I worked at an international school in Germany for 3 years. I started in a year when several new international teachers also arrived. The beginning of my second year saw another influx of new international teachers. There were several of us who were living in the same area as the school provides an apartment for the first month which we can then decide to stay in. This group of teachers bonded immediately. We were all experiencing similar things...being in a new country, not speaking the language, facing the same challenges that these things bring. We worked well together at school and became a strong social group as well. Many of these colleagues made the trip to the Netherlands to be at my wedding, knowing that my family was unable to attend. At the end of my third year, the group broke up because several of us moved on to new schools. It was a difficult ending because we had been such a tight group. I'm still in touch with many of these teachers who now live all over the world.
I think it was hardest to leave this group because the bonds were so strong. There was a lot of support between us and we had experienced a lot together. I guess we were a high performing group with the goal of making life in a strange country easier. We had a leaving party and each person who was leaving was honoured by someone who was staying. It was a testament to the respect we had for each other.
Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows the groups to appreciate each other and what they've accomplished. It gives a forum to show the respect and caring that has developed during the time the group was together. It also brings closure to the members of the group. The teachers who didn't move on that year continued with their group and brought new members in. It was a different group though with it's own dynamics and relationships.
References
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's
I think it was hardest to leave this group because the bonds were so strong. There was a lot of support between us and we had experienced a lot together. I guess we were a high performing group with the goal of making life in a strange country easier. We had a leaving party and each person who was leaving was honoured by someone who was staying. It was a testament to the respect we had for each other.
Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows the groups to appreciate each other and what they've accomplished. It gives a forum to show the respect and caring that has developed during the time the group was together. It also brings closure to the members of the group. The teachers who didn't move on that year continued with their group and brought new members in. It was a different group though with it's own dynamics and relationships.
References
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's
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