BALANCING INDIVIDUAL AND THE GROUP - A DILEMMA FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVISTTEACHER

In this paper I explore an instance from my own elementary school scie nce teaching. The goal of this teaching is constructivist in nature. T he children explore the science together and through conversation with each other and with the teacher construct meaning. The individuality of the child and the individual's abilities to work within a group are both extremely important to the workings of this type of class. Maint aining both of these facets of the classroom environment - where child ren can act as individuals but also as part of a group - is often cont radictory and always filled with tension for the teacher. The role of the teacher is to maintain this tension and to do so in such a manner that it remains both a progressive force and a creative one in learnin g. This role presents a number of dilemmas for the teacher - how to co nstruct these experiences so that all children can participate and con tribute, how to reward both individual and group actions, and how to m aintain control in a classroom where freedom is important. I present a n argument in this paper describing why these dilemmas must remain unr esolved in the class - it is the tension between the individual and gr oup needs and desires that causes the classroom to act as a community. Individuals need each other and the group for the development and enh ancement of ideas. Maintaining individuality is a source of creativity balanced by the considered evaluation of the group. But these two for ces also potentially are at odds. Balancing the two falls to the teach er as does maintaining the tension between them.