Teaching toolkit
Placemat
One sheet, four corners, one center: First, everyone writes quietly in their own corner, then the group distills the best ideas in the center. Individual thinking and consensus are clearly separated.
How the method works
- 1
Hand out a placemat template (A3): individual sections around the edges, group section in the middle.
- 2
Quiet individual work: Everyone writes down ideas in their own field in response to the prompt (3 to 5 minutes).
- 3
Turn the sheet and read: everyone reviews the others’ contributions.
- 4
Negotiate: The group agrees on the key points and writes them in the middle.
- 5
Compare and consolidate interim results as a class.
Material
- Placemat template
- Prompting question
You can find free, ready-made worksheets for the work phase in the TeachPie Marketplace , sorted by subject and grade, in three levels.
Common pitfalls in practice
- Don't cut short individual work time by switching too soon
Variants
- Digital placemat: a shared document with four sections and a shared center.
- Pros and cons placemat: corners collect arguments for one side, while the center forms a balanced position.
In TeachPie, the planning AI suggests Placemat automatically when it fits the phase, timing, and class, including ready-to-use materials.