How To Develop Effective Collaboration in Mathematics: Mathematicians as Team Players

Mathematicians excel, not only in problem-solving, but also in effective communication and collaboration. Through engaging games and thoughtful activities, we can reinforce the importance of teamwork and foster a collaborative math community. In this blog post, we explore how co-creating anchor charts becomes a powerful tool to teach children how mathematicians work together.

The Power of Games: Games play a pivotal role in teaching students essential life skills, such as communication and collaboration. They create opportunities for students to work together, share ideas, and solve problems as a team. Through intentional teaching, mathematicians learn to communicate effectively and collaborate seamlessly.

The Co-Created Anchor Chart: Using a co-created anchor chart is one way to reinforce the idea that mathematicians work together. Check out this example, which was built upon over a few weeks with the voices of the children in the co-creation process. This approach not only requires minimal preparation for the educator, but also empowers the children to share their ideas and recognize the importance and benefits of collaboration.

Photo Contributed by Kerstyn Stewart

Using Photos to Reinforce Identity: Before introducing your chart, capture photos of children engaging in games that demonstrate strong collaboration. Then introduce the chart by asking them, "What does collaboration look like?" and "Do you see any collaboration in this photo?" Using photos allows the children to see themselves as collaborators and provides opportunities to develop their language around collaborative efforts. Photos of the children in action also reinforce their identity as mathematicians who collaborate.

Teacher Tip: Print black and white photos and draw/label directly on the photos.

Discovering the Essence of Working Together: Once you have created the chart, continue to revisit it multiple times. Seek examples of positive collaboration in action during your day. What we celebrate as educators is reinforced by the actions of our children. Find instances of positive collaboration and publicly comment, "I noticed this group here is sitting close together so they can communicate and work effectively." Be specific in naming the behavior you observe.

Teacher Tip: Talk about opportunities for collaboration in your morning meeting. Ask the children where, outside of school, they notice collaboration. This helps them connect their learning beyond the hours of the school day, creating purpose. 

An Insightful Thought for Young Minds: In the example above, as this class continued to return to the anchor chart and add new ideas and observations, the children articulated that mathematicians share both materials AND ideas. This realization was impactful for their young and growing minds and sets the stage for future collaborations when problem-solving.

The Strength of Repeated Experiences: One of my guiding beliefs is that repeating experiences is a vital process to deepen understanding. By revisiting the anchor chart multiple times and providing children with repeated opportunities to practice working together, they grow more confident in their abilities and become more supportive collaborators.

Empowering Math Conversations with a Social Emotional Lens: The anchor chart not only enables children to recognize their strengths, but also empowers them to openly discuss challenges with their peers. It provides them with a common language to express themselves effectively and offer support to one another.  

Time, Perseverance, and the Educator's Role: Building collaboration in math is a journey that requires time and perseverance. As facilitators, we play a vital role in nurturing many opportunities to highlight this critical skill. Take pride in cultivating a collaborative math community where children can thrive as team players. Celebrate the growth of your mathematicians as effective collaborators throughout the year. Through engaging games, collaborative rich tasks, anchor charts, and repeated experiences, we instill in them the value of teamwork and the power of shared ideas. Together, let's continue to nurture a math community where collaboration is at the heart of every learning moment.

Additional Photo Examples of Co-Created Anchor Charts:

Join us on this math journey, where we build not only mathematical skills, but also strong, confident, and collaborative mathematicians! 🤝