The role of team building among teachers

Educational ManagementSouth Africa is faced with educational transformation that is embedded in the current education policy. For this transformation to succeed, teachers, principals and those in the higher hierarchy in the Department of Education, will have to work together towards attaining the goals of Education. Teams are powerful learning entities than individuals seeking to learn on their own. Teams provide an environment which learning can be articulated, tested refined and examined against the needs of the organisation and within the context of the learning of others. To be effective, team based learning activity needs to be based upon the needs of the team, the needs of the individuals within the team and the needs of the organisation. By articulating these three sets of needs within the team, real progress and development will take place within an organisation. The principal should provide the staff with a forum where there is an interchange of information and the strengthening of relationships and the improvement of the school climate. Specific roles that relate to a specific task need to be clarified as well as those that relate to the team. Principals should realise that the role they play in a school is significant. Despite this significant role, they can never be solely responsible for the management of the school. To achieve excellence collective effort is needed. Involvement of team members in decision making will help in achieving the organisation's mission as well as the goals. This will result in the taking up of the school's ownership by all team members. Accountability will therefore be owned by all team members not only the principal. Team building can lead an organisation to success because it involves communication, effective coordination and division of labour. This will result in effective school management