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Effective teaming requiresshared leadership:Prepared by Gail Heinemeyer
The theme of this year’s state conference, T. E.A. M., Together Everyone Achieves More, is most appropriate when considering how teams function at the middle level. In most schools, one person is designated as the team leader. This person may be appointed by the administrators or chosen by the team. The position may be held for a year or renewed yearly and may or may not be compensated. If the team is to maximize the potential to have a positive impact on student achievement, then every teacher on the team must share leadership responsibilities. Paul George, from the University of Florida, has identified four phases of Teaming: Organization, Community Building, Instruction, and Governance. It is the fourth phase, governance, where team members make important decisions the roles and responsibilities of all team members. The success of the team should not be left to the leader. Other critical roles may include:
The start of the school year is a good time to review the various tasks that are performed by the team throughout the year. By having all team members share responsibilities, not only do we develop the leadership capacity of each team member, but we also model being the collaborative performers that we want our students to become. The effectiveness of the team is increased when all team members have a specific responsibility and everyone will achieve more. |
Æ Recorder/Note TakerÆ Curriculum CoordinatorÆ Schedule Creator Æ Team Liaison (to guidance, administration, related arts teacher, and other school groups) Æ LibrarianÆ Conference SchedulerÆ TimekeeperÆ GatekeeperÆ Resource PersonÆ TreasurerÆ Public RelationsÆ Social activities CoordinatorÆ Special Events CoordinatorÆ Field trip CoordinatorÆ Electronic Communications |
