Introduction: From Competition to Cooperation
You notice it every day: in your class, some students finish their exercises in 10 minutes while others are still struggling after 30 minutes. Some understand on the first try, while others need 3 explanations. Some raise their hands frantically for every question, while others never participate.
The easy temptation would be to manage this heterogeneity by creating ability groups and letting everyone progress at their own pace, in isolation. But what if this diversity was actually your greatest asset? What if, instead of separating students, you had them work together, where each brings their strengths and receives help with their difficulties?
Welcome to the world of cooperative learning: this pedagogical approach where students work together, help each other, and progress collectively. And it’s not a fluffy utopia! When well-structured, cooperative work:
- Improves the academic results of ALL students (including the stronger ones)
- Develops essential social skills (listening, empathy, communication)
- Reduces the gaps between struggling students and high achievers
- Creates a positive and caring classroom climate
- Especially helps students with DYS disorders who find support from their peers
In this article, we will explore three pillars of cooperation in the classroom: peer tutoring (how to organize mutual help), learning stations (heterogeneous groups that really work), and clear roles (so that everyone contributes fairly). Concrete, tested strategies that transform your class into a true supportive team.
Why Does Cooperation Work So Well?
The Scientific Foundations
The Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky)
A student learns better with the help of a slightly more advanced peer than with an expert teacher. Why? Because the peer:
The Tutor Effect (learning by teaching)
When a student explains a concept to another, it is THEY who progress the most! Explaining forces one to:
Social Motivation
Working in groups meets a fundamental need: the feeling of belonging. Students are more motivated when they work WITH others rather than alone.
The Benefits for All Profiles
For struggling students (including those with DYS disorders):
For "average" students:
For "high-achieving" students:
For the ENTIRE class:
Strategy 1: Peer Tutoring
The Different Types of Tutoring
Fixed Tutoring (all year)
A "tutor" student is paired with a "tutee" for the entire year.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Rotating Tutoring (by periods)
The pairs change every period (every 6-8 weeks).
Advantages:
Spontaneous Tutoring (occasional)
Students naturally help each other when one needs assistance.
Advantages:
Limitations:
My recommendation: Combine all three!
How to Organize Tutoring in Practice?
Step 1: Train the Tutors
Students are not born "good tutors." They need to be taught!
Mini-training "Becoming a Good Tutor" (30 minutes):
What is a good tutor?
"A good tutor is NOT someone who gives the answers. It is someone who helps the other find the answers by themselves."
The 5 Golden Rules of Tutoring:
1. Be patient: "If your classmate doesn’t understand on the first try, that’s okay. Explain it differently."
2. Ask questions instead of giving answers:
- ❌ "The answer is 12"
- ✅ "How did you find that? What can you try?"
3. Explain in your own words: "Don’t use exactly the same words as the teacher. Explain it as you understand it."
4. Check that the other understands: "Can you explain it to me in your words?"
5. Value the efforts: "Well done, you are making progress!" "You are almost there!"
Role Play:
Have students act out scenarios where one student plays the tutor, and another the tutee. The class observes and comments: "Was the tutor patient? Did they give the answer or help to search?"
Step 2: Form the Pairs
Basic Principle: Moderate Heterogeneity
Do NOT put:
Instead, put:
Take affinities into account (but not overly strong friendships that lead to chatting).
Vary the profiles:
Step 3: Structure the Tutoring Times
Tutoring integrated into activities:
During exercises:
"Today, you will work in pairs. If one of you gets stuck, the other can help. But we do NOT do the work for the other!"
Verification phase:
"You have 5 minutes to check your work with your partner. Compare your answers, explain to each other."
Preparation phase:
"Before presenting your report, practice with your partner. Your partner will give you advice."
Dedicated tutoring (APC or class time):
10-15 minutes of structured tutoring:
1. The tutee shows where they have difficulties
2. The tutor helps them redo a similar exercise
3. You observe the pairs, guiding if necessary
Managing Tutoring Difficulties
Problem 1: The tutor gives the answers
Solution:
Remind them of the rule: "If you give the answer, your classmate learns nothing. Help them to FIND the answer."
Give tutors sentence starters:
Problem 2: The tutee relies on the tutor
Solution:
Regularly assess the tutee individually. If they have not progressed despite tutoring, it means they are not making an effort.
Discuss with them: "Tutoring is to help you progress, not for someone to do it for you."
Problem 3: The tutor feels superior, the tutee feels inadequate
Solution:
Switch roles! Show that EVERYONE is good in certain areas.
Example:
Remind them: "We all have strengths and weaknesses. Helping each other means using our strengths to help others."
Problem 4: Some students refuse to be tutored
Solution:
Offer different forms of help:
Never force it. Help should be seen as support, not humiliation.
