Students struggling to collaborate? Co-Create Norms for High Functioning Project Teams

Aug 19, 2026

Have you ever put students into groups, asked them to collaborate, and then watched the whole thing fall apart? One student takes over, others disengage, ideas get shut down, and no one seems quite sure who’s responsible for what. The problem isn’t necessarily the group—it’s that effective collaboration needs to be taught.

In this episode of The Student-Centered Shift, you’ll discover a practical way to build those skills by co-creating collaboration norms with your students instead of handing them a list of rules. Through simple, hands-on activities, students experience effective teamwork firsthand and use those experiences to define what great collaboration looks like.

You’ll discover how to help students:

• Build on each other’s ideas instead of shutting them down
• Divide roles and responsibilities so everyone has a part
• Hear different perspectives and navigate disagreement
• Reach consensus and take greater ownership of how their team works

If you want students to become more independent, constructive, and confident collaborators, this episode gives you a simple approach you can put into practice with your next group task. Listen in and discover how co-created norms can turn group work into high-functioning teamwork.

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