Faculty Groups : From Frustration to Collaboration

by Susan A. Wheelan

• ISBN13: 9780761931652
• ISBN10: 0761931651
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-10-28
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

"This is an astounding handbook for educators. What we've needed is exactly what this book provides." -Jan Kesseling, Superintendent Madison Loral School District, Middletown, OH Develop high-performance teams and improve student learning and achievement! Traditionally, the culture of teaching has been one of isolation, yet todaya??s educators are being asked to make fundamental changes in the way they interact with their colleagues by participating in various school teams-grade level teams, vertical teams, school leadership teams, study groups, and school improvement teams, to name a few. While great in theory, the concept is often difficult in practice. Faculty Groups translates what social scientists have learned about work groups into straightforward, commonsense, practical guidelines for educators. Believing in the efficacy of faculty teamwork, author Susan A. Wheelan provides a road map for teachers to learn how to collaborate with each other, reduce frustration, and make a significant difference in student learning and performance. By developing high performance faculty and administrative teams, educators can generate a cooperative and collegial culture, resulting in a learning environment that is second to none. To successfully develop collaborative faculty groups, points of discussion include: How groups develop, and why some groups succeed, while others fail What faculty members and leaders can do to help their groups become productive How to design, facilitate, and participate in effective meetings How multiple groups working in the same school can work together to create a collaborative school culture How detailed surveys, assessments, instruments, and teambuilding activities for team members can measure their skills and target areas for improvement Educators agree: no goal is more important than educating the next generation. Everyone involved helps to create the schoola??s culture and establish effective and productive work groups. Written for principals, teacher leaders, and teachers on teams, this book can also be used by other educational groups such as school boards and site-based leadership councils.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xiii
About the Author	xv
Why Educators Should Work Together: The Case for Faculty Teamwork	1	(10)
Many Teachers Know Why	1	(1)
Many Teachers Remain Unconvinced	2	(2)
But We Don't Know How	4	(3)
What We Can Do	7	(4)
How Groups Develop and How Groups Get Struck	11	(16)
Groups Develop Across Time	11	(3)
Stage I Groups	14	(3)
Stage II Groups	17	(2)
Stage III Groups	19	(1)
Stage IV Groups	20	(3)
Not All People or Work Groups Develop Successfully	23	(4)
Skillful Membership	27	(20)
Effective Member Checklist	27	(7)
Section 1: Attitudes and Feelings	34	(2)
Section 2: Processes and Procedures	36	(2)
Section 3: Communication and Participation	38	(1)
Section 4: Support and Encouragement	39	(2)
Section 5: Intergroup Relations	41	(2)
Section 6: Work and Productivity	43	(1)
A Final Activity: The Collaboration Survey	44	(3)
Skillful Leadership	47	(18)
Effective Leader Checklist	47	(7)
The Leadership Myth	54	(1)
Effective Leadership	55	(1)
Leading a Stage I Team	56	(2)
Leading a Stage II Team	58	(3)
Leading a Stage III Team	61	(1)
Leading a Stage IV Team	62	(3)
Designing Effective Meetings	65	(10)
Meeting Basics	66	(1)
Steps in Planning a Meeting	67	(6)
Meetings of Groups at Different Stages of Development	73	(1)
The Role of Members in Successful Meetings	74	(1)
Keeping Your Group on Track During Stage I and II	75	(10)
The Goals of Stage I	76	(4)
The Goals of Stage II	80	(5)
Keeping Your Group on Track During Stage III and IV	85	(12)
The Goals of Stage III	85	(4)
Team Performance Checklist	89	(4)
The Goals of Stage IV	93	(4)
Intergroup Collaboration and Culture Change	97	(14)
Changing a Negative School Culture	98	(3)
The Organizational Support Checklist	101	(10)
Supporting Teams and Providing Professional Development	111	(8)
Ineffective Team-Building Methods	114	(1)
Effective Team-Building Methods	115	(1)
Steps Toward Improving Team Performance	116	(1)
A Case Example	117	(2)
Imagining a Collaborative Future: Some Stories and a Modest Proposal	119	(10)
Focusing on Collaboration	119	(4)
Where to Start?	123	(3)
A Modest Proposal	126	(3)
Resource A: Effective Member Checklist	129	(8)
Resource B: The Collaboration Survey	137	(2)
Resource C: Effective Leader Checklist	139	(8)
Resource D: Team Performance Checklist	147	(4)
Resource E: The Organizational Support Checklist	151	(8)
Bibliography	159	(8)
Collaboration and Student Outcomes	159	(1)
Organizational Culture	160	(1)
Groups and Group Development	161	(1)
Effective Membership	162	(1)
Effective Leadership	163	(1)
Effective Meetings	164	(1)
Team Building/Organizational Development/Staff Development	165	(2)
Index	167