Why Should Teachers Care About Teamwork?
Teamwork has become an important part of today’s employment market and many businesses now look at teamwork skills when evaluating a person for employment. Most companies realize that teamwork is important because: The product is sufficiently complex and requires a team with multiple skills to produce, and/or a better product will result when a team approach is taken. Therefore, it is important that students learn to work as a team so they will have this skill when they enter the workforce.
For that reason, collaborative learning should be included in almost every classroom, but some teachers struggle with having students work cooperatively. The reason they struggle may be: they don’t know how to develop good team exercises. Also, it is more difficult to assess the individual performance of the team members. This is where understanding how to teach effective teamwork becomes a crucial task for the teacher. Allow me to show you the best way I can think of to accomplish this. We’ll begin by learning a bit more about the ingredients that make up good teamwork.
Teamwork Defined
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, teamwork is "a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group." The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal.
Characteristics of Effective Teams
The following are eight characteristics of effective teams that were identified by Larson and LaFasto in their book titled Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong (Sage Publications 1989).
Following each characteristic, I have included an example of how this could be used in classroom application.
1. The team must have a clear goal. Avoid fuzzy, motherhood statements. Team goals should call for a specific performance objective, expressed so concisely that everyone knows when the objective has been met.
Drama students identify by name, with 100% accuracy all areas on stage. This will be measured by written exam and by practical test on stage.
2. The team must have a results-driven structure. The team should be allowed to operate in a manner that produces results leading toward the goal. It is often best to allow the team to develop the structure.
Team members will produce a rehearsal schedule with deadlines for line memorization and blocking of each scene and each act. Final checkout will be given by teacher on dates per student-produced schedule.
3. The team must have competent team members. In the education setting this can be taken to mean that the problem given to the team should be one that the members can tackle given their level of knowledge.
Beginning drama student teams will complete a group sketch of the set design for the scene they will perform. It will include correct measurements from each piece of furniture or object to all stage entrances and wall structures. Sketches are due two weeks prior to performance date.
4. The team must have unified commitment. This doesn't mean that team members must agree on everything. It means that all individuals must be directing their efforts towards the goal. If an individual's efforts are going purely towards personal goals, then the team will confront this and resolve the problem.
Drama team members will agree in writing to a rehearsal schedule to be followed. Should additional time be required, all members of the team will commit to being there.
5. The team must have a collaborative climate. It is a climate of trust produced by honest, open, consistent and respectful behavior. With this climate, teams perform well… without it, they fail.
Drama team members will know what is expected of them. They must show up on time and prepared each day. This means if all lines for scene 2 were to be memorized, then each performer on the team should memorize them. If one character doesn’t know his lines, it ruins the practice for the entire team.
6. The team must have high standards that are understood by all.
Team members must know what is expected of them individually and collectively. Vague statements such as "positive attitude" and "demonstrated effort" are not good enough.
Students will gradually earn the right to more freedom in rehearsal structure, as they produce the results sought by the team as a whole. Strict adherence to the agreed upon practice protocol will be observed. Groups may often decide to reward themselves at the end of the day for a job well done. If behavior is disrespectful, self-inflicted team penalties will apply.
7. The team must receive external support and encouragement. Encouragement and praise works just as well in motivating teams as it does with individuals.
The drama teacher will visit working teams frequently, giving authentic praise on specific team accomplishments. For example, “I like the way every member of this team learned their lines on time Well done!” “Now you’re ready to work on your character’s motivation. I can’t wait to see the final product!”
8. The team must have principled leadership. Teams usually need someone to lead the effort. Team members must know that the team leader has the position because they have good leadership skills and are working for the good of the team. The team members will be less supportive if they feel that the team leader is putting him/herself above the team, achieving personal recognition or otherwise benefiting from the position.
Your team captains must above all be fair-minded. They will earn respect as their leadership skills grow. They will continually work toward the success of their team as a whole. As the teacher, you will coach them so they can enjoy this difficult ride, and achieve their goal…
Teamwork, when used as a building block, rather than an afterthought, can produce a successful team of winning students!
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