Teaching Collaborative Problem Solving With Brain Juicing

Creativity is like a stream flowing through a meadow, giving life to flowers, plants, and animals as it widens across the valley. But sometimes, beavers block this stream with trees and rocks, causing all those plants and animals to suffer. Okay, maybe that’s a little morbid—but creativity does move and flow, and it can sometimes feel obstructed, and no amount of willpower can clear the blockage. When those "creativity beavers" appear, it’s essential to find ways to unblock the dam.

I love when students are given real, meaningful creative tasks. That’s where some of the best learning and engagement happen. But inevitably, students sometimes get stuck, just like the rest of us do when exercising creativity. The creativity beavers get them. Creative struggle is challenging, but it’s also valuable. In this age of instant gratification, students are accustomed to accessing information and answers immediately rather than dealing with the stress and frustration of creative problem-solving. As educators, we have to teach them how to work through this.

Teach Collaborative Problem Solving With Brain Juicing

One of the best ways to get "unstuck" is through collaboration: combining ideas and resources to solve problems. In my class, we always did what I call "brain juicing" to get unstuck. Brain juicing is a large-group brainstorming session, where any students or groups struggling to come up with ideas, or who have a unique problem to solve, sit in a circle and assist one another. These sessions are often led by the teacher, especially early in the school year when this is a new concept, and students “juice” their brains for ideas to help their classmates. This follows the belief that two heads are better than one.

I find that brain juicing works best when it’s driven by a clear and recognizable process. By teaching collaborative brainstorming through a protocol, students learn the key elements that make it successful, with the hope that, someday, they won’t need a protocol to guide their collaboration. Like always, the ultimate goal of a protocol is for it to become practice. Here is the Brain Juicing Protocol:

Clarify the Objective

Start by naming the objective of the brainstorming session. Maybe students are trying to come up with creative hooks for the introductory paragraph of an essay, or perhaps they’re developing a website design and want feedback on color choices. Whatever problem they’re trying to solve, make sure it’s clearly stated so that everyone knows where to focus their attention. Have the student or group write the problem they are solving on the board for the brainstormers to read. 

Assign Clear Roles

While you don’t necessarily have to assign roles, roles can help keep everyone involved and engaged. Roles give each student a specific function, so everyone has a way to contribute, including those who might otherwise hesitate to speak up. Specific roles also ensure the best brainstorming can take place. For example, a facilitator can help keep the brainstorming focused and on task. A timekeeper ensures Brain Juicing sessions don’t run long. You could assign a Devil’s Advocate, who challenges ideas constructively, or a Summarizer, who takes notes and summarizes key points at the end.

Use a Timer

Give the presenting group an allotted amount of time to introduce their problem, around 1 minute, as well as a designated period of time for the brainstormers to share ideas. This structure introduces a sense of urgency, keeping everyone focused and ensuring the process doesn’t drag on. Setting time limits helps prevent any one problem from monopolizing the session, allowing all groups or students the chance to receive input.

The timer also encourages quick, focused thinking, which can often yield fresh ideas and reduce overthinking. When students know they have a limited window, they’re more likely to jump in and contribute. 

Teach Productive Language

Productive brainstorming benefits from healthy language. Instead of saying, “You should do this,” or “I don’t like that idea,” teach students language that’s more likely to be received well. For instance, “I wonder if you could do this” or “I suggest using a different color because…” By using phrases like "I wonder" and "I suggest," brainstormers show humility, recognizing they don’t have all the answers and instead offering ideas that may or may not be helpful. The group seeking solutions does not have to use every suggestion provided, but advice grounded in humility is often more welcomed.

Encourage Small Steps

Part of developing problem-solving skills is building endurance for the tedium that can come with creativity. Brainstorming takes effort, so it’s important for students to know that they don’t need to solve an entire problem or project in one sitting. Creativity takes time. Encourage students to set the goal of moving “one step forward” during Brain Juicing. They should aim to leave with at least one new idea to improve their work, but they shouldn’t feel pressured to complete everything in one session.

Debrief and Reflect

At the end of each session, have students share one new insight or idea they gained. This reinforces the benefits of collaboration and helps students recognize patterns in the assistance they give and receive. The aim is for this protocol to become standard practice. When students can identify the strength of collaborative problem-solving, they’ll begin using it outside of Brain Juicing. A designated reflection time reinforces the value of this activity.

Creative Problem Solving Transcends the Classroom

Brain Juicing is not only giving students creative help with pertinent problems in the classroom—they’re also learning a vital skill: to rely on others for assistance. Quite often the best ideas occur in community.

I’ve seen this many times with teachers when we gather to brainstorm lessons, units, or projects, and the ideas flow as we put our heads together. The very best projects and learning experiences I’ve ever designed weren’t solely my own; they were born from collaboration with people who had a vested interest in me and my work. That’s why Brain Juicing works best when students have a vested interest in each other. When you create a community setting in your classroom, or when students are working on similar tasks or projects, everyone benefits from helping one another solve creative problems.

Oh, and to make Brain Juicing a little more memorable, I like to bring in a jug of juice to share, floating raspberries in the cups to look like little brains. It makes a great conversation starter when the principal walks into the room.