Effective Team Building for Teachers
Team building aims at increasing cooperation among teachers, whereby they can work as more of a team and less as an individual. The teacher’s individual effort works towards a collective common team goal, which goes hand-in-hand with the schools overall goal. As a teacher leader, I am charged with the responsibility to ensure that the exercise of team building is effective and productive the whole year.
In order to encourage team building in the school, it is important that the team integrates team building activities with school learning goals to make it more effective and to make the effects of the team building experience to surpass the team activity (Heathfield, 2012). A proper team building activity plan, takes into account the unique attributes of each teacher such that it ensures that the teachers to feel good about their individual contribution and feel good about their counterparts and have a common experience to refer to in future(Heathfield, 2012), (InterWorksLLC, 2011). A follow-up of team’s progress is also an essential part of recognizing the team efforts and is a forum for competition whereby that teacher’s teams compete against each other, for team recognition and team awards (Heathfield, 2012). Increased team competition increases the quality of education as teachers strive to do their best to make their teams shine as well as increasing the team bond and team spirit among the team members (Henard & Leprince-Ringuet).
As a teacher leader, I am tasked with the responsibility of planning the constitution of the teacher’s teams, whereby teachers with different talents and skills are brought together to work together as a team. I am also tasked with the responsibility to follow-up and monitor the teams’ progress with the intention of assisting the teams and giving direction where need be, so that the team can effectively reach its goals. It is important to balance the teachers in each team according to their talents and skills such that they complement each other as opposed to increased negative competition within the team or the creation of a biased team. As a teacher leader, I am the overall teams’ leader and therefore they need my unbiased support and direction in case they encounter problems that interfere with the team goals since it is also my intention that all the teams succeed in pursuing their goals (Harrison & Killion, 2007).
References
Harrison, Cindy & Killion, Joellen. (2007). Ten Roles of Teacher Leaders.Retrieved on 2/Sep/2012 from:<http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept07/vol65/num01/Ten-Roles-for-Teacher-Leaders.aspx>
Heathfield, Susan M.(2012).12 Tips for Team Building. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 31/Aug/2012 from: <http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team_3.htm>
Heathfield, Susan M.(2012).Keys to Team Building Succcess. The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 1/Sep/2012 from: <http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team_3.htm>
Henard, Fabrice & Leprince-Ringuet, Soleine. () The path to quality teaching in higher education. Retrieved on 31/Aug/2012 from: < http://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/44150246.pdf >
InterWorksLLC.(2011). Strategic planning, teambuilding & leadership. Retrieved on 31/Aug/2012 from: <http://www.interworksmadison.com/stratplan.html>
