The Importance of Teambuilding

I spoke at a PTA meeting a few weeks ago. The school wanted me to talk with parents about how the teachers in the school were implementing the Caring School Community® program. It was a good meeting and reminded me of the power of teambuilding activities. This is what happened:

I began the meeting as I typically do, with a teambuilder. I had all the parents line up based on the distance they were born from the school site. I used the line to randomly pair up the parents. I then asked them to talk with their partner about a positive memory that they carry with them from elementary school. After a few minutes of sharing, I had them get new partners and I asked them to discuss one hope they had for their children at school this year. After a few minutes they took their seats. I explained that at the beginning of the year the teachers were doing activities like these to help their students get to know one another.

The rest of the presentation was pretty straightforward. I presented some research on why creating a caring community mattered for kids. I then described the work the teachers were doing. I concluded by inviting some students and teachers to share the effect that this community-building work had on their classrooms. The presentation was well received. The student stories were definitely a hit. At the end of the meeting, however, an interesting thing happened. Many, many parents came up at the end and shared that this was one of the best meetings they attended. When I asked why, they said, "I never talk to other parents at these meetings. I barely know any of them. When you did that teambuilder it changed everything."

This happens to me a lot. Whether it is a parent group, a school faculty, or a classroom of 5th graders, people always comment on how powerful teambuilding activities are in their community. We all need time to connect with one another. We can't solve complicated problems, discuss sensitive issues, or reach consensus if we don't trust and care about one another. These relationships don't happen overnight. They are hard work and need to be consistently maintained. Teambuilders at the start of PTA meetings, faculty meetings, and in the beginning of the school day are a fine way to get started.

If you have a favorite teambuilding activity or know of good resource for them, please post them below.