Cooperative Learning from a Student’s Point of View

Cooperative “Learning” by Lucy Lynette

I don’t remember any of the content from my 9th grade history class. I couldn’t tell you a single thing we were taught or put my finger on any of the events, dates, or people we studied; what I can remember, though, is the educational horror that was “cooperative learning.” I’m aware that most educators these days are familiar with this teaching method, but for those of you outside the educational world, let me give you a little overview: the concept is to get kids to interact with their peers and think outside the box by giving them countless group activities and constantly putting them in front of the class to do “creative presentations.” Sounds great, right? Wrong. Let me give you a student perspective.

Public school is a mash-up of kids from all different backgrounds and values. Now, personally, education is very important to me, and my schooling means a lot. Not everyone feels that way, and before, that was all fine and dandy. They did their thing, and I did mine. But then they started this cooperative learning stuff, and suddenly my grade depends on the people that sit next to me – A.K.A a bleach blonde vanity queen and a clueless stoner that probably can’t find the right side of his marijuana pipe half the time.

Furthermore, even if you do have a good group, not all people work well with other people, because they have a specific learning style that works for them. As for me, I have ADHD and am attempting to attend school unmedicated [Mom’s note: this is being done for very good reasons and with a plan in place]. This is not easy and takes a large amount of structure and self-analysis. I have a specific way I need to operate to learn, or I get distracted and cannot finish my work. This strategy does not, in fact, include scrambling to organize a last-minute “creative presentation” we have to do in front of the class at the end of the period. It’s horrible and stressful and humiliating and distracting and altogether terrible for anyone actually trying to learn something. Also, because of my ADHD, I sometimes cannot gain focus on a class activity, and I have to step back, slow down, and carefully think everything through. This is not an option while in the cooperative learning program, because everything is in a group and must be completed by the end of the period so that your teacher can shove you in front of the class to present it.

I like history. I love to learn about past events and people and all that jazz, but I hated that class. I struggled through it and dreaded it every day. The cooperative system ruined the content and distracted from my learning.

P.S. Please do not pass this off as a kid with a learning disability struggling with the content. I got straight As that year and am NOT the only one who feels this way.