Strategy 2: Learning Stations (Cooperative Groups)
The Principles of a Functional Learning Station
Principle 1: Positive Interdependence
Students must NEED each other to succeed. Not just "sitting together."
How to create interdependence?
Everyone has part of the information:
Example in history: Each student receives a different document about Charlemagne. To answer the questions, they must share their information.
Shared resources:
One exercise notebook for the group, one computer, one research sheet. They MUST collaborate.
Common goal:
"Your group must create a poster. You will be evaluated on the group's poster, not on individual productions."
Principle 2: Individual Responsibility
Even if the work is collective, each student must contribute AND be able to report what has been done.
How to ensure individual responsibility?
Surprise evaluation of a random member:
"I will question ONE member of each group at random. They will have to explain the group's work."
→ Everyone must understand, not just "the good student"
Everyone produces something:
Even if the work is collective, each student has a part to write, an element to create.
Individual signature:
On the final production, each student signs and notes what they contributed to the group.
Principle 3: Clear Roles (detailed below)
Forming Learning Stations: 3 or 4 Students?
Groups of 3: Simple and Effective
Groups of 4: More Richness
My recommendation: Alternate according to activities
The Types of Learning Stations
Heterogeneous Stations (the most common)
A mix of students of different levels.
Typical composition of a group of 4:
Advantages:
Homogeneous Stations (occasionally)
Students of the same level together.
When to use them?
Important: Do NOT use homogeneous stations all the time, at the risk of creating "classes within the class."
Affinity Stations (rarely)
Students choose who they work with.
When?
Limitations:
Perfect Activities for Learning Stations
Problem Solving in Math
The group works together on a complex problem. Everyone proposes strategies, debates, and tests.
Science Project
Experiment to carry out, hypotheses to formulate, observations to note, conclusions to draw. Each role is important.
Collective Writing Production
The group writes a story, an article, a report. A secretary writes, but everyone participates in the ideas.
Documentary Research
The group must research information on a topic, synthesize, and present.
Review Games
Team quizzes, educational card games, math challenges.
Collective Formative Assessment
The group prepares a presentation, a poster, a model that will be evaluated.
Strategy 3: Clear Roles in the Group
Why Are Roles Essential?
Without defined roles:
With clear roles:
The 4 Basic Roles
1. The Facilitator / Team Leader
Mission:
Skills Developed:
Leadership, communication, organization
Who to choose?
A student who is relatively comfortable in communication, but MAKE IT ROTATE so that everyone develops this skill
2. The Secretary / Reporter
Mission:
Skills Developed:
Writing, synthesis, public speaking
Who to choose?
Rotate! Even a dysgraphic student can be the secretary if given a computer or if another student writes under their dictation.
3. The Timekeeper
Mission:
Skills Developed:
Time management, prioritization, organization
Tools:
Give them a Time Timer, an hourglass, or a stopwatch
4. The Material / Logistics Manager
Mission:
Skills Developed:
Organization, responsibility, autonomy
Ideal for:
ADHD students who need to move! This role allows them to get up legitimately.
Additional Roles Depending on the Activity
The Checker
Checks that the work is complete, that all questions have been answered, and that spelling is correct.
The Encourager
Compliments everyone’s efforts, maintains motivation, says positive things.
The Mediator
Intervenes in case of disagreement, helps find compromises.
The Idea Seeker
Stimulates creativity, proposes original ideas, builds on others’ suggestions.
How to Assign Roles?
Method 1: Random Draw
Simple, fair, no jealousy. But does not take into account everyone’s skills.
Method 2: Systematic Rotation
For each new group activity, rotate the roles. Over the year, everyone has held each role several times.
Method 3: The Group Decides
The students in the group distribute the roles by consensus.
My recommendation: Rotation with a small margin of choice
"This session, it’s Léa’s turn to be the facilitator. Tom, you choose between secretary and timekeeper. Paul and Emma, you take the two remaining roles."
Tools to Materialize the Roles
Role Badges / Necklaces
Create badges (cardboard + string) with the name of the role and a pictogram. The student wears their badge during the activity.
Role Cards
Print cards with:
The student keeps their card in front of them during group work.
The Roles Board
A board displayed in the classroom with names in columns and roles in rows. You move magnets to show who has which role.
Why Materialize?
Enhanced Learning Stations: A Motivating System
The Principle
The learning stations earn points collectively based on:
At the end of the period (or month), the station with the most points is rewarded.
How to Earn Points?
Points for Work Quality (+1 to +5)
Points for Cooperation (+1 to +3)
Bonus Points (+1)
Penalties (-1 to -3)
The Rewards
Collective Rewards (for the entire station):
Important: Non-material and collective rewards
Avoid candies or individual gifts. The idea is to strengthen team spirit, not individual competition.
Managing Competition Between Learning Stations
Warning: Enhanced learning stations can create unhealthy competition if poorly managed.
