MONDAY 9TH MARCH
WHAT? On Monday the 9th March, the International Friluftsliv class conducted a session based around team building activities. The 8 boys in the class planned and conducted the session, running a number of different games and activities which were run in small groups.
The activities required the small groups to work collaboratively by:
- Thinking outside the square and coming up with creative ideas to complete the tasks
- Using different forms of communication (ie; verbal and hand actions)
- Using each other’s strengths and weaknesses
- Work against time constraints
WHERE? The activities took place outside the Spichern building. Activities were run on the grass playing area as well as the outdoor gym.
WHY? The purpose of today’s session was to improve group dynamics across both the International and Norwegian Friluftsliv class. It is important to improve group dynamics as this allows groups to progress through the stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning) in an effective way and allows group members to share and use their strengths or weaknesses to help their group; resulting in maximum productivity and hopefully eliminating the idea of social loafing.
MY REFLECTION Today’s group was highly organised and knew exactly what they were doing. The chosen activities supported multiple aspects of group dynamics and enabled individuals’ strengths and weaknesses to come into play. The directions given were clear and concise however, I thought the activities went for too long and I found myself, and other students quickly losing focus and “mucking around”. I think this may also be due to the fact that within a few of the activities, some students were standing around doing nothing. I believe that some of the activities had low Maximal Individual Participation (MIP) and this is always an important aspect to take into consideration when planning activities as you want every student to be doing as much as possible.
WHAT CAN I TAKE FROM THIS EXPERIENCE? Similar to my last blog post, I could tell that the International boys were very well organised and although the Monday sessions with the Norwegians have come to an end, I still think I can take this back home and thoroughly prepare for my teaching roles. Additionally, I need to remember that all activities need to have high MIP, so students do not get bored or distracted.