Final Blog Assignment

A Final Note of Thanks and Support:

As we reach the end of another journey together, I want to take this time to say thank-you to each and everyone of you, my distinguish colleagues.  I greatly appreciate the continued support and guidance you provided me each and every week, and I hope I was able to do the same for some of you too.  I also want to wish all of you continued success, as you venture on the path towards future success in the field of early childhood studies.  And without a doubt I truly feel that each and everyone of you are a major asset to this field, and will continue to do great things in the future.  And not only for this field, but also for the children and families we work with everyday.  Thank-you and once again good luck!! 
 

Stage 5: Adjourning

For this week's discussion assignment I talked about my experiences of becoming an acting Supervisor for the first time, and also the challenges I faced from becoming a leader of a very dysfunctional center.  A center that was right on the verge of being dismantled, due to numerous issues, and concerns, which in my opinion all really seemed to stem from a lack of leadership, guidance, and most importantly trust.  But in the end, I also talked about some of the greatest experiences I had, not only as a Supervisor, but also being part of a truly amazing team, that also became a very strong and united team.

And it is my experience with this group that I now look for the fifth stage of  Tuckman's Stages, that were developed by Bruce Wayne Tuckman in 1965, adjourning stage.  "In the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions.  This stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the team rather than from the perspective of managing a team through the original four stages of team growth" (Abudi, 2010). t

I definitely feel that this team, or group, has been the hardest one to say goodbye to that I ever had to in my life.  And I think that is because of what we went through together, all the challenges and obstacles we faced, making our team the united and dedicated front we became in the end.  I think when you go through a experience such as this, it makes all the accomplishments and rewards you receive in the end all that more special and appreciated.  And I also feel that groups that go through these kinds of experiences, grow very close, sharing a unique bond, that will definitely remain even after they have moved on or have gone their separate ways.  "Performing will keep in touch with each other as they have become a very close knit group and there will be sadness at separating and moving on to other projects independently" (Abudi, 2010).

It is also reflecting on these kinds of past experiences of groups and team development that I now imagine and consider how I will adjourn from you, my group of colleagues, as we near the end of our master's degree program.  I also feel this adjourning stage, will also be extremely difficult, especially since we have really become such an important part of each others life, both personally and professionally.  We have shared some of the same challenges and struggles, we have faced as we enter a new chapter in our lives, as student's with the same common goal, the goal of successfully completing our master's degree in early childhood studies.  And even though we might not ever physically meet in life, I know I can honestly say in the end, when it is time to finally say goodbye, I know it will be very difficult.  And that is because we shared so much of ourselves, both personally, and professionally, and we really have become an important part of each others lives, whether we believe it or not.  And I know I can honestly say that I have really learned a lot from each and everyone of you, especially when it comes to teamwork, and sharing one common goal.  The goal of trying to make a difference in the field of early childhood studies...

References:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

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Conflict Strategies and Resolutions

                                                              
In beginning this assignment and reflecting on any recent, or for that matter any conflicts I have ever had at work, I can honestly say after all these years there is only one I can remember.  And this conflict, that did lead to a somewhat heated argument, occurred about four years ago, when I arrived here to my new site.  And I can honestly say that after being at one particular center, for so many years, almost ten years, and knowing everybody, this too was an adjustment, getting to know and work with new people.

This particular disagreement resulted from a very strong difference of opinions between myself and a fellow colleague that at the time had been stationed at my preschool center, but who technically wasn't part of my staff or my center.  And it was as if from the moment she arrived, there were immediate issues of conflict among her and my entire newly assigned staff.  "Conflict comes about from differences-in needs, values and motivations.  Sometimes through these differences we complement each other, but sometimes we will conflict.  Conflict is not a problem itself-it is what we do with it that counts" (http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3). 

And for me this was something that was completely new to me, not conflict itself, but conflict in a department, that I had basically never had any problems or conflicts up until this point.  But I can honestly say that in the end, after going through one extremely difficult school year, I did learn a lot about about my new staff and colleagues, as well as a lot about myself, not only as a person, but also as a Supervisor, who values the importance of positive, and effective nonviolent communication skills.  "NVC involves both communication skills that foster compassionate relating and consciousness of the interdependence of our well being and using power with others to work together to meet the needs of all concerned" (http://www.cnvc.org/Training/NVC-Concepts).

In choosing two strategies that I have learned are relevant, especially as a result of my personal and professional experience, I would have to say they are compassion and compromise.  And I chose these two, because I feel they are the best strategies, and defense mechanisms, when dealing with difficult people, or situations, that have now led to conflicts.  And for me in my conflict at work they were definitely strategies and skills that I really feel helped me with my difficult situation, as well as re-enforced for me what it takes to really become a positive, and effective supervisor.  "They are skills that enable us to bypass personal differences and to open up to possibilities.  The skills of CR draw us close to other people, as we jointly search for fair solutions and balanced needs,  It involves a powerful shift from adversaries to co-operative partners, in this shift each person benefits" (http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3).


References:

Conflict Resolution Network. (n.d.). CR kit. Retrieved from http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/