Students in the Unified Elementary/Special Education Program at the University of Florida are organized into cohort groups, a common recommendation within the special education teacher education literature. Although highly effective in some instances, the literature also documents numerous problems in the use of cohorts. The current study was designed to gain insight into strategies that might help students and faculty build positive cultures and collaboration skills in cohorts. Drawing on student interviews with members of particularly cohesive cohort, we identify and explain five strategies that students utilize to assist a cohort in developing a strong sense of community and positive group dynamics. These include: keeping an academic focus, pulling one's own weight, taking care of the community, being willing to move outside one's comfort zone, and including everyone. The specific examples will be useful for teacher educators using or considering the use of student cohort groups. (Contains 1 footnote.)