From Group To Team

From group to team

Skilled facilitation moves a group from a collection of individuals to an effective team

It is a Saturday morning, and I am sitting with a group of 15 new and aspiring school site administrators. As part of their work toward an MS in educational leadership, this group of experienced educators is enrolled in an elective course, “Group Facilitation for School Leaders.” The 12 women and three men are all experienced K-12 teachers. Collectively, they have led and served on numerous committees and work groups at their sites and in their districts. We are discussing the concept of teams and communities in school settings. I ask the group, “In your view, what is the difference between a group and a team?” They think for a minute. How IS a team different from a group? They toss around some ideas: Is

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References

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Killion, J. (2006, April). Teacher meetings do not make a community. Teachers Teaching Teachers, 1(7), pp. 6-7.

Lieberman, A. (1996, November). Creating intentional learning communities. Educational Leadership, 54(3), 51-55.

Little, J.W. (1982, Fall). Norms of collegiality and experimentation: Workplace conditions of school success. American Educational Research Journal, 19(3), 325-340.

National Staff Development Council. (2001). NSDC’s standards for staff development. Oxford, OH: Author.

Speck, M. & Knipe, C. (2001). Why can’t we get it right? Professional development in our schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Tuckman, B.W. (1965). Developmental sequences in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399.