Being Part of a Team

A Very Magical Team

I join groups in conferences all of the time… when I teach at the college, I feel as if I am the leader of a group of students… I was a member of many groups while in college… when I had my son, I joined parenting groups… in Walden, I become a member of a discussion group, which changes with each new course… when I was a preschool director, I was a member of several groups… I am a member of the buddy readers group… I think of myself, in many ways, as a gluten for punishment, because I do not only join groups, I become involved. 

In many ways, high-performing groups really are the hardest for me to leave, probably because my involvement is so intense.  I do not know if having clearly established norms would affect my feelings when I left the group, because if I was not comfortable with norms, I would probably experience limited involvement.  However, without a doubt, the group that I never wanted to leave was my public speaking club at California State University (notice how I said "my" public speaking club!). I was a member of this group for my last two years of college.  The main group objective was competing in speech competitions, so we shared a common goal.  We were together on campus, in the evenings, and on weekends.  When we were not practicing, we were listening to music, talking, or just laughing.  We were not considered a “hip” group at the college; we stayed away from bars and never drank.  We shared birthdays and holidays; we went competed together throughout Florida and elsewhere.  We were there for each other; we listened, and we cared about what everyone in our group thought; we even disagreed, learning from these disagreements.  I remember the night of graduation; although we still communicated for many years afterwards, we were no longer a part of the speech team.  Our relationship was very different.  We were an outsider to the students competing. 

Now, I find it difficult to leave my 40-hour early childhood classes.  At my age, I find this attachment amazing.  I see these students for six weeks, two nights a week or six Saturday’s in a row.  We bond; we respect each other.  We become part of a group; a group of early childhood educators.  I take my responsibility as their teacher very seriously, and I have built some amazing relationships with my students.  When my mom passed away, students came to my house, offering me support and kindness.  During our last class, we shared a pot-luck dinner together before class starts.  Students bring a bit of who they are into this dinner, and their culture in evident in their offerings.  It’s a wonderful ritual to adjourn the group.  For me, adjourning the group in this way is essential for the completion of the group’s purpose. 

I’m certain I will feel a similar feeling after this class.  We formed a team throughout the individual classes, but when we submit assignment number 8, we need to move on, adjourn from this group, and join another group.  Without doing this, we would never move on; we would never obtain our master’s degree.  This class will be the most difficult, because for the most part, we will be going down different paths.  Abudi (2010) stated “adjourning provides the team the opportunity to say good-bye to each other and wish each other luck as they pursue their next endeavor.”  I do have some solace in knowing that I have made some friends that will remain a part of my life forever, and I so look forward to meeting these individuals in person.  Others, I am thankful that they were a part of my group; they have encouraged me, just like group members are supposed to do.  We have listened, shared, disagreed, and grown with each other.  While I know we have to move on, sometimes I wish that we could remain a group forever!

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html