When a school begins to form collaborative professional learning
teams, it would help to facilitate the process if they understood the stages of
team development. As teams move through the process they can feel a sense
of accomplishment and also know they are progressing. However my school
based professional development committee has not yet met, and when they do it
will not be a professional learning committee with job-embedded learning.
This committee is of an advisory nature and makes recommendations. On
that basis alone it could become a valuable vehicle through which true PLC’s
can be developed.
Bruce Tuckman identified four stages of team development and
Killion and Roy (2009) state that by understanding these stages, teams may
accelerate their development (p. 131). The first stage is Forming.
This is simply the team forming, thinking about how they will
participate, and their purpose (p. 131). At this time, our school does
support grade level teams. They have already completed the formation
stage and they understand why they have been brought together. With the
changes in grades taught and the addition of new teachers, most groups are in
the next stage.
The second stage of development according to Tuckman is storming.
In this phase members understand their purpose and there may be some
conflict about beliefs, processes, or personal power in the team. It is
important that members recognize these conflicts and resolve them, perhaps as
part of their shared vision of the group and as a shared goal. Killion
and Roy (2009) state that when teams “commit to work through these challenges,
they move to the next stage of development” (p. 132). It is this area
where I see some of the grade level teams functioning. As they jockey for
position and establish unifying goals, this painful work will help bring them
closer together to solve difficult issues and improve instruction.
The third stage, which some grade level teams may be currently, is
called norming. Norming, according to Killion and Roy (2009), is a team
with “shared vision, goals, and commitment,” and they may also revisit and
refine team agreements from the previous stages (p. 132). This stage is
important as members end conflicts and solidify their purpose as a group.
The team no longer sees themselves as individuals, they now see
themselves as a team and they see the value that teamwork can bring them.
The fourth and final stage is performing. Killion and Roy
(2009) recognize that in this stage, team members are highly productive they
are committed to their shared goals. In addition, “because there is
synergy among team members, they find their work is easier when done
collaboratively” (p. 132). In fact, they find solving problems easier,
more rewarding, and very productive at this stage. I am currently not
aware of a team in my school working at this level if there is one. This
stage is where the power of a collaborative group is felt and the ideal sought
when they are implemented. It takes hard work and dedication to reach
this level but it is worth the effort of all members.
While collaborative
teams are forming, it is also important to recognize and discuss important
member capabilities. Garmston and Wellman (2009) define these
capabilities as the “metacognitive awarenesses with which people determine when
to use, how to use, or not to use certain skills” (p. 27). There are four
identified capabilities. The first capability is “To know one’s
intentions and choose congruent behaviors,” and is described as “the source of
impulse control, patience, strategic listening, and strategic speaking” (p.
28). The second capability is “to set aside unproductive patterns of
listening, responding, and inquiring,” and involves the “filtering process that
goes on when individuals try to hear another’s story through the lens of their
own experiences” (p. 28). In this stage, too much sharing or asking for
details may prevent the group from getting to the actual work of problem
solving; it wastes precious time. The third stage is “to know when to
self-assert and when to integrate,” and means having the ability to discern
when a member may assert oneself to “refocus the group on a top or on a
process” (p. 29). If a member were to integrate, they would “align their
energy with the content and processes of the meeting,” and participate in
decision making (p. 29). Finally, the fourth goal is “to know and support
the group’s purposes, topics, and processes, and development” and requires that
groups balance three simultaneous agendas (p. 29). Groups must attend to their “task focus,” which is the group’s
purpose, they must attend to “process skills development,” and expand their
skills to ward off stagnation, and finally they must also attend to “group
development,” and their experience and performance will move from novice to
expert (p. 29). The complexities of group work requires continual
self-talk and reflection, as well as group reflection, and making adjustments
in one or both to keep a high level of performance.
To improve my own value to a collaborative team,
there are two capabilities I would like to attend to more closely. The
second capability, if more fully developed, would allow me to listen to the
group’s problem without having to discuss my parallel experience. Also,
with active listening, I could discern the issue at hand and move forward without
having to hash out all possible nuances. I would help to prevent precious
time being wasted on restating the known and understood. Also, I would
like to develop the capability to improve my ability to self-assert or
integrate, which will also assist in moving items and honoring time
constraints. By helping the group to maintain their focus by voicing the
purpose, or to move closer to consensus by integrating myself in a group
decision, energy will not be wasted to needless debate. Unfortunately, time is the gatekeeper of
these meetings and must always be observed.
As my building moves towards more collaborative professional
learning, it is important that all members recognize the development of their
particular team. As grade level teams meet, I hope to be an auxiliary
member of every team. In the early formation of these teams, the
orientation stage, it would be helpful to acknowledge how members should move
from thinking of “me” to thinking as “we.” As Lee (2009) explains, the
orientation stage of formation also includes individuals finding how they fit
in the group and their purpose on the team. Resolving purpose and
accepting team-think is important for a stable base.
Also,
as teams move towards more productive work, they must also establish trust.
Each member’s voice must be heard and, as Lee (2009) states, “deserves
equitable attention, respect, and consideration,” and even the voice that may
differ from the rest deserves no less respect (p. 48). For that to happen
team members need to set meeting guidelines that all will respect. In
addition, trust and respect is worked towards as members learn about each
other, their history, perspectives, and work styles; this will help to avoid
conflict due to assumptions. Asking direct questions is always best.
As the school begins their collaborative grade team meetings, I
want to be included. I want to make the process as smooth as possible,
which means I would provide an introduction about myself, my history, and
discuss what my role should be. I would be observing mostly at first, and
offer insight, or self-assert, when appropriate. While working to build
the trust of the teams, I in turn would be learning about them, their
histories, individual roles, and where their team is in the development cycle.
In the end I hope to be a powerful tool or resources to help teachers
solve some of their most pressing problems. I know it will not be easy
and no two teams will be alike, but I believe I can contribute in positive
ways, and I am eager to begin.
References
Garmston, R. J., &
Wellman, B. M. (2009). The adaptive
school: A sourcebook for developing
collaborative groups (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA:
Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Killion, J., & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a learning school. Dallas,
TX: National Staff
Development Council.
Lee, G. V.
(2009). From group to team. Journal
of Staff Development, 30(5), 44–48.
