There are various ways to group students up when cooperative learning is required. One way is to count off and hope that students remember their number, but another way is to set it all up at the beginning of the year and never worry about it again. I do this through an appointment clock.
Students are given a handout and are asked to find appointments for 12, 3, 6, and 9. They need 4 different names. I know ahead of time that they are going to find their friends, but I also know that 4 will not be working together. They only get a few minutes to find their appointments and when the timer goes off, they are back to their seats. Anyone who has a blank spot gets paired together. If you have an uneven amount, you may have at least one group that will have 3 in it, but that is more controllable than having multiple groups with 3 or 4.
Students generally keep this in their notebooks. When I need them to partner up, I simply say, “Please meet with your 3 o’clock appointment.” Students then get with the person whose name is at 3. It is great to make pairing up easy and there is no counting required. Plus, you don’t reach the end and have someone say, “I forgot what number I was.”
