The buddy strategy is very simple. Each student is paired randomly with another student from the group for a week or for an activity. The pairs are decided using buddy cards, a set of cards with the names of each student. The cards are placed face down in the middle of the sharing circle. The class chairperson turns over one card and the person whose name is on that card turns over another buddy card. That person becomes their buddy for the week or for the activity. The class needs to be a put-down free zone and to support this the new buddies establish eye contact and smile at each other.
Buddy cards can be used extensively in situations when forming pairs is necessary, including access to a computer network, for dance or for maths patterning. This breaks down the usual jockeying and fussing over partners that often occurs and leads to some students missing out on the instructions. Buddies may be required to line up together, to take some responsibility for the well-being of their partner, to provide support and to work together on some activities.
The use of buddy cards promotes collaborative skills, where students work towards a common goal, and cooperative skills, where students work together but not necessarily on a common goal. This helps create a class climate where students are accepting and supportive of differences in others and provides the teacher with an equitable structure for the participation of students. The strategy also leads to more social encounters and, with a teacher who is vigilant about teaching social skills and eliminating harassment and put-downs, it is an excellent way to eliminate ostracising of students. It builds empathy, tolerance and collaborative work styles. It cuts out the hierarchy and pecking order which is often accepted as a natural occurrence
These cards will become indispensable, as they can be used in so many ways to ensure fairness within the teaching environment. Buddy cards can be used to select students for turns at random. Students like the fairness of this and it eliminates domination of 'airspace' by one student and ensures that students do not feel there are favourites.