Have you ever heard the saying, “There’s no “I” in team”? What does that really mean? This is a common phrase that is used with sports teams or in a workplace. It calls attention to the idea of group members combining their skills instead of having one person’s ideas or needs being dominant. Living through a pandemic has forced many of us to collaborate more. It seems to take a lot more effort to get things done solo than in previous years. Teachers, have you found that you are relying on others in your school or district to come up with lesson ideas, and strategies? Parents and caregivers, are you relying on family members and friends more? Let’s talk about team relations today.
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Those words were printed on the staff t-shirts that I received from the first school I worked at when I moved to the United States. It wasn’t just something that we wore on our t-shirts with our jeans on Fridays, but it was manifested in how we operated. Teamwork was evident not only in our instructional planning sessions, but also had personal impacts. We were in a modular setting during my first year, with fourth and fifth grades housed in the same mobile unit. When I was in the third trimester of pregnancy, teachers on both grade levels as well as other staff members would voluntarily stop by my classroom at various times each day to offer me a restroom break. They would check in during their lunch break or planning period and offer to watch my class for a few minutes so I could go. It may seem like a simple gesture, but those of you who have gone down the pregnancy road will understand how much this was appreciated. I remember our weekly data team meetings when we would examine our students’ performance on specific standards and plan interventions for the entire grade level of students. Each teacher was not solely focused on the students in her homeroom, but was willing to support all students who needed it. If one class performed significantly better on a particular standard, the teacher for that class may be assigned to support the most intensive need students across the grade level to provide intervention. We collaborated to design enrichment activities for the students who demonstrated mastery and used the data to drive our instruction, thus ensuring that the needs of all learners were addressed. We were able to effectively impact student learning and support each other in the process.
The administrators are to be commended for establishing, encouraging and facilitating that collaborative climate in the school. The school was only in its second year when I joined the staff, but it was clear that strong connections had already been established. The permanent building was already under construction and the school leaders provided updates about the process and even allowed for staff members to be involved in decisions. For example, I remember teachers being allowed to look at the floor plans and select their classrooms. That was exciting! We eventually got the chance to tour the new building before we moved in. Teammates worked together to pack and label the boxes that were provided. This was about 14 years ago, and yet this lingers as a great example of teamwork.
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Those words were printed on the staff t-shirts that I received from the first school I worked at when I moved to the United States. It wasn’t just something that we wore on our t-shirts with our jeans on Fridays, but it was manifested in how we operated. Teamwork was evident not only in our instructional planning sessions, but also had personal impacts. We were in a modular setting during my first year, with fourth and fifth grades housed in the same mobile unit. When I was in the third trimester of pregnancy, teachers on both grade levels as well as other staff members would voluntarily stop by my classroom at various times each day to offer me a restroom break. They would check in during their lunch break or planning period and offer to watch my class for a few minutes so I could go. It may seem like a simple gesture, but those of you who have gone down the pregnancy road will understand how much this was appreciated. I remember our weekly data team meetings when we would examine our students’ performance on specific standards and plan interventions for the entire grade level of students. Each teacher was not solely focused on the students in her homeroom, but was willing to support all students who needed it. If one class performed significantly better on a particular standard, the teacher for that class may be assigned to support the most intensive need students across the grade level to provide intervention. We collaborated to design enrichment activities for the students who demonstrated mastery and used the data to drive our instruction, thus ensuring that the needs of all learners were addressed. We were able to effectively impact student learning and support each other in the process.
The administrators are to be commended for establishing, encouraging and facilitating that collaborative climate in the school. The school was only in its second year when I joined the staff, but it was clear that strong connections had already been established. The permanent building was already under construction and the school leaders provided updates about the process and even allowed for staff members to be involved in decisions. For example, I remember teachers being allowed to look at the floor plans and select their classrooms. That was exciting! We eventually got the chance to tour the new building before we moved in. Teammates worked together to pack and label the boxes that were provided. This was about 14 years ago, and yet this lingers as a great example of teamwork.
Who seh lightning nuh strike inna di same place 2 time? Translation: Who said that lightning does not strike the same place twice? Well, fast forward to 2017, and I find myself back in that same school district. Although I am in a different school in a different city, I once again have the great privilege of being a part of an amazing team. Being a part of a team is a dynamic experience. Over the years, in various places, I have met teachers who have different styles of teaching and work ethic. Coupled with their personalities and individual mission and vision, it is not always easy to collaborate and find a way to work as a cohesive unit. Finding a group or even a partner to lean on professionally, in my view, is vital. I agree with the saying, “No man is an island” and believe that shared experiences can be an effective way to get through challenges. Having a team to support you during failures and disappointments and to celebrate successes with you can make a significant difference.
I must admit that I have never been a real fan of group work when I was in school. Inevitably, there would always be a group member or two who did not contribute to the assignment and I resented the fact that we would often all receive the same grade (good or bad) regardless of individual effort. Some were notorious for riding on the backs of others to reap the rewards, while the rest of the group didn’t want to appear to be callous knowing that grades would have been negatively impacted. On many occasions throughout my high school and college years, I would volunteer to compile a project or a research document as a means of ensuring that it would be done well. I would sacrifice my sleep, if necessary, to complete an assignment especially because I knew that other member’s grades were at stake.
