Reflections on Iron Oaks
Spencer, Jocelyn March 23, 2013 IRON OAKS Reflections
We were at IRON OAKS this past Saturday to engage in team-building exercises. We were put in groups with a guide, given instructions for each exercise and reminded that the goal wasn’t completing or solving the exercises, but in team-building, In any group there is a leader and our group was no exception The first lesson we learned was that for any group to be successful, it must function as a unit that is made up of individuals that work together to accomplish a goal. A group can’t be successful if any member doesn’t cooperate because every member is needed.
This fact was illustrated when the solution to one exercise was solved not by the most vocal members, but by one of the quietest members. While some members were intent on carrying out their own suggestions and not really open to input, another group member quietly asked a question that solved the exercise. By engaging in team-building exercises, it soon became apparent that the most important yet perhaps the most difficult aspects in working as teams were the abilities to allow input from each member accept criticism and maintain professionalism at all times. When two members of our group became extremely emotional during our reflections on an exercise, it became clear that this was because one or both were lacking in these abilities. As teachers, we must practice inclusion and not exclusion. We must encourage all our kids to participate, be open to criticism and above all, remember that we are professionals. If we cannot practice self-control, we cannot expect our kids to embrace it either. If we
We were at IRON OAKS this past Saturday to engage in team-building exercises. We were put in groups with a guide, given instructions for each exercise and reminded that the goal wasn’t completing or solving the exercises, but in team-building, In any group there is a leader and our group was no exception The first lesson we learned was that for any group to be successful, it must function as a unit that is made up of individuals that work together to accomplish a goal. A group can’t be successful if any member doesn’t cooperate because every member is needed.
This fact was illustrated when the solution to one exercise was solved not by the most vocal members, but by one of the quietest members. While some members were intent on carrying out their own suggestions and not really open to input, another group member quietly asked a question that solved the exercise. By engaging in team-building exercises, it soon became apparent that the most important yet perhaps the most difficult aspects in working as teams were the abilities to allow input from each member accept criticism and maintain professionalism at all times. When two members of our group became extremely emotional during our reflections on an exercise, it became clear that this was because one or both were lacking in these abilities. As teachers, we must practice inclusion and not exclusion. We must encourage all our kids to participate, be open to criticism and above all, remember that we are professionals. If we cannot practice self-control, we cannot expect our kids to embrace it either. If we