There is a lot of group work in social work school. More group work than I have ever done before, for sure. In class there are often small group discussions about various topics that relate to the lecture of the day. Sometimes these groups work well, and sometimes they don't. I think in class there is a sense of being on the spot a bit, since the professor is often wandering from group to group listening to parts of the discussion. There is little, if any, time to prepare and gather one's thoughts on the discussion topic. The time to gather the requested data is usually limited, too. I find it challenging sometimes to formulate a contribution that matters in these in-class groups. I don't know if it is because my background is a little different with the law/mom pieces (vs. experience in a social work sphere, educational background in psychology etc), because I am a non-traditional age student, or because I am part-time, but I often find that in the in-class group work I struggle to be a viable member of the group.

Interestingly, I have felt like a more significant contributor to the group work I have done outside of class. Here I have felt, each time, that I had a handle on the topic and had something to offer towards the common goal. I have to say that the biggest issue in group projects -- that someone doesn't pull their weight and others wind up doing more than their share -- has not really been a problem for me as yet. For this, I am thankful. I have been fortunate to be in outside-class groups where everyone seems motivated to do their part to get the project done in a timely manner and to get a decent grade.

I think the biggest hurdle in all of these outside-class group experiences that I have encountered has been the issue of leadership. In the very beginning, there seems to be a general hesitancy on everyone's part to step forward and be the leader. Eventually, by default, a leader emerges. I don't know if this is a reflection of the temperaments of people who are attracted to social work or if it has more to do with gender -- there are comparatively few men in this program. I see a big difference, though, from the few group experiences I had in law school. There, people vied for the leadership position; there was much more overt competition. People want to do well in this program but there's a limit; stomping on other people to get one step ahead is not part of the culture, at least from my experience.