#Slice of Life Leah Marie
Four Cheers for Team
Work
Theresa Carrillo,
Anna Waszak, Christine Flowers
When I hear the word “team” I immediately think
“sports.” Now, if you know me well, you
know that I am really not a “sports” fan, much to the dismay of my father, who
really tried to get me to like sports as much as he did. He made sure I had golf clubs, a bowling
ball, a softball bat and ball, a whiffle ball and bat, a basketball, tennis
ball and racket, a fishing rod, and a swimming pool. He was a soft ball coach and volleyball coach
at my school, to my dismay, because he made me be on his teams. Although, I didn’t really mind. He took me golfing, bowling, fishing, and to
a Cubs baseball game at which I read a book, to his dismay. But I was always a fan of his when he was on
a team. ….And of course I was always a
fan of both of my sons when they played on sports teams. ….And my husband is an avid fisherman, and I
am certainly a fan of his!
From what I have
observed, the best teams are made up of team members who are diverse. The team members each have different
abilities, experience, and talents to contribute to the team. They are a flexible group who are willing to
try new things but value knowledge gained from experience. They work together to find and draw on their
strengths and build up their weaknesses with professional development,
practice, and team collaboration.
These are ideas
that can be applied to any team in any field.
When I think of our third grade team, I can see those ideas are being
applied. We share that same
thought. Our team is not afraid to share
their knowledge and ideas with each other.
We give credit to the team members who come up with new, creative,
successful, or “smart” plans, lessons, or activities. We encourage our team
members when someone needs it, during professional or personal struggles,
failures, or bad experiences. We share responsibilities and leadership
roles. We work together to make sure
that each member knows that their contributions and their commitment is valued
by the team. We strive to become better
teachers each day and lean on each other knowing that we can depend on each
other for help or encouragement when we need it.
Why is this
important in the business of teaching? Because as the phrase says…..”#BetterTogether!” We ARE BETTER TOGETHER! The make up of a great team supports
that. We use our differences to make the
curriculum BETTER. Our differences help
us understand the differences in our students better. Sharing our knowledge and experiences with
each other gives us the “power” to better meet the needs of our students. We don’t have to spend precious time trying
to figure out the student on our own. We
now have the means to put a practice into place that will help the student
grow. Why would anyone fight becoming a
team player? Being a team player helps
us learn and grow as teachers. The world
changes. Education changes with the
world. So those of us that have been
around for awhile need to learn from our “new” colleagues. Just as our “new” colleagues can learn from
the “experienced” teachers. TEAM WORK –
WE ARE #BETTERTOGETHER!