Working on a Team

Working with a team as a teacher can be both challenging and rewarding. I have been so fortunate to work on a strong team for many years. As a team, teachers can share ideas, collaborate on lesson plans, and provide support for one another. However, it's important to remember that every team member may have different teaching styles, personalities, and strengths. Learning about those differences and celebrating them can help build relationships and can enhance our own teaching style.

One key to success when working with a team is effective communication. It's important to establish clear lines of communication and to make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding goals, expectations, and responsibilities. Regular team meetings can be a great way to stay informed and to provide updates on progress. During these meetings, our team communicates what is going on, looks ahead, talks about curriculum and supports one another with things that come up in our classroom. Also, consistent communication via email and texting help to keep everyone on the same page.

One thing we started to do this school year is to eat lunch as a team. For many years, I worked through my lunch. There is always more to do with teaching. Yet, taking the time to actually eat during lunch is good for me personally and has been great for our team. We are able to talk about things more casually and have been able to get to know one another. This has been good to build trust and our relationships.

It's also important to recognize and value the unique strengths of each team member. By focusing on individual strengths, team members can be utilized in a way that best suits their skillset. This can lead to a more efficient and effective team, where everyone feels valued and appreciated for their contributions. As we build trust in one another, different team members are able to step up and take on different roles. 

Working with a team as a teacher can be a great way to improve instruction and learning, to provide support and encouragement, and to create a positive and productive learning environment for students. It really helps for me to like and trust the people I work with. With changes in the team over the past few years, we have had to shift and develop new relationships. Relationships are so important in education, not just with students, but also colleagues. Working as a team is a great way to develop those relationships.