I
truly realize this post does not apply to a lot of schools and teachers, but if
it does, you will be able to relate to its meaning. Politics in the school seems to be the
thoughts that come to mind when reading Hall’s chapter 5.
Definition:
“Forming” is considered the
“honeymoon” stage. The book states this
where the teachers are on their best behavior.
Scenario:
A
new teacher joins a department where the team seems to be in the “performing”
stage. Everyone is nice to the new
teacher, although, they wanted to choose someone else. The new teacher believes the team is being
friendly but soon realizes that she is not included in any decision-making
meetings or even invited to the social click.
It is noteworthy to state the department’s state scores are low (55%)
and the school is “Academically Acceptable.”
The new teacher’s students are challenging and many have labels placed
upon them (SPED, ESL, At-Risk, etcetera). The department head scores the new teacher low
on walk-through evaluations without follow-up conferences. As the six weeks progresses, the new teacher
is shun from the others. She feels
isolated from her team.
Question:
What
did she do? What would you do?
Definition:
“Storming” is considered
the “rocky” stage. The assumptions,
biases, prejudices, misconceptions, passions and agendas are recognized during
this stage.
Scenario:
For
our new teacher, this is time of realization.
She is on her own amidst, what seems to her, a pack of wolves ready to
devour her at a moment’s notice. The new
teacher loves teaching and learning from her students; which becomes her focus. She reports to the department head that her
co-teacher had the smell of alcohol on her breath not realizing that this
teacher was going to be named “New Teacher of the Year” in a few days. The new teacher is labeled a troublemaker and
nothing happens to the co-teacher. The
students are advancing with the new teacher’s teaching style as shown on the first
benchmark. Her overall average for the
test was 72.7% while the other teacher scores were below 50%. Was this new teacher praised for this
achievement? No, she was accused of cheating.
Question:
What
did she do? What would you do?
Definition:
“Norming” is the period
where the guidelines are set for the team.
The “real” work begins.
Scenario:
The new teacher realizes she is a
target. She refuses to give up on teaching
her students to the best of the abilities God gave her. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your
teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so
that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:7-8 ESV).
During the second six weeks, the students know it was
not only the new teacher accused of cheating but them as well. The students are supporting their teacher and
strive to do much better on the next benchmark.
The test day comes and the students are ready to raise their
scores. The students are tested and the
new teacher seals each class’ test in a large envelope. She has the co-teacher initial and deliver
directly to the department head after each class. The scores come back with an amazing 92% pass
rate. The new teacher is not praised for
the scores but chastised for not following the cookie-cutter curriculum as the
other teachers where doing.
Question:
What
did she do? What would you do?
Definition:
“Performing” is when the
team is working as a well-oiled machine.
Team members know their goal and how to achieve it.
Scenario:
Get
rid of the new teacher is on the minds of the other teachers. They have isolated and degraded the new teacher. Yet, her spirits remain high because of her
faith and her students. The new teacher
is sent on her merry way to co-teach in Life Skills at semester break. The Life Skills teacher tells the new teacher
toward the end of the school year everyone believed she would quit due to the
stress of working with very challenging students. Since the new teacher adapted to the new
environment and not being a quitter did her best with these sometimes-violent
students. The new teacher survived but
at what cost?
It
would seem developmental stages of teams are not always intended to be the best
for all teachers and especially in the best interest of the students. Each stage brings acceptance to the pecking
order of involved individuals. Sometimes
learning how to play the politics is the most difficult process of being a
teacher.
On
a side note:
Please
learn to use the whiteboard and other technology that has been provided in your
classroom. Someone is willing to teach
you!