Class exercise: Students’ Identities

Task:

Ask students to 1) form groups based on their identities, and 2) explain the reasons and rationale behind joining in given groups

Stage 1: Group Negotiation 

All students begin speaking to one another, listening to each other and exchanging personal information to make decisions about identity. Students introduce themselves, and more confident students often initiated exchanges. Through cobversations, students can form and reform groups, negotiating and deciding on the rationale behind forming groups. 

Stage 2: Groups and Identities 

At the end of the sorting process, once students form their groups, they have to negotiate how to explain their grouping to the rest of the class. Students may find different characteristics as key to their identity, such as politics, religion, traditions, ethnicity or other. Every time the rationale of forming a group is named, it is an opportunity for critical discussion about the term and about the importance of inclusive learning. 

Stage 3: Reflection 

This activity not only facilitates students speaking and listening to each other, but also helps recognize diversity in the classroom and the importance of inclusivity. Students exchange personal information, understand one another, and form meaningful relationships. In other words, this task helps students learn through the exchange of experiences, thus benefitting from their diverse classroom experience. This exercise also helps highlight the heterogeneity of identity within the classroom.

Based on:

Trees, Kathryn. (2003). Effectively teaching diverse student groups: A reflection on teaching and learning strategies. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 53:2, 234-252