Team Building and Visioning for Staff PD Days

As you know, it’s important for principals to build a sense of community on campus. A cohesive group achieves more together and makes for a more enjoyable working environment.

But what exactly does that look like? Schools can be made up of multiple teams: the campus team as a whole, grade-level teams (horizontal), multi-grade level teams (vertical), site-based decision-making teams, and the list goes on. So, getting these different groups of people to make connections and align their work to the vision and mission of the campus is crucial.

Here are some team-building and visioning activities for teachers to bring your staff together.

Building Relationships

With a new school year, you often have new staff to introduce. It’s important to make them feel welcome and connected to the rest of the group. Chances are that you also have new grade level or subject teams that will need to get to know each other as well. Here’s one activity you can use to build relationships called Little Known Facts.

Download our free resource guide for a step-by-step walk through of these team building and visioning activities for your staff!

Little Known Facts

1. Participants put their LKF (without their names) on a post-it note and put it on a piece of chart paper in the room.
2. Give each person a LKF, but make sure they do not get their own.
3. Participants mingle about the room, asking others if the LKF belongs to them. (Ex: Were you a synchronized swimmer in high school? Did you climb Mt. Everest?)
4. Once all are “found,” make a circle with the group and share LKF and connections.
5. Additional option: Ask participants to put themselves in a straight line according to their years of experience in teaching. Then, ask them to huddle up with three others near them to share a little-known fact and a goal they have for the year. 

Reflecting and Gathering Input

In order to get a pulse on where your staff is and plan for the future, it’s important to set aside time for them to reflect and give their input. Chalk talk is a great way to get the conversation going about what has been working and what could be improved.

Chalk Talk

1. Use chart paper or butcher paper posted in four areas of the room, one with each of these titles: Things that went well last year, biggest challenges last year, hopes for this year, and concerns for this year.
2. Participants may move at their own pace about the room, answering the questions in writing, using a pen or marker. 
3. Remind staff that this is a silent activity designed for all to have a voice. Play quiet music if desired.
4. Close with a whole group discussion of trends/highlights. 

Campus Vision and Mission

Core Values & Belief Statements

1. Arrange seating based on teams who will be working together (grade level, department, etc.).
2. Share a handout of the document Core Values and Belief Statements with participants.
3. Give individual reflection time for participants to complete the core values and belief statements (individual reflection) exercises.
4. Teams will work at their tables to complete the Team Exercise: Aligning Beliefs with Values handout and write their responses on chart paper.
5. Each group shares its statement as the leader facilitates consensus among the staff around developing core values and belief statements for the school. 

These team-building and visioning activities for teachers will help you start creating your staff culture. But be sure to continue investing time in building up your team and revisiting your campus mission throughout the year!

LaWanda Carley

LaWanda Carley is a Senior Coordinator for Educator Evaluation and Leadership here at Region 13.

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