Success Teams are learning communities organized around the shared purpose of supporting students to successfully transition to high school. As individuals, team members may have differing philosophies and ideas on how to approach this work. Regular community building provides opportunities for team members to connect to a shared purpose as well as each other. Tool Set A provides Team Leads with ideas for community building within Success Teams.
Community building is a part of Success Team work and related activities should connect to the goals for the meeting. When creating a team meeting agenda, Team Leads should preserve space and time for these activities. You may be tempted to eliminate community building when short on time or when you feel there are other important things to do. Resist the urge and make sure community building is a regular segment of your team’s meeting.
The protocols and activities in Tool Set A set the stage for this work. For instance, Compass Points is ideal for a new Success Team. The information learned from this activity can help the Success Team determine the strengths and areas for growth of each team member. Once completed, it is not uncommon to hear members reference the findings. You might hear a team member say, “Well, I’m an East, I need to know the big picture,” or “I know she’s a South, so she’s concerned with our comfort right now.”
Use the Tool Set
The full Building Community Tool Set is available for download. The download includes the three tools in this Tool Set.