Trust Teaching Notes

Approximate Time Required

Skill Station: ~10 minutes for introduction and skill station

Group Processing: 5 minutes at end of class session

A. Explain the Need: Trust is an important issue for students working in groups. Students generally do not trust each other with their learning. You could begin by acknowledging student’s concerns about the risks of trusting their group in class, but emphasize the potential benefits. Explain that they need to be both trusting and trustworthy. Have some examples for each (see below). You may be able to link these behaviors with other skills stations (Professionalism, encouragement). Trust is built over time. Using this skill station early in the semester helps students consider the impact of their behaviors. You may also want to emphasize that trust is difficult to build, but easy to break. Students should be careful about making decisions that impact the group.

B. Define and Model: Students fill in a chart with behaviors that demonstrate trusting and trustworthy behaviors. There is also a question that asks students to identify risks and benefits to trusting your group. You may want students to address this first and use it to stimulate discussion for explaining the skill.

TRUST	TRUSTWORTHY
· Believe answers from group members · When someone offers to do something, they do it well	· Follow through on tasks · Promote each other’s success · Don’t arrive late or leave early

C. Practice: Instruct students to be aware of behaviors that demonstrate trusting and trustworthy behavior in lab today.

D. Evaluation: Students rate how well they used trusting and trustworthy behaviors in class.

E. Feedback and Reflection: Reassure students that they may not trust their group early in the semester, but trust will build during their time together. Ask them to keep focused on the benefits of trust in their group, and to be aware of how their behaviors impact that trust.