EDUC 6165: Professional Thanks

(week 8 blog)

I think communication is definitely something that is essential in life and human interaction is needed to release our feelings, share our thoughts and ideas or just even wanting to relate and speak to someone.

I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support throughout this course. This was definitely interesting course because we may know how to communicate with one another, however, this made me view communication in a different way. Especially since we communicate with our colleagues in our discussions and blogs throughout our journey. I wish everyone luck as they experience new journeys and I am sure that I will encounter some of you on the rest of my journey.

 

 

The Five Stages of Team Development

 The Five Stages of Team Development (Tucker’s model):

1) Forming – introducing each other, figuring out roles & goal(s)

2) Storming – conflicts may arise because of the roles given or not given, ideas not being heard or used, “begin to disagree on goals, tasks, and cliques, and other competitive divisions may even begin to form” (O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015, p.248)

3) Norming – The team comes together and “during this stage, group roles also solidify based on individual member strengths, and a leader may emerge” (O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015, p.249)

4) Performing – Everyone works toward the goal by combining ideas and their skills

5) Adjourning – After accomplishing the goal(s), members will reflect on the positives and negatives of working within that group. They will then decide whether or not they should continue working with that group in the future.

I always thought it would be hard to say goodbye to my high school friends because we were so close. Sadly, not far from attending college, we stopped talking more and more each day. It was kind of hard to grasp at first because I have known them for 4 years and did not believe it would just drop that easily.

However, now working with my co-workers may be the hardest thing to leave because of the bond we share. At the end of this school year, one of the teachers left to go back to her home town. Although it has only been two years that I got to share with her, I cried on her last day. It was very hard to say goodbye to someone who became my friend, who shared ideas with me, who confronted in me when she needed help in making a decision about the classroom and/or personal life. It will also be very hard to leave the rest of my early childhood group because of how well we work together. Although we are different ages, I believe it actually helps us because of the various experiences we have had.

 

 

Reference

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real communication (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Chapter 9, “Communicating in Groups”

Educ 6165 week 5: Conflict

There was one time in my early childhood group, we had a disagreement about Easter. I was not explaining to the kids what Easter was for my curriculum.

I thought it would be ok to dye eggs as a science experiment for the kids, not necessarily for Easter. For instance, showing them how the eggs absorbs the colors, predicting if they will mix on the egg etc.

However, one the other teacher from the other classrooms came to talk to me in a very upset way about it. She just went on to explain that she did not know me and the other teacher were going about this (meanwhile we thought she was going to do it), how it looks bad because we are not on the same page, and that it can bite us in the rear for even attempting to dye eggs. She did not really let me say anything because she was upset and left.

I felt a little belittled at that point because I do go for her for guidance and insight. I just felt as though I insulted her by doing something that she was not aware of, instead of working unison. I thought she would not really talk to me a lot anymore and that this actually would bite me in the rear. It just made it seem like I messed up completely.

later that day she came to apologize and explained why she was upset. She believed that  it was not okay that we were “celebrating” Easter when we are unsure if everyone condones celebrating that holiday. She thought someone would complain about us not considering everyone when making craft (for instance, we have to be careful when we make things for mothers or Father’s Day. We have to be careful. If not then we make sure they have grandparents).