#226 Teamwork
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Teamwork is one of those qualities (along with communication, problem solving, creativity, adaptability and other so called ‘soft skills’) required for all areas of life.
Definitions of teamwork generally include, collaboration with reference to a focus on an outcome and the notion of togetherness.
I appreciate the all encompassing definition quoted in O.C. Tanner: “The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. Teamwork is often a crucial part of a business, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance. Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals.”
Gone are the days of end of term student reports focussing solely on the individual academic record (the ‘hard skills’); rather in addition to academic rigour, learning encompasses social-emotional elements and lifelong skills (the ‘soft skills’). Likewise for educators, the focus is not simply on imparting knowledge through rote learning; rather, incorporating transdisciplinary learning and intentionally embedding activities which provide students opportunities to be reflective, communicators, open-minded and caring (see IB Learner Profile) are key elements to holistically prepare students for academic success and life in and beyond school.
Within school communities teamwork is evident in a whole host of activities with prime examples including:
Group projects in classrooms for students from PK3/Nursery to Grade 12/Year 13
Team sports in PE, recreationally or whilst representing the school
Recess and playtime activities
Students council and various clubs such as service clubs, Science Club, Tech Corps planning for school wide events and/or fundraising to support
Training sessions and professional development sessions with case studies/vignettes
Brainstorming/planning events be it for new faculty, Back to School Night, Open Day, graduation etc.,
Educators engaging in grade level planning with grade level colleagues* and - to ensure appropriate scope and sequence - with colleagues in the grade level above and below (* This includes specialist teachers such as the PE teacher, the art teacher, the World Language/Host Country Studies teacher, the music teacher etc.,.)
Peer review of work
Educators moderating student work
This short video beautifully demonstrates the power of teamwork and one in which trust is central in accomplishing/executing a task quickly, smoothly and efficiently.
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