Ask yourself if it is necessary for them to work cooperatively for the activity or not. Can they really get enough out of it working alone? Can they work just in pairs? Can they self select partners, or will that prevent the activity from being effective? I am an introvert but while I prefer to work independently I can work with others. However, I’m in my mid-40s and when I reflect on a lifetime of working with others in school and at work, I can confidently say that 90% of the time I get better results working alone. It isn’t just about my comfort level, it is more efficient and saves a tremendous amount of time. So I don’t force my students to work collaboratively except for a few activities where collaboration is really essential to the learning process. I usually give students choice: they may work in a small group, with a partner or independently (this is differentiating instruction for their needs). Because I don’t force work all the time for the sake of following the teacher trend, students respect when I tell them that a particular activity must be completed with others, or when I tell them they need to work with a buddy on field trips, etc.

Tell them in real life they cannot choose who to work with. They do not have to like their bosses, nor their coworkers. Hopefully they understand.

I have these exact same concerns with my high schoolers and would love to hear feedback on how to address the concerns. Thank you.