Week 6: Group Communication

The textbook focuses on the relationships within a group. Groups can be made up of just a few people or can be made up of many people which will include smaller sub groups within the larger group. I feel as though my work is one large group which is made up of about sixty-five employees. Within this large group though are smaller groups which consist of teachers that work within the same age group, even smaller groups that work within the same suite and then the smallest of the sub groups which is made up of teachers that work within the same classroom.

There are three wings within my building, A-wing which includes infant and toddler classrooms, B-wing which includes two-year-old classrooms, and C-wing which is made up of preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms. I work in C-wing with the pre-k kids. I am part of the C-wing group, the pre-kindergarten suite, and my classroom group, Pre-K 2 which consists of myself, my co-teacher and our support teacher.

I am a member of each of these groups but I feel that as the group gets smaller, more focus is put into those relationships. I spend a good chunk of my day with my co-teacher and my support teacher, a little bit less time with my suite mates, and a little bit less time with the other C-wing teachers. I don't spend much time at all with the teachers from the other wings or with the leadership team.

The textbook defines a group in six ways. 1. The participants know each other by name or role. My co-teacher, support teacher and I are aware of our roles within the classroom and know each other on a personal and professional level. We know about each other families and understand differences and similarities in our personalities. 2. There is a considerable amount of interaction among the participants. Since we are in a classroom together all day, the three of us speak to each other about the topics we will be focusing on for the day, any troubles we may be having with the children, funny things the kids say, or upcoming projects we have to work on. 3. Each participant has some degree of influence on each of the other members. Our support teacher asks for direction within the classroom to know what she should be doing for the day with the kids. My co-teacher and I will discuss decisions as a team when it comes to planning classroom parties, the end of the year graduation, or classroom activities. 4. Each participant defines himself or herself as a member of the group and is also defined by outsiders as a group. The other teachers in the building know which classroom I work in and who my co-teacher and support teacher are. 5. The participants share some common goal, interest, or benefit by holding membership in the group. Our common goal as teachers in the classroom is to educate and care for the students. 6. There is leadership. Co-teachers are treated as equals within the classroom and are able to make decisions within consulting the other (although communication is most effective when the decisions are made as a team) and the support teacher will consult the primary teachers (co-teachers) before implementing something new into the classroom.

Before reading this chapter in the textbook, I wasn't aware that I am part of so many groups each day. My role in my job is defined by group members as well as those outside my group.