Group experiences

I will preface this post by saying, I have never enjoyed working in groups.  For one, I have learned that I am a very controlling person who likes to have things done a certain way.  Throughout my entire education I always dreaded the assignment of groups because it meant that I was not in control of the outcome and perhaps the work would not be done to my expectations.  As I have gotten older I have learned to relax more and work within the group to achieve a pleasing outcome.

Now as I review the five stages of team development and reflect on my group experiences I realize they were not all bad.  As a matter of fact I think that the hardest group to leave was the last group that I worked with when I taught Kindergarten.  Our team leaders were the director and assistant director, whom I just recently spoke with and still adore, were great leaders.  They knew how to move people into positons in which they would be the most successful as well as consider their teams' contributions as part of the process.  With this experience in mind I think that the hardest group to leave is one that is high-performing because you miss the cohesiveness of the group.  When a group is finally performing together it is hard to leave them and start all over with a new group.  As for closing ritual our group had a party before I left and I helped to train the new teacher.  I have visited with some of the team members outside of the work environment and maintain a personal relationship with them.  In relation to my new group, my wonderful colleagues in this course, I hope that we continue the blogs or similar blogs in which we can still share information with each other.  I have enjoyed reading and responding to the blogs and discussions as well as sharing with everyone.  While we know that eventually every group will adjourn it is still sad to have to move on.  It is important that we adjourn so that we can start new groups with which to work and share.  I think that the dismantling and forming of a group is a natural process and part of life.  We have to continue to grow which is what happens when we take what we have learned from one group and apply it to another.