Teamwork

In our class this evening, my group was very confused about what our assignments were for tonight's chat. None of us seemed to know what projects were due tonight during class, and we were not sure what the requirements were for our project due on Monday. One of my group members took the initiative to email Dr. S, and so we will figure out what needs to be done. But, after this four hour online session with my Ed5210 group, I have been doing a lot of thinking about teamwork. More specifically, the benefits of teamwork. What do we all get out of working with others? We get shared responsibility, and sometimes we get a different perspective on things. We get another head to do the thinking. We get a hand to hold when we are stressed or confused or just stuck on a project. After all I have thought, I believe the last advantage to be the most important one: a hand to hold. Trying new things, like a completely online class, can be scary and discouraging when we do not feel we know what we are doing. Sometimes, doing these things gives us the feeling of inadequacy, or just a loss of control. Knowing that you have other people feeling the same way you do is perhaps more settling than knowing exactly what to do. It tells us that it’s okay to be confused, and that we can all help each other, even if it is just allowing each other to vent that we are confused! Having experienced people on a team can help novice members, too. For one thing, it allows the people who have experience to teach others, and reaffirm what they already know. It is also reassuring to those who may not feel they are capable of doing what is expected of them. Having the support of those who have been there and gotten through it provides a real-life testimony that I can do it, too.

These are the feelings I sometimes get about teaching as well. I tell myself I am not sure if I can, but I also tell myself that there will be many teachers on my grade level that have the experience and materials to get me through it. I just hope I get a really good mentor. And I also hope there are some relatively new teachers on my GL as well to share my frustrations with and to let me know that I am not alone and that it is okay to be nervous about doing my job well. Perhaps all walks of life involve a team in some way. Whether we like to admit to it or not, we all need to have someone there with us, to measure ourselves against and to let us know how we are doing. If all we have to check ourselves against is us, then how do we know how we are really doing? I think that without the closeness of others, we lose our sense of self. Teamwork, be it a positive and productive relationship or a negative and competitive one, teaches us about ourselves. We learn about how we think, how we express ourselves, how we value different points of view. These are all things that I hope to take into the classroom with me. Working with others, and being able to share my experiences with my peers gives me something I can not get on my own: reassurance. I think it is important for students to work together and foster relationships on all levels. We need to let young children learn how to help one another and relate to one another. And, once in a while, we all need someone to hold our hand.