I have been involved in many
different types of groups, professional as well as personal. I feel that all groups, when they work well
together, are bittersweet when they come to an end. When you have a group that struggles and then
comes together beautifully, it’s hard to see it end. Likewise,
a group that meshes from the onset and runs like a machine is hard to leave as
well. When a group is productive, no
matter what the process or outcome, the end should be a time for celebration
and reflection.
The hardest group adjournment that
I was involved in was a group of parents who were rallying to keep a program in
my child’s elementary school. The
funding was cut and we hated to see the program be cut, so we formed a group to
try and change the inevitable. We worked
together beautifully, with a few minor disagreements which actually grew our
bond even more. After almost a year of accomplishments,
we were still unable to keep the program alive, however the fight was
definitely worth it.
Upon the close of this group, we
gathered for one last time and celebrated our labor of love and recognized each
other for our hard work. While we were
not really successful in keeping the program, we built some lasting friendships
and had a great group experience. Our last
meeting was at a member’s home, and was a relaxed environment with good
conversation and a few tears.
I feel that different groups end
differently. Sometimes professional
groups I have been involved in just ended without warning, one day we were
there, the next day we were done. These
types of ending are the most painstaking because I feel as though all my hard
work and dedication was completely invalidated.
As this group of academic
colleagues come to an end, I feel that some of us may continue to network and
just share a common bond as educators.
I, for one, find that having colleagues from different areas and walks
of life makes for a great information resource and a different set of eyes or
ears. I am confident that I will have
some lasting contact with some of my Walden colleagues for many years to come.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, "When a group is productive, no matter what the process or outcome, the end should be a time for celebration and reflection." I notice that I always reflect on my past work experiences, for example, for a long time after I have worked there even if the experiences were negative. I often critique my performance for years afterward. I agree, Reflection is an important part of working as a team.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring group you were apart of! Even though the you were unable to keep the program alive, I can only believe you set a great example for your children and others within the school. You and other parents came together to fight for a common purpose. It is unfortunate when programs within schools are cut, your dedication and fight, I'm sure was appreciated by many.
You also brought up a great point about how groups often times end differently. That thought had not yet crossed my mind. But when working in groups, you are absolutely right, they end in many different ways. Whether they are hard to to leave or not, groups can come to an end planned or unplanned. If they come to an end unplanned, often times, groups members may still have components they still need addressed.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It was very inspirational. I hope to keep in touch with some of the colleagues I have been communicating with in this course. I believe in networking and it is important to keep open, positive, and professional communication with different people. Networking has been very instrumental for me in my career and obtaining employment. Best wishes!
Erica
Karen,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I suddenly realized that leaving a group that is not jiving could be harder than I expected because i do not like to fail. I want to make a difference and be successful in all we do.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take this time to THANK YOU for all your hard work you have put forth in this course. I enjoyed reading your discussion and blog posts each week! You always got me to think outside of the box. I still remember your discussion post where we had to describe the girl in the picture. Many of our colleagues, myself included were often indecisive in our answers. We said her profession could possibly be this or this. You really took time to address this assignment and brought the lady in the picture to life with your discussion post. Again, thank you for your contribution to this course and also the early childhood field! :)