Working as Partners

I work in a Dual Language Enrichment program. One of the major componets of the program is that students are to work as partners. I did a lot of partner work last year, but this year I have been distracted with new math curriculum, new students (I looped with my students last year), a class that makes me question why I am a teacher (luckily my other class makes me so happy that I am a teacher) that I just haven't done very much with the partner thing. Every year we are required to do six hours of training to refresh or increase our knowledge of the program and of teaching ELL students. I chose a training on making partners work. This idea came a day or two after the training as I was reflecting on what I could do to increase partner work in my room. We have privacy folders for when we take tests. Now we have partner folders for when we do work as partners. The point of the partner folder is to remind the student that they have to work with their partner (not take turns doing the work, but discuss the work together) and that it is not a time that the whole table can sit around talking. One of my classes LOVES to talk about anything anytime. So far this has really worked well and the kids are loving that they get to talk to each other and I am loving that I can stop telling them to be quiet. Other great benefits are they share papers so I make half the copies. That also means when they do something I want to grade I only have to grade half as many. Totally a win win. After Christmas I want to introduce rubrics where they grade their partner on how well they worked together and what they can do to improve next time. I am also thinking of ways I could get them working with other partners. My husband uses a clock where they sign up for twelve different partners and he tells them which hour partner they have to work with that day. I'm not sure I want to use that many partner choices, but I am trying to think of something that would give them four or five choices. 

So here are pictures of my students working as partners with their new partner folders.