Moving into my teaching career, my approach changed a bit. In my early years, I would glean all I could from more experienced teachers while exploring my own ideas. I enjoyed collaborating, yet still wanted to have the flexibility to infuse my own teaching style and different techniques as well. Although I have meandered along this path over the years, I still see much value in establishing a collaborative professional community. Teaching can be physically and emotionally exhausting and stressful. The added load of teaching amidst the challenges of this past year is even more reason for educators to engage in deeper connections based on empathy and trust. As I said before, I appreciate the support of my teammates and I cannot imagine how I would get everything done by myself. Let’s consider lesson planning, for example. I have done individual lesson plans in various formats for most of my teaching career. Even last school year, I was doing it solo. We collaborated on standards to be addressed each week and shared ideas and strategies. Then we would individually complete our own lesson plans which we were required to submit every week. We started the school year virtually and it took a lot for us to provide electronic resources for our students in every subject area. As a team, we had already discovered the importance of dividing and conquering, working smarter and collaborating to better support all of our students. The level of creativity that we were able to harness when concentrating on specific areas of our curriculum, is fascinating.
We have different approaches but have also identified commonalities in our styles and approaches to planning. As a result, we were able to further divide into pairs and collaborate in a more focused manner and each subgroup shared resources with the rest of the team. Some of us like to work live, talking through ideas and creating slides and activities together. Others get together to discuss, assign tasks and then separate to work on them individually. Yet others of us prefer a division of labour approach where each partner plans for specific time frames in an alternating manner. I appreciate that we have managed to figure out a way to facilitate individual differences and respect each unique approach while maintaining a collaborative environment. Working together as a team allows us to develop common assessments for all our students, review, analyse and discuss assessment results and make plans for intervention and enrichment.
It is remarkable that during this time when we are physically distanced and have to host meetings virtually, we have managed to maintain our connection. I believe it is partially due to a high need resulting from the greater demands and the increased challenges of teaching at this time. Access to various technology tools for communicating, collaborating and sharing audio-visual and other resources have all contributed to building our team relations.
I must admit that I have never been a real fan of group work when I was in school. Inevitably, there would always be a group member or two who did not contribute to the assignment and I resented the fact that we would often all receive the same grade (good or bad) regardless of individual effort. Some were notorious for riding on the backs of others to reap the rewards, while the rest of the group didn’t want to appear to be callous knowing that grades would have been negatively impacted. On many occasions throughout my high school and college years, I would volunteer to compile a project or a research document as a means of ensuring that it would be done well. I would sacrifice my sleep, if necessary, to complete an assignment especially because I knew that other member’s grades were at stake.
Moving into my teaching career, my approach changed a bit. In my early years, I would glean all I could from more experienced teachers while exploring my own ideas. I enjoyed collaborating, yet still wanted to have the flexibility to infuse my own teaching style and different techniques as well. Although I have meandered along this path over the years, I still see much value in establishing a collaborative professional community. Teaching can be physically and emotionally exhausting and stressful. The added load of teaching amidst the challenges of this past year is even more reason for educators to engage in deeper connections based on empathy and trust. As I said before, I appreciate the support of my teammates and I cannot imagine how I would get everything done by myself. Let’s consider lesson planning, for example. I have done individual lesson plans in various formats for most of my teaching career. Even last school year, I was doing it solo. We collaborated on standards to be addressed each week and shared ideas and strategies. Then we would individually complete our own lesson plans which we were required to submit every week. We started the school year virtually and it took a lot for us to provide electronic resources for our students in every subject area. As a team, we had already discovered the importance of dividing and conquering, working smarter and collaborating to better support all of our students. The level of creativity that we were able to harness when concentrating on specific areas of our curriculum, is fascinating.
We have different approaches but have also identified commonalities in our styles and approaches to planning. As a result, we were able to further divide into pairs and collaborate in a more focused manner and each subgroup shared resources with the rest of the team. Some of us like to work live, talking through ideas and creating slides and activities together. Others get together to discuss, assign tasks and then separate to work on them individually. Yet others of us prefer a division of labour approach where each partner plans for specific time frames in an alternating manner. I appreciate that we have managed to figure out a way to facilitate individual differences and respect each unique approach while maintaining a collaborative environment. Working together as a team allows us to develop common assessments for all our students, review, analyse and discuss assessment results and make plans for intervention and enrichment.
It is remarkable that during this time when we are physically distanced and have to host meetings virtually, we have managed to maintain our connection. I believe it is partially due to a high need resulting from the greater demands and the increased challenges of teaching at this time. Access to various technology tools for communicating, collaborating and sharing audio-visual and other resources have all contributed to building our team relations.
