Importance of Team WorkBy: Nicole DavisFamilies Communities & Culture (EDUC 204 C04W) Spring 2015

Summary

The afternoon of April 10, I took thirteen members of the North Fremont FFA Chapter to the canyon, and we worked on team building skills. Each individual

had to do their part in multiple activities in order to achieve success within their team. We discussed different topics such as time management,

dedication, supporting one another, communication, listening skills, and importance of being a leader and follower. It was amazing to see each

students input on the different subjects. Each student had their own way of thinking and coming up with solutions when solving the problems their team was faced with. It was exciting to see which students became the leaders of

the group, and which students followed. Afterwards, as a group, we did different activities to make memories with one another. The activities consisted of decorating cookies, making rice crispy treats, and then having a game night with all the FFA members. I thought I was going to be the one teaching these

students about sustainability, but in the end, the students taught me. It was so exciting to see these shy students come out of their shells and let their

personalities shine. As a group, they showed the importance of team work, and how much a team can accomplish when working together.

Time Management For our icebreaker, I asked the students to

write on a note card their involvement in school, FFA, and what FFA means to them.

Once the cards were shared with one another, I used the information the students wrote

down for a time management lesson. I wanted to show the students that every

individual was busy, and it was important to manage your time in order to be a successful teammate. I taught them about organization, prioritizing, and how to keep a planner. When

finished, we discussed the importance of dedication. We discussed that it doesn’t

matter what team you were on, (Sports, Play, or FFA) the team would not be as successful without each members dedication. It was wonderful to get to know these students. I

greatly enjoyed discussing with the students the importance of time management, and

dedication when it comes to being a teammate.

Banana SurgeryIn this activity, the students were given a

banana, and a banana surgery bag. The bag consisted of toothpicks, nails, string, and tape. Next, they were instructed to cut the banana

into fifteen pieces. When finished, the students had to put the banana back together using the items with in the bag. Each slice of the banana was a symbol of a negative attitude on a team,

hurtful words said to another, and non supportive teammates. Once cut, the banana never could be perfect again. This showed the

importance of teammates having positive attitudes, being encouraging to another, and having respect for one another. Even though,

there are ways to reconnect when harm is done, your team can never go back to being perfect once the action has occurred. This activity was used to show the students the importance of

being a supportive teammate.

Tarp Game The tarp game was focused on

communication. All thirteen of the students had to stand on the tarp without touching

the grass, and flip the tarp to the other side. If one student was to touch the grass,

they had to start over again. In order to accomplish this, the students had to

communicate with one another. It was interesting to watch which students

became the leaders of the group, and which students followed. It was fun to see the ideas that the students came up with to accomplish this task as well. As we see in this picture, piggy backs became a well-known subject in order for the students to

flip the tarp.

Team Relay The team relay combined all topic that

were discussed throughout each activity. The students were split into groups of seven, and their legs were tied together. The students had to walk a short distance together, find a piece of bubble gum in the middle of whip cream, blow a bubble, and walk back to the starting point. The students had to communicate with one another in order to move, they used time management to distance themselves from the other group, and they had to listen to one another. In order to accomplish this activity, every student had to participate, work together, and accomplish their own individual task. It was great to watch the team work that arose from these students. This relay turned out to be a great success.

Memories Once we finished our

activities, we decorated sugar cookies together, and had a Chapter game night.

Implementation and Documentation

Cassidy is the North Fremont Chapter President. She assisted in helping me

organize, and keep order while doing this project.

Mr. Jacobsen is the North Fremont FFA Advisor. He was

the one I talked with the most during this project. We planned the time, place, and

students involvement for the project.

These are the note cards I had the students fill out. On each not card, the students wrote their involvement in school, FFA, and what FFA means to them. The not

cards were used in the time management activity.

Reflections I loved doing this project! The students

that I worked with were amazing, and great sports in participating during the different activities. It was wonderful getting to know these students and teaching them the importance of team work. They thanked me for the fun memories that they made, and were excited to apply what I had taught them to the different teams they were involved on. I am very grateful I was able to do this activity because these students taught me as well. Their positive attitudes were wonderful to be around, and very uplifting. I believe that when learning happens, everyone involved learns. This was defiantly accomplished during these activities. Over all, I really enjoyed working with these students, and doing my sustainability project.

Resources "Team Building Games." - Ice Breaker Games and Team Building Activities for Youth.

Youth Group Games, 1 Jan. 2005. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www.jubed.com/youth_ministry/>.

"Bing." Team Building Activities for Teens -. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www.bing.com/search?q=team building activities for teens&form=IE10TR&src=IE10TR&pc=CPNTDFJS>.

Kelly, Bob. "Importance of Teamwork in Organizations." Everyday Life. Global Post: America's World News Site, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/importance-teamwork-organizations-12033.html>.

"Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals." Top Achievement. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://topachievement.com/smart.html>.

Personal Interviews: Mr. Jacobsen:

Chapter Advisor Cassidy Dutton:

Chapter President