New Team 2016

This year I am leading a new team for my syndicate. After our first meeting and one of the team not arriving on time...2 hours late. I realized that I need to do some Team Building and create more trust within the group.

What went wrong

• I was away for the planning day at the end of 2015 but as a team we had begun our planning earlier in the month and had got some ideas together. Only 3 present out of 4 present - one sick.
• Planning day - I wasn't there but had booked a date with the others but had not specified the time.
• Sent an email the day before for the time of the planning meeting.

What have I found out since

• After reading the "10 Truths about building school teams by Elena Aguilar", in point 7 she says "The health of a meeting reflects the health of the team.
  You can take the pulse of a team's overall health by observing ten minutes of any meeting. If you want to strengthen a team you lead, focus on designing engaging, reflective, and meaningful meetings. Make sure that what happens is relevant. Make sure that you get feedback on your leadership. Make sure that people know what they're doing there and why they're meeting. For every hour of meeting time, you should spend two to three hours planning. (Yes, that much planning time -- that's what it takes.) " That the planning for the meeting takes time!
• I spoke to my team member, who came late to find out that she tends to avoid everything when she is under pressure. (She is currently working to complete an assignment for an out-of-school course, she has had an extension to this as well). She had been reading (avoiding) and wasn't reading emails etc. A colleague within school was able to contact her and she did come to the planning meeting. She was apologetic and contributed to ideas for the rest of the meeting.

What to do next time

• Send out agenda for meeting well ahead of time, spend time to ensure it works for all, especially the children
• Make sure when the pressure gets too much that all team members are supported and given enough time to complete what is expected of them.
• From the "10 Truths about building school teams by Elena Aguilar", she says "Learning is the primary work of all teams. Whether you're in a leadership team, a data team, or a curriculum design team, your work is to learn. The only way we'll make a dent in the mountain of challenges that we face in schools is if we, the educators, never stop learning.

So as I get ready for the year ahead I am looking forward to meeting the challenges of a new team and to keep on learning.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” 
― William Arthur Ward