Sure, I understand the reason behind it.  We don’t want kids copying off each other on the test and skipping out on learning!  But is it possible we’ve gone too far?

You see, in the real world (i.e. having a job, running your own business, being president of the U.S., or whatever you end up doing) successful people are masters of surrounding themselves with OTHER PEOPLE who complement their weaknesses.

A successful business owner doesn’t have to understand all the nuances of tax law.  He hires a qualified CPA to do that!  A doctor doesn’t have to understand how to put people to sleep during surgery, he has an anesthesiologist to do that.  And the president doesn’t have to understand the details of how interest rates affect home prices because he has the chairman of the federal reserve to advise him.

Everyone is good at different things, but our school system asks students to be a little bit of everything, and it can make school a very unpleasant place for many children.  Say we take a student who excels at math and science and ask him or her to write a 25 page essay on Hamlet.  They may be frustrated and bored.  Likewise, to ask an aspiring young playwright to take a test on calculus will simply make them feel inadequate and stupid.  

And then there are children who excel in something totally unrelated to school, such as making people laugh (the class clown), bringing groups together (people skills and natural leaders), or artists.  By traditional standards these students have “failed” in our school system.  Yet in reality, they are just very good at something our school system doesn’t reward.

Many great minds and successes have been utter failures in our school system.  Jay Leno, Albert Einstein, Woody Allen, and William Faulkner just to name a few.

In summary, never be afraid to word in groups when doing homework or preparing for a test, unless a teacher expressly forbids it.  When in doubt, don’t ask for permission to do it.  Just do it!  A well meaning teacher may say “no” if you ask when they are really just trying to discourage blatant copying.

Surround yourself with the best students in the class and work on assignments together.  They will compliment areas where you are weaker, and you’ll help them in areas where you are stronger.  You may find that you learn more in your study group than in class, and you will have discovered one of the great keys to success in life: surround yourself with great people.

What has been your experience in working with other students?  Do teachers in your area generally encourage or discourage this?