Teamwork makes the dream work

Last week, Prequel BETA Camp’s first summer cohort of 2024 competed for a $10k investment in a business they built over 4 weeks.

Some kids decided to go at it alone, and others formed teams.

And while everyone absolutely rocked it, the three finalists for the $10k prize…

…were all teams.

Even if your kid dreams of being a solo-founder someday (and by the way, there’s no reason why “someday” can’t be “today”), they’re still going to need to skillfully navigate team dynamics.

One of the most important aspects of teamwork is being able to give and receive feedback at the peer-level.

Peer editing can be a fantastic way to do that. Try it this week with your kid.

Here’s how. 👇

Pick the right project

Peer editing won’t work on math assignments or multiple-choice homework — in this case, kids will just be grading each other.

Instead, choose projects like writing or research assignments, where there’s no “right or wrong” answer.

For instance, is your kids class doing a project where they pick a historical figure and give a presentation about their life?

Or a creative writing assignment where they tell a story about the world in the year 3000?

Choose projects that blend:

• A little bit of fact-checking / research

• A little bit of strategic thinking

• A little bit of creativity

Pick the right team

It’s important to begin from a place of mutual respect, so you’re probably not going to want to include your kid’s cafeteria tormentor in this group. 🫤

Have them pick a trusted group of two or three friends who are all in the same class and are working on the same assignment.

While it’s important for your kid to learn how to work with folks outside of their friend group, leave that kind of growth to activities like sports teams and school plays for now. Peer editing requires existing trust and respect to be successful.

Pick the right format

This exercise shouldn’t be a free-for-all.

Set clear guidelines for constructive feedback. For instance:

• If the feedback-giver doesn’t like something, they need to give at least two reasons why, and two options for improvement.

• If the feedback-receiver doesn’t agree with the feedback, they will have two minutes to explain why they disagree.

Encourage a healthy debate without letting the discussion divulge into an argument.

Do some personal reflection

After the feedback session, have your kid journal some self-reflection:

• What feedback did they agree with?

• What feedback did they not agree with? Why?

• How did receiving the feedback make them feel? 

• Why do they think they feel that way?

The ability to give and receive feedback is hugely important, and often overlooked. Don’t trust that they’re learning this stuff in school — take an active role in helping them hone this critical skill.