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| Source: Golspie H.S. |
You have all heard it, "There is no I in TEAM." I always tell my kids that cliches are cliches for a reason. I have had some amazing team work experiences. They seem to empower all the players, celebrate each person's strengths, and showcase what working together and hard can produce. I have had experienced this trifecta of teamwork most frequently when I worked in professional theatre. I think it is in part because each member of the team has a speciality and focus, something unique that they bring to the table and that is celebrated and capitalized on for the betterment of the production.
In schools it is the same, yet different. Yesterday at our spring day long professional development we began the day with an exercise I have done at least three times now. The Leadership Compass Self-Assessment (from Be The Change Consulting) You go through the list of traits for each of the compass points and then determine which direction represents you the most. We were then directed to go and stand at that point. I moved to the East- the "visionary". I looked around the room and one member of our ELA department stood at each point of the compass. This is why we work so well. We all bring different strengths to the table and we balance one another.
As we have interviewed new ELA teachers this spring, its been interesting to really think about what we as a group need. What will both challenge and compliment? What strengths does someone need to bring to the table to further build an already strong group? I think there is a lot we could do to work better as a team. My hope for next year is that there is more time for content specific PD for our department, to learn and grow together, not just facilitating business/administrative decimation of information. I want to see us evolve, take on different points of the compass and navigate through out first year with 9-12 grades.
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