#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!