Effective Teamwork in the School Environment
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The concept of teamwork has, in recent years, significantly impacted both the worlds of industry and education. As companies and schools have had to change to meet the evolving needs of an increasingly diverse society, teamwork in the workplace has become the norm. Teamwork is based on a simple theory: Put people with different strengths together, empower them with problem solving strategies and the ability to make their own decisions, and together they'll create better products, more profitable companies, or more successful learning environments (Caudron, 1994). The execution of successful teamwork however isn't always so simple, and there are many different components to consider when trying to implement successful teamwork in school or work environments.
In their examination of teamwork in the school environment, "Collaboration to support students' success", Walther-Thomas, Korinek and McLaughlin first identify what a successful team, or collaborative community looks like. Collaborative communities recognize the power of dialogue as a means of problem solving and solution finding. Schools that become true collaborative communities are commonly more democratic and less hierarchical in structure. These schools are environments where respect for others opinions and beliefs are evident, and where members have a sense of belonging related to working with the team.
Shared leadership responsibilities in one of the first components to effective collaboration. Shared leadership involves including all members of a team in meaningful decision-making (Walther-Thomas)...