Doesn’t it seem like picking partners can create frustration? In Room 6, creating a list that sets up a system before hand is a creative way of making sure that students get a wide variety of partner experiences. This helps make classroom management more simple for partner activities.

source: teachinginroom6.blogspot.com
Students will still feel like there is choice involved but it ultimately gives a well-rounded set of pairings for you to choose from as you call out numbers prior to starting an activity. This should hopefully help create win-win situations and help keep the focus on learning.