In my Jamaican culture, it is very common for extended family members to share special bonds. Even after children are grown and begin leading their own lives their families continue to maintain keen interest in their well-being and show concern. The entire family, and sometimes even neighbours and family friends, are involved in raising children. The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” seems to be a literal description of what happens there. I hold fond memories from my childhood of spending holidays with extended family members in different parts of the island. They were a part of my mother’s village that provided childcare when school was closed and she had to work. In case of emergency, and even in daily life, my neighbours were like a second set of parents. In fact, I still refer to them as auntie and uncle to this day. My siblings and I engaged with their children in a similar way to how we connected with our cousins.
Similar structures exist in many cultures around the world and I have experienced the benefits of being a part of the “village”. Parents are challenged with virtual learning for their children while trying to balance working to meet the needs of their families. This is definitely the time for us to establish and maintain systems of support for families. When those resources are lacking in a community, we have to be creative because so much is at stake. I encourage all listeners to find your village. You don’t have to be a parent to benefit from being a part of a village. You may also want to consider also being a member of someone else’s village and provide much needed support.
Similar structures exist in many cultures around the world and I have experienced the benefits of being a part of the “village”. Parents are challenged with virtual learning for their children while trying to balance working to meet the needs of their families. This is definitely the time for us to establish and maintain systems of support for families. When those resources are lacking in a community, we have to be creative because so much is at stake. I encourage all listeners to find your village. You don’t have to be a parent to benefit from being a part of a village. You may also want to consider also being a member of someone else’s village and provide much needed support.
Geese migration is fascinating and I am amazed that they travel thousands of miles every year. Can you believe that they are capable of travelling 1,500 miles in one day in favourable weather conditions? Although I’ve heard some of these facts before, I found the following story on the Canadian CED Network.
The Story of the Goose
“When geese fly in formation, they create their own unique form of teamwork. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in their ‘V', the whole flock adds at least 71% more flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the ‘V', and another goose flies point.
When a goose gets sick, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with their companion and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with the group.”
Canadian CED Network
Let’s remember that kindness is a gift that you can share without having to incur an expense and it goes a long way. I have read and heard of many inspiring stories involving neighbours and friends doing simple acts of kindness during the COVID-19 crisis. We are still dealing with the effects even after a year and people have reached out to others and made a difference. I remember walking on a nearby trail and seeing encouraging messages on the path written in chalk. In some neigbourhoods, people did the same on sidewalks. Notes and cards were sent to nursing homes and teddy bears were placed in windows for children to find as they walked through the neighbourhood. Neighbours have dropped off diapers, food, toiletries for families in need.
Be open to connecting with friends, family and neighbours virtually. In doing so, you can be a part of someone’s village or you can access your village for support. You can use Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, Whatsapp, Skype and other technology tools to reach out. You may very well be the one to provide reassurance to someone on the brink of giving up. You can play a game online, host a virtual meal, attend a virtual church service, concert or exercise class. My extended family started having monthly Zoom meetings last year and it has become a wonderful, supportive experience for us. Relatives connect with each other from Canada, Nigeria, Germany, the USA and of course Jamaica to share good news, check in and provide updates of what things are like in each of our locations and how we are coping during this pandemic. It is sometimes challenging due to differences in time zones, but we make it work. Now three generations are connecting on a different level and our relationships are getting even better. This is as good a time as any to work on our team relations. It may be a great idea to take some advice from John C. Maxwell: “The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement.” Getting through this challenging season will be a great achievement, so why not seek support from a team and improve relationships along the way.
Until next time, walk good and one love. 🖤💚💛
The Story of the Goose
“When geese fly in formation, they create their own unique form of teamwork. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in their ‘V', the whole flock adds at least 71% more flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the ‘V', and another goose flies point.
When a goose gets sick, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with their companion and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with the group.”
Canadian CED Network
Let’s remember that kindness is a gift that you can share without having to incur an expense and it goes a long way. I have read and heard of many inspiring stories involving neighbours and friends doing simple acts of kindness during the COVID-19 crisis. We are still dealing with the effects even after a year and people have reached out to others and made a difference. I remember walking on a nearby trail and seeing encouraging messages on the path written in chalk. In some neigbourhoods, people did the same on sidewalks. Notes and cards were sent to nursing homes and teddy bears were placed in windows for children to find as they walked through the neighbourhood. Neighbours have dropped off diapers, food, toiletries for families in need.
Be open to connecting with friends, family and neighbours virtually. In doing so, you can be a part of someone’s village or you can access your village for support. You can use Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, Whatsapp, Skype and other technology tools to reach out. You may very well be the one to provide reassurance to someone on the brink of giving up. You can play a game online, host a virtual meal, attend a virtual church service, concert or exercise class. My extended family started having monthly Zoom meetings last year and it has become a wonderful, supportive experience for us. Relatives connect with each other from Canada, Nigeria, Germany, the USA and of course Jamaica to share good news, check in and provide updates of what things are like in each of our locations and how we are coping during this pandemic. It is sometimes challenging due to differences in time zones, but we make it work. Now three generations are connecting on a different level and our relationships are getting even better. This is as good a time as any to work on our team relations. It may be a great idea to take some advice from John C. Maxwell: “The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement.” Getting through this challenging season will be a great achievement, so why not seek support from a team and improve relationships along the way.
Until next time, walk good and one love. 🖤💚💛