Activity 1 Alphabet Search

Form groups of ten One team member lists the letters of the alphabet down the left side of a sheet of paper. All members contribute tangible items to represent each letter. Use one different object per letter. An object may only be used once. All objects must be placed in the middle of the table.

Activity 2 Helium Stick

Form groups of ten.

Form two rows facing each other. Lower the helium stick with your index fingers only. The first team to lower the stick to the ground is the winner.

Activity 3 River Crossing

A group of persons, consisting of a father and his two sons, a mother and her two daughters, a policeman and a thief need to cross the river. Your job is to move everyone from one river bank to another using the raft provided and following the rules given below. You are allowed repeated attempts until successful within the time allotted. You are judged on the total time taken. 1. The raft can carry a maximum of 2 persons at a time. 2. Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft. (i.e. one of them must be on the raft at all times) 3. The Father cannot stay with any of the daughters without their Mothers presence. 4. The Mother cannot stay with any of the sons without the Fathers presence. 5. The thief cannot stay with any family member if the Policeman is not there.

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE TEAMS

What is meant by
team teamwork team building

A team is an energetic group of diverse individuals committed to achieving common objectives, that enjoy working together to produce high quality results

 Teams of subject teachers e.g. panel Teams as an element of the administrative structure Teams operating in a particular work area on a particular level e.g. a training team Teams formed for a specific task e.g. project group Staff teams

Identify : TEAMS IN SCHOOL CULTURE

Some teams will not change in their composition during their lifetime disbanded after purpose achieved Other teams are more fluid team unit exists for a long time, members change (e.g. according to term office) needs ongoing teambuilding

Teamwork
Work which you do with other people to achieve a common objective.

Teambuilding
The process of molding diverse

individuals into a team. Involves participation, collaboration and nurturing the team spirit among team members Often unrelated to the work of the group

 Can also be supported and managed by specific teambuilding exercises - external facilitator Provides a good chance to find out more about yourself as an individual and other members of the team

Building Effective Teams

1. Recruitment or selection of team members 2. Have well-defined goals 3. Team membership - technical and theoretical skills 4. Team leader vision, passion, integrity, trust, curiosity

Types of leaders Source of power Method of communication Autocrat Herself / Orders and Himself directives Authoritarian Position Order and directives Bureaucrat Existing system Explains (how and rules to carry out rules) Laissez-faire No one None
Democrat Participative Majority Collective Discuss Joint

5. Team climate work environment 6. Work process Communication, decision-making, goal-setting 7. Consider outside influence 8. Review tasks and relationship

9. Continuous training in group

dynamics, communication skills, conflict management, resolution, goal setting and listening skills.

DIFFERENT STAGES IN TEAM DEVELOPMENT

The Underdeveloped Team o o o o

(Forming) Cautious No shared understanding Stick to established norm No one challenges the status quo

o Weaknesses covered up
o o o o o Poor listening Unclear objectives Low improvement Bureaucracy Leader makes most decisions

Action to support team development

Develop relationships by introductory and teambuilding exercises o Be open with team members about the group and about the task
o

o Consider team strengths and weaknesses in order to build a balance team o Value all members of the team for the part they can play

o Encourage sharing of concerns without fear of criticism o Try to make team activities enjoyable

 The Experimenting Team

(Storming)
o o o o o o o Begin to feel more united More confident Begins to take risks Wider options considered Personal feelings raised Increased listening Team working reviewed

Action to support team development

o Encourage continued openness

o Allow conflicts to surface and deal with them positively o Work on specific relationships between individuals where there are problems

Encourage teams to seek collective approach to problem solving o Encourage self-evaluation by team of ways of work and results this leads to more creative experimentation in working strategies
o

 The Consolidating Team (Norming)

o Methodical working o High degree of trust between members o Agreed procedures o Establish ground rules o Meetings effective o Problem-solving techniques the norm

Action to support team development

o Improve problem solving skills further o Develop decision-making strategies

o Ongoing evaluation of team performance and planning of improvements o Celebrate team successes

 The Mature Team

( Performing)
o Confident and competent o Collective attitude - Less dependent on leader o Appropriate leadership o Maximum use of energy o Principles considered

o Needs of individuals met

o Development a priority o New members integrated

Action to support team development

o Experiment with style of group leadership ( change leadership according to nature of task?) o Encourage further informal communication between group members o Clarify further values base of team o Examination of team by other parts of organization o Build relationships / co operation with other teams

Characteristics of a good team

Common

vision Clear objectives High level of interdependence among members Communication Specific roles of each member Energy and enthusiasm

 Relaxed climate for communication Leaders has good people skill and is committed Appropriate effective decision making Trust, acceptance and support among members

 Members feel significant and are motivated Prepared to take risks Members know how to examine errors without personal attacks

Why am I talking about teamwork in schools?

Making schools successful takes more than just individuals it take teamwork Teamwork in schools focus on meeting the academic and social needs of all the students in school Working together is a more effective way to accomplish important tasks

Teams tend to be better at solving problems Teams have higher level of commitment Teams include more people who can help to implement an idea or plan Teams generate energy and interest in new projects

Just as the school vision and mission focus on student learning, team building, team planning and team development forms an integral role at improving students outcomes.

Reflection
Do you have an effective team? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your team? At which stage of development is your team? As leaders, which type of leadership are you? As members, what are your contributions to the team?

Coming together is a beginning Keeping together is progress Working together is success - Henry Ford