Groups

I like when a subject makes me think and contemplate subjects that are so familiar to us that we do not think about them often. We see groups and leaders as part of a common life. Many of us could say what a leader is, what is a group. Reading about leadership, groups, and teams was fascinating. I got myself many times telling myself "so that is why..." and "now that makes sense..." or "Great! I could use this idea in my class"

We spend our life in groups, teams and at times we are faced with the role of leader. Today I am a mother and a teacher. That put me in a position of leadership with many responsibilities. I am a part of many groups of family, friends, and job situation.

There are many ideas about relationships in the groups and between groups. Some ideas that got my attention were the advantages and disadvantages of small groups when making decisions and solving problems since those could help me in my job as a teacher. It facilitates the pooling of resources because people with different opinions and information can contribute. A disadvantage could be that a member could be tempted to let someone else handle the duties and responsibilities.

Another close look was the understanding of roles in a group. They are defined as patterns of behavior and those are so important in students. Classes are oriented to motivate students to work in groups. The understanding of their roles in that group situation is something sometimes difficult for a student. I took many notes to help the groups to run smoothly by maintaining roles. The task roles presented me with ideas to help a group in reaching their goals. Finally, I understood how a self-serving role could prevent a group from working effectively, something important to know to elude as much as we can.