Aug. 30, 2026: Team Building

“Team Building”.  A phrase that conjures up images of obstacle courses and laughter.  Or causes the rolling of the eyes and a sinking feeling. Research shows that when individuals gel and have a productive relationship, the quality of work increases, so many businesses, corporations, and enterprises make a concerted effort to foster that kind of team-mentality. An entire industry has grown to meet this need.

Education is not immune. At the start of the school year, most schools have their staff participate in some sort of team building activity or event. As I begin my 33^rd year as a public-school classroom teacher, I have worked for 9 different principals.  Some awesome, a couple awful, but most doing the best they could. Administrators, in my opinion, have one of the most difficult roles in education.

But team building is not something that happens at the beginning of the school year at a specific event.  Team building is something that happens every single day in a school community.  And the principals who do it best, seem to embrace these traits:

-       They trust their teachers.

o   They trust their teachers’ insights, observations, and decisions.  Especially when issues come up with students, whether it is academic, behavioral, or social, the first thing they do is ask the teacher what they think.  They understand that teachers are professional educators with specialized training and they value that.

-       They empower their staff and their school-based teams.

o   This comes under avoiding micro-managing! Great leaders make sure that everyone knows the expectation, the non-negotiables, but then they let their teachers and grade level teams make those day-to-day, on the ground decisions.

-       They value innovation and outside the box thinking.

o   Great administrators do not stick with things just because that was how it was always done. They are not afraid to have their staff and school try a new approach or strategy.  

-       They know that failure is not fatal.

o   They look at everything as a learning opportunity. If something did not go well, they expect ownership, reflection, feedback, and adjustments, but they do not feel the need to punish.

-       They celebrate and encourage others to shine.

o   They are confident enough to take on supporting roles in order to allow others to take the lead, or be the driving force.  This includes everyone in the school community- teachers, custodian, parents, students.  They often look for ways to showcase the great things their staff is doing without any expectation for themselves.

-       They do not expect everyone to be great at everything. 

o   They understand and value the unique talents, skills, and perspectives that each member brings to the team and they look for ways to leverage those gifts.  They do everything they can to make sure that the roles/tasks a teacher is asked to take on fit with their skill set.

Working with a group of people that is a true team is indescribable. It makes going to work enjoyable, invigorating, and productive. Wishing every teacher out there an administrator who supports team-building every day of the school year!