week 8

this is the end, a new class awaits us next week!

week 6

I think that one of the groups which was hardest to say good-bye was the group I spent the most time with in college. We had clear established norms of our daily routine and enjoyed each others company. It was hard to know we were never going to get the same type of camaraderie back. When close groups who have spent years together need to seperate, it seems like a trend to all get together and spend one last time as a group, remembering things that have happend in the past as a whole. I see this as a closing exercise to remind everyone of the effecient and not so effient times which were had as a unit.  As this masters degree adjourns, I may collect a few email adresses to keep in touch or to discuss things with when in a situation I need a second opinion on. I do not think I will feel the same loss as those I have met face to face because much of our work is impersonal, even if we are replying to others.

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because without it, you may still expect the team to work and function, and if we slowly fade away rather than officially adjorn it leaves a lot of unanswered questions and leaves room for dissapointment if we intended on them sticking around.

week 6

This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved. Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye. Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced? How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

(Adapted from O'Hair and Wiemann, 2012, pp. 278)

week 5

A co-worker and I have worked side by side for two years, only to split into to separate classrooms last September. Over the last 10 months, we have had difficult communicating and have not been on the same page with our responsibilities and expectations of the classrooms. Although this is not always an issue, our rooms often combine and act as one unit and there needs to be fluidity and communication. One of the strategies I've adopted is observing her body language. Most of the time she is uninterested in what I have to say and is not actively listening. This leads to problems when she "didn't know" something which i've told her numerous times. I've learned to let it go, and keep repeating it to her. Ive also decided that after telling her once that she's been told something before, I don't say anything about her already being told again. Ive gone to my boss numerous times about our conflicts and asked what steps I should take or continue, and she honestly told me to ignore it. a person who does not want to participate and work together is only pulling herself further away the more I push for unity. This is NOT the best communication though, and I am very aware of that. Communication is a two way street though, and hers is a one way. 

One other strategy I have learned is that we all communicate differently and it is important to analyze styles. Do people prefer one-on-one? Are they better at writing things down? Is it easier to have a mediator for conflicts? These are all components to consider when trying to have meaningful communication with someone. At a recent staff meeting, a co-worker put together an icebreaker. one of the questions was "what is your communication style" and out of twenty people, only 3 (her, me, and our boss) knew what the question meant.