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Thriving in Academe
Tales from Real Life

A Teacher’s First-Time Experience with Cooperative Learning

"In this class I have found true friends.” These words on a student critique came from a young Vietnamese daycare worker taking my upper level Children’s Literature class to help her young charges.

The course challenged her, but I had deliberately surrounded her with caring, cooperative teammates who helped her earn an honest C. She would have floundered in my typical lecture-based course. And, I too would have despaired.

Cooperative learning, a “first-time” approach, transformed my class into a place where students routinely helped and encouraged each other: they learned to care deeply not only about literature but also about each other.

This academic depth was clearly brought home to me when I used groups to explore Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese. I had formerly lectured—brilliantly, of course—on
this complex novel.

Students had listened, apparently spellbound, to my enlightening lecture. Now, as they wrestled with questions in their groups, I suddenly realized that while I was delving into obscure Freudian symbolism, they hadn’t even grasped the basic plot line.

Now, I heard, “You’re kidding! He’s insane? Show me. How do you know that?”

My class was exhibiting both excitement and close textual analysis. Light bulbs went off all around the room as I listened to the stimulating hum and realized that my students were truly learning at last.

— Barbara J. Millis
U.S. Air Force Academy

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