Team Building & Developing A Culture of Caring Together Everyone Achieves More Most everyone knows the acronym for the word TEAM: “Together Everyone Achieves More”. Although we all nod our heads in agreement with this wise maxim (a wise saying), many find working together as a team difficult and often discouraging. The reason for the negativity is simply that many of us just simply do not know how to function as a team. To help us begin thinking about how teams should function, let’s take a look at familiar team building facts (5) called Lessons from Geese.

Table of Contents Lesson 1: What to Expect. Lesson 2: Lessons from Geese. Lesson 3: How do you Spell Success? Lesson 4: Ten Critical Social Skills - Listening and Responding in the Classroom. Table of Contents

1. Learning Targets and daily assignments will be posted daily either on the white board or projected on a PowerPoint. 2. Seat assignments are determined by the teacher according to individual and group learning needs. 3. Everyone is expected to enter the room quietly, prepare materials for class, write down learning targets in reminder binders, and work on daily warm-ups while the teacher records attendance. What to Expect

Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991) Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. Lesson for Fact 1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Lesson from Fact 2: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willingto accept their help and give our help to others. Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991)

Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991) Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson from Fact 3: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources. Lesson from Fact 4: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek. Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991)

Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991) Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. Lesson from Fact 5: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong. Lessons From Geese (Arrien, 1991)

Explain how each of the five facts about geese relate to building more successful learning teams. Your Opinion

How Do You Spell Success? DVD: Introduction to Character for Life and the Pyramid of Success: with John Flokstra How Do You Spell Success?

Ten Critical Social Skills 1. Listening 6. Asking for help 2. Showing empathy 7. Helping Others 3. Understanding, 8. Working cooperatively managing, and with others expressing feelings 9. Solving disagreements with others 4. Making and keeping 10. Setting goals friends 5. Responding to teasing Ten Critical Social Skills

Listening & Responding in the Classroom 1. Keep your eyes on the speaker. 2. Follow directions. 3. Stay in your seat. 4. Do not talk or interrupt. 5. Raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking. Listening & Responding in the Classroom

Listening Practice The Goat Well After listening to the Ethiopian folktale read the ten sentences that describe main events from the story. On the line next to each main event, write the number from 1 to 10 that will show the correct order of events in the story. Questions? Listening Practice

Team Building Begins with a Culture of Caring (Levine, 2006) Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure at school. No one has the right to make anyone else feel unsafe, either physically or emotionally. Team Building Begins with a Culture of Caring (Levine, 2006)