Continuing the Conversation with Your Student: TEAM DYNAMICS
Teamwork is a skill like any other.
We know mastery of a new skill requires deliberate practice. Your child might spend one hour a week at Synthesis, or they might plug into Play for an additional two or three hours a week. In any case, they’ll need more practice if they aim to become proficient at teamwork.
Fortunately, you’re not lacking opportunities.
Teams are everywhere in your child’s life, but they may not recognize them. Try a ‘team test’ for different groups they’re a part of and see what your child thinks: in what ways is their friend group a team? your family? their peers in class? What teamwork skills could they apply in these non-traditional teams?
Your child’s class sessions also allow them to explore leadership styles and division of labor, so keep an eye out for any situation in which they can practice stepping into the role of “team leader,” making decisions that impact team dynamics.
Your child’s class sessions also allow them to explore leadership styles and division of labor, so keep an eye out for any situation in which they can practice stepping into the role of “team leader,” making decisions that impact team dynamics.
Here are some of our favorites
Family Game Night
A collaborative board game is a great opportunity to practice working as a team with your family members. Nothing collaborative in your game cabinet? You can change the win condition of a competitive game to suit your needs. For instance, play Scrabble and pool everyone’s scores to try and beat 500 points, or try to get everyone to finish their circuit of the Monopoly board on the same turn.
Earth’s Ambassadors
Imagine aliens have made contact with our planet, and your child can choose up to three people to serve as Earth’s ambassadors. Who would they choose for this task, and why? As they talk through it, add new wrinkles to the scenario: the aliens only communicate through sign language; we know at least one of their objectives is learning about our planet’s ecosystem; etc. How will they adapt their team to the new scenario conditions?
House Manager
Let your child take the lead on assigning chores to different household members for the day. This involves more than just telling people what to do. How will they decide who is best suited for different tasks? How should jobs be prioritized? How can they motivate team members who aren’t enthused about their chore? What role does fairness play in creating good team dynamics?
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