There are a lot of things to work on in this one habit. I already know that I am not very effective at some of these tasks. However, to begin with my strengths, I know that I am a good listener, I enjoy brainstorming with others to create a better idea, I seek out knowledge from others, I participate in diverse teams and I recognize others for their contributions. I am the teacher that constantly shares my lesson ideas or insights that I have when teaching and resources that I find. I also plan ahead for possible conflicts that may arise and share these thoughts with others to help come up with possible solutions ahead of time. I also thank others for their contributions and give them credit whenever it is due. I make an effort to achieve Synergy in my team. The areas I need to work on are focusing on others’ strengths instead of weaknesses and avoiding stereotyping or labeling. I think these are areas in which most people are not highly effective without some effort. I think school cultures can have a big influence on how people act. Within some school cultures, people tend to notice weakness before strengths and inadvertently stereotype and label others. This is something I should not participate in and avoid. Even listening to others talk in a negative manner can alter my own thoughts. I want to be a positive role model for others, therefore, I will work on avoiding those types of conversations and focusing instead on strengths of others.
When discussing this habit with my colleague, Courtney, I will make an effort to give examples of how Synergy can be achieved with our fifth grade team. I would love for our team to be more effective and communicate more. Right now it is not as effective of a team as it could be. I know teams take time to develop, but now that I know the action plan to establishing Synergy, I can share these steps with my teammates to help them see where we can be more effective. Listening to others and sharing their own ideas are the areas where we need to begin. I share my thoughts and ideas with them freely, but want to see them do the same. This will be the beginning steps to achieving Synergy and I am excited to begin the process.