pupil takes the lead

During a music lesson, a pupil takes on the role of conductor. He gets to know the class as an orchestra. In turn, the class gets to know him as a conductor. In this way, new opportunities arise for pupils to get to know one another. These contribute to the group’s autonomy. In this situation, the teacher takes on the role of coach.

More quotations related to the module ‘Getting to Know Each Other and Working Together’

 There is sufficient evidence for the relationship between prejudice within groups, altruism and competition. But using mathematical models, my colleagues (including mathematical biologist Feng Fu and Martin Nowak) and I evaluated whether prejudice and cooperation within groups could emerge without competition between groups. The key to making this happen is simply the ability of individuals to move between groups. A fluid social dynamic can turn yesterday’s enemies into today’s friends.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

If we want to create welcoming, inclusive communities, we must do everything we can to weaken tribalism and foster a sense of shared humanity. The challenge is to meet people’s need to belong and to connect with one another without activating the more defensive and potentially violent aspects of tribalism.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

 Research shows that ‘tit for tat’ is the most successful long-term strategy for cooperation: those whose moral emotions compelled them to play ‘tit for tat’ fared better than those using other strategies such as ‘help everyone who needs it’ (which encourages exploitation) or ‘take but never give’ (which only works once per person; soon nobody wants to share the pie with you anymore).” Haidt (2012), Jonathan

 The function of religious rituals is to bring people to a higher collective level, to bind them to a group, and then to send them back into daily life with stronger loyalty to that group. Rituals in which people sing, dance or chant in unison are powerful means of achieving this.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg and Jonathan Haidt.
FFT adds the note that not only religious rituals can elevate us to a higher level. Project-based learning without a religious character can fulfil this function as well.

 I propose that we take this approach one step further. To understand the miracle of moral communities that grow beyond the boundaries of kinship, we must look not only at people, and not only at relationships between people, but at the entire environment in which those relationships are embedded, and which makes those people more virtuous (however they themselves define that term). Quite a few unconventional solutions are needed to sustain a moral community.” Haidt (2012) Jonathan

 Durkheim described people as ‘homo duplex’ or ‘two-level human beings’: We are very good at individually pursuing our daily goals (Durkheim calls this the level of the ‘profane’). But we also have the capacity to transform ourselves, temporarily, to a higher collective level, which Durkheim describes as the level of the ‘sacred’.”

 What is most important in free play is that it is always voluntary; anyone can stop at any time and disrupt the activity, so children must pay close attention to the needs and concerns of others if they want the play to continue. They must resolve conflicts about fairness themselves; they cannot appeal to an adult to take one child’s side against another.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg and Jonathan Haidt.
FFT adds the note that teachers and school leaders should ensure that conflicts do not get out of hand.

  1. Tell your pupils that you are taking the Friendly and Fair Teachng course (FFT) and that you intend to be Friendly and Fair. Explain that you hope your pupils will also behave friendly and fair. Make it clear that if this does not happen, you will reinforce positive behaviour, and that they may also call you out if you are not being friendly (equality).
  2. Think of group tasks in which pupils can achieve more by working together. One example is Modelling.
  3. Online, you can find a large collection of teaching methods by searching for “mix and swap cooperative learning”.
  4. With this article, you will find an overview of various teaching methods that give pupils the opportunity to get to know one another. Article: Cooperative Learning Methods
  5. Put yourself in the other person’s position. What is their situation and what are their wishes? Show that you recognise their situation, and only offer solutions if they ask for them.
  6. Listen – Summarise – Ask Further Questions. You can use this in an exercise where pupils get to know one another.
  7. If your relationship with a pupil has become strained, ask the pupil why contact between you has become difficult. Involve the pupil in finding a solution and, if necessary, make (different) agreements about how you will interact in future or about the pupil’s place in the group.
  8. Calm activities in which getting to know one another is central help prevent bullying. In a busy and chaotic environment, pupils also get to know less pleasant sides of one another.