Best Lessons In Teacher Teamwork

I work at a very unique high school. We use open inquiry to facilitate learning, throwing curriculum on its head. It can be wild at times.

We believe in emergence, allowing learning to follow lines of questioning that comes from the learner. Naturally, groups from around similar interests. Over the last 3 years, I have worked on turning those groups into high functioning teams. 

It has been quite the challenge. We have done all kinds of crazy things: shoot films, produce software, make hardware, create video games, and much more.

Through this work, we have learned so many valuable lessons in developing startup teams. We use Scrum to organize ourselves. I highly recommend using this methodology for all teams.  

At the heart of it, we have learned that what truly blocks teams is most often not a technical issue or a matter of competence, rather, it is usually interpersonal problems that stop a team cold.  

The Key: Reviewing in Retrospect 

We continue to work hard on breaking all team dysfunction down and actively review our processes every 2 weeks in structured retrospectives. The cadence that develops is so interesting to watch after a few months. 

With a commitment to improving the team as a whole, they have worked out personal relationships and personality conflicts that allow them to iterate at high speed.  

It is cliche, but true, the best technology, finance, or strategy can never beat a team all rowing in the same direction.

It is absolutely essential to review the conflict that inevitably arises and have hard conversations.  This ensures that the team holds each other accountable. As interpersonal problems get hammered out, significant trust builds which allows for the team to come up with better ideas and implement them faster. 

It Works- Our Students Are Progressing

It truly fascinates me to see a young adult transform into taking responsibility for their own actions through really hearing the personal notes that they are being given by the team. 

As I have grown in facilitating this, the teams have developed beyond me. With many of my students, I feel like we have become more colleagues than teacher/student.  

Learn by doing. That is the key. To be honest, I am just in the middle of it all at the moment, so I am not sure how it is going to turn out. I feel that I have easily done the equivalent of a Masters in Leadership.

Never forget that a small group of people can change the world. They are the only ones who can.

Read More About Teaching: https://www.jobors.com/index.php/blogs

Tags:- Latest Jobs in Teaching, Teaching jobs, Online teaching jobs, teaching job positions in colleges, teaching jobs in India, Teaching jobs in various colleges