Rules for Healthy Competition:
1. Value progress, not just performance
A station that goes from 10 points to 25 points deserves to be congratulated, even if it is not first.
2. Reward multiple stations
"This week, 3 stations have won: the best score, the one that progressed the most, and the one with the best cooperation."
3. Regularly change the stations
Every 4-6 weeks, recompose the stations. Everyone gets their chance.
4. Highlight INTER-station cooperation
"Today, I saw station 3 helping station 1 that was stuck. Well done! +2 points for both stations."
Adaptation for Students with DYS Disorders
Tutoring and DYS Students
The DYS student as a tutee:
Huge advantages:
How to Facilitate?
The DYS student as a tutor:
Why is it important?
A dyslexic student can be excellent in math and tutor a classmate. A dyspraxic student can be brilliant orally and help with a presentation.
Essential Valuation: DYS students often have a negative self-image ("I am useless"). Being a tutor revalues them: "I am capable of helping others!"
Learning Stations and DYS Students
Do not overload a station with struggling students
Maximum 1 student with DYS disorders per group of 4 (or 2 if their disorders are complementary: one dyslexic + one dyscalculic).
Give them adapted roles:
Provide adapted supports FOR THE ENTIRE STATION:
If the dyslexic student needs a syllabicated text, give the syllabicated text to the entire station. No stigmatization.
Combining Cooperation and Digital Tools: COCO in Groups
The program COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES can be used in a cooperative mode!
How to use COCO in learning stations?
Mode 1: Team Challenge
Each station has a tablet. They play the same COCO games and accumulate points. The station with the best score wins.
Mode 2: Cooperation on a Game
Project COCO on the interactive whiteboard. Students in a station think together before giving the answer.
Mode 3: Collective Active Breaks
COCO imposes sports breaks every 15 minutes. Do them as a group! The whole class does the active break movements together.
Benefits of COCO for Cooperation:
Training to Master Cooperation in the Classroom
To deepen your skills in cooperative pedagogy and managing heterogeneous groups, DYNSEO training supports you:
Training: Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities
This training covers:
Training: DYS Disorders: Identify and Adapt
Testimonials: When Cooperation Transforms the Classroom
Claire, CM2 Teacher
"I was afraid that working in stations would be chaotic. In fact, it’s the opposite. Since I implemented clear roles and the points system, my students are more autonomous and help each other spontaneously. And above all, my DYS students are no longer isolated: they are part of a team that supports them."
Lucas, 10 years old, dyslexic
"Before, I hated group work because I felt like a burden. Now, I am often the timekeeper or facilitator. I’m good at that! And my friends help me when it comes to reading complicated stuff. We are a team."
Emma's Parents
"Emma comes home telling what HER station did. She says 'we' instead of 'I'. She feels part of a group, and it does her so much good! She who was so alone before."
Action Plan: Launching Cooperation in 4 Weeks
Week 1: Spontaneous Tutoring
Step 1: Quick training (20 min): "How to help a classmate?"
Step 2: Encourage spontaneous help during exercises: "If you have finished and your neighbor is stuck, you can help them."
Step 3: Publicly value the observed help
Week 2: First Structured Tutoring
Step 1: Form tutoring pairs for a specific activity (e.g., reviewing multiplication tables)
Step 2: 15 minutes of structured tutoring
Step 3: Debrief: "How did it go? What worked well?"
Week 3: First Learning Stations
Step 1: Form 6 heterogeneous groups of 4 students
Step 2: Present the 4 basic roles
Step 3: First activity in stations (short: 20-30 min)
Step 4: Debrief on the roles
Week 4: Points System
Step 1: Explain the enhanced learning stations system
Step 2: Launch the first "championship" (over 3 weeks)
Step 3: Display scores as you go
Conclusion: From Class to Team
Transforming a class into a supportive team is not an unattainable dream. With well-organized tutoring, structured learning stations, and clear roles, you create an environment where everyone has their place, everyone contributes something, and everyone progresses.
DYS students, instead of being isolated in their difficulties, are supported by their peers. High-achieving students, instead of getting bored, develop communication and teaching skills. Average students consolidate their knowledge by explaining.
And you? You find your true position as a teacher: no longer the one who has to do everything, explain everything, and correct everything individually, but the one who guides a team that learns collectively.
Cooperation in the classroom is not wasted time. It is time invested in essential skills for life: working in teams, communicating, helping each other, respecting others. These skills, your students will use throughout their lives.
So, ready to transform your class into a team? Start small (spontaneous tutoring this week), then grow (learning stations next month). Observe the effects. Adjust. And you will see: your class will never be the same again.
Together, we go further.
Resources for Further Exploration:
Your class is not a collection of individuals. It is a team. Make it a supportive team!
