Response discussion 3 to each with 100-150 words
Susanna
When participating in any type of discussion or meeting it is appropriate and desirable to establish what is and what is not allowed. This is the definition norms : “a principle of right action binding upon the members of a group and serving to guide, control, or regulate proper and acceptable behavior” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Norms are sets of rules that guide the behaviors of groups or societies. In our discussion, we are referring to group norms.
Norms vary between groups but professional discussion groups may have some of the following norms taken from Reid’s Dilemmas in Educational Leadership: “Start with the positive, support one another with sensitive comments, use discretion, base feedback on observable facts, give feedback only when asked, be honest, be professional.” (Reid, 2014) This is a very good list of acceptable and appropriate behaviors for a critical friends group of educational professionals who meet to collaborate on becoming better teachers. These are all very straightforward rules to follow, although it may be difficult at times. In addition, these norms are necessary for a facilitator to successfully achieve the goals of the group, stay within the time budget, and remind participants of the behavior that is desired to achieve those outcomes.
Three norms that I would strongly desire to be used in a professional group made up of myself and others would be to start with the positive, base feedback on observable facts, and be honest. I believe it is important to be considerate of others when discussing something important to them but I also see the value of giving and receiving constructive feedback. Starting with the positive is always a good rule so that people can see what they have done well but it also softens the blow of the potential hard feedback. Productive feedback will be based on observable work or facts and not people’s opinions. Lastly, honestly, when used appropriately can lead to trust and beneficial relationships between group members.
Lynette
The three norms I would implement during a professional group meeting are positive comments, being honest, and professionalism as stated in the text. No one wants to attend a group meeting where it starts off giving negative comments about the group in a professional setting. Starting off the group meeting being negative is a morale killer and will cause people to come up with excuses so they won’t have to attend. Starting off the meeting by being positive will boost morale and people will