Slacker Kids In School Group Projects

Firstly, instead of perpetuating a sense of frustration, the situation should be framed as a learning opportunity, both about the nature of people and the nature of the workplace. This pattern persists throughout life. There is no escaping it. Every workplace is a macro version of the group project. The Pareto principle applies in all things -- 80% of the work in any organization is performed by 20% of the people. Learning to navigate through it is a necessary life-skill. Secondly, even if the slacker kid receives the same grade, sooner or later he/she will meet a wall they cannot scale. They will rise to the level of their incompetence and stagnate. The hard working kids might help a few slackers sail through but more importantly they will learn to rely on their work ethic. The rewards aren't immediately apparent but they are significant.

As far as reporting a slacker teammate goes, most courses I took required all team-members to fill out a quantitative assessment of each of their teammates. I've written harsh reviews for non-performers. I don't know if it made a difference but it did help me feel like I'd been heard. Perhaps a group of students could approach the teacher and request a peer-assessment form to be included as part of the project deliverables.

Even though teachers assign the same grades to students with vastly different performance-levels, they are generally aware of who contributed the lion's share of the effort. I always did when I was teaching. Emailing the teacher, or approaching her to report progress or ask questions is a good idea to get face time, and ensure that she knows you're working.

Another approach is to discuss people management strategies with the child, almost as a dress-rehearsal for future conundrums. Delegate the least important parts of the project to the slacker, have them work with someone in a pair, provide a schedule, followup on their progress, and offer to help. Study the person to discover ways to get them to perform. Of course all of these should not have to come at the cost of extra time and effort on the part of the more dedicated students.

From personal experience, I'd say, just do the work. What you gain from it, in terms of knowledge, confidence and experience, will be worth the extra hours you put in making up for a slacker teammate.