The Right Answer instead of an Honest One

The students didn't know, when they were doing group work, that their homework assignment would be to rate themselves and others as group members on a scale of one to ten.  (More on the scale another time...)  One of my students apparently had a disagreement with the group and moved away from them, sulking as she did something else.  When I approached the group, the leader asked whether they had to put the characteristics of Aesop's fables in a particular order, and I said no, and they looked over at her, indicating that she had argued that there had to be a certain order. Remembering a teacher I admire a lot (Dennis Johnson) and his policy not to make students participate, I spoke to her about her son's harsh criticism of her private appearance on YouTube, where I posted their one-minute self-introductions.  (Hers went on for considerably longer than one minute, but it was engaging.)

The first question in their follow-up homework was about which participant they considered the best and why.  She wrote "The best participant in my small group was E.  She paid attention on the details.  She tried to explain any questions how she understood it."  In rating herself, she said "I think I have a number around middle.  Because I try to listen to other people and ask question, if it's possible.  I always accept other's opinion about any topics....I try to be a good participant, so I do homework that to understand what's going on, I listen to each participant and ask them how they understand the material.  Also I suggest my own opinion and answer questions, if somebody ask me."

The person she named as the best participant had this to say:  "During discussion took place not nice situation.  One of participants was incompatible with rest of group and she excluded herself  with further discussion.  It was a little rude."