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The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player

Chapters 13-17

One of the essential qualities of a successful team is to be a team player. This applies to my classroom as well. Everyone has their own opinion, but it is equally important to listen to other points of view, and to do what is best for the team as a whole. As the authors state, "Relationships are the glue that holds team members together. " It is important that all team members are valued, just as all students in my classroom are important and essential to our sucess. The focus should be on our teammates instead of ourselves.Another vital aspect of a successful team is for team members to improve individually. In my classroom, students should have the opportunity to develop their maximum potential. We all need to give and share with our teammates. It is a "give and take situation."  Problems that occur should be dealt with as opportunities for growth and character development. In my classroom, working as a team, together, as well as respecting the contributions each individual can make, we can truly become all we can be!

Teaching What Matters Most

Chapters 1-6

These chapters present a positive and practical approach in helping me as a teacher deal with the responsibility of meeting the diverse needs of my students. This approach includes standards that meet the four main criteria:1: Rigor, 2:Thought, 3:Diversity and 4: Authenticity. These standards should lead to improvement in state test scores and yet also enable me as a teacher to have the creativity I need to meet the individual needs of my students. This book is divided into four sections that address each of these standards. Each section contains three chapters. The first chapter defines the standard and its application. The second chapter addresses the appropriate learning strategies and the third chapter discusses assessment. I believe this book will help me organize my curriculum so that it is focused on the goal of teachintg what matters most.

Teaching What Matters Most

Chapters 10-13

In these chapters the authors discuss authenticity and how we can apply it in the classroom. Authenticity can be an important tool in fostering motivation. Problem solving and communication skills are an important part of authentic learning activities. This involves students more in the learning process, increases motivation and encourages learning at a deeper level. The home environment can also be important in stimulating and motivating students to learn. We are all a team working together to provide students with as many learning opportunitiers as possible.

The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player

Chapters 7-12

In these chapters the authors discuss the essential qualities of a winner. Discipline is an essential quality of a winning team. The authors state "Discipline is doing what you really don't want to do so that you can do what you really want to do." It is important that I, as a teacher, instill in my students the importance of "doing the right things at the right time for the right reason." My students need to learn happy, healthy habits that can influence them not only in the classroom, but the rest of their lives. It is important the authors feel, that we learn to grow and share. These are important qualities for a classroom also. A good team is composed of players who bring out the best in each other. One way to achieve this, in my classroom, is creating an atmosphere of enthusiam and excitement. "You can do it, you can do it, if you put your mind to it," is a phrase I often tell my students. The authors believe that people can be successful at almost anything they are positive and enthusiastic about.A by-product of enthusiam is that it is contaigous. It is important as a teacher that I build on my students strengths as well as weaknesses. I should also help my students understand the purpose for our activities by being a prepared leader. Preparation is an essential quality to having a successful team.

The 17 Essential Qualiities Of A Team Player

Chapter 1-6

In these chapters the authors discuss the value of having good players on a team whether on a job or in the classroom.  The process of forming a good team begins with me, the teacher. It is important that I model the behavior I expect from my team (students). All students can contribute to our team no matter how great or small their ability may be. Flexibility is an important quality in forming a successful team. Adaptable, flexible students are highly teachable. It is also important that as a teacher, I provide my students with a secure, creative and sharing environment. It is necessary for students to see the classroom as a place to learn and share and help others to experience all they can become. Working together as a team, and not as competitors, is an essential ingredient in forming a successful team. Commitment is another important quality for our team, and not just focusing on ourselves. This doesn't exclude individuality, however. As the authors state, "A team is many voices with a single heart."If a conflict arises, the authors suggest using the "Twenty-Four Hour" rule. Don't let more than twenty-four hours go by without addressing it. Communication is an all important quality of a successful team. Speed is not always what people remember about a job. It is how we perform the task. Team members need to demonstrate dependability as well as ability. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to develop a successful team, instilling in my students a real sense of making our team their own, as they grow and become all they can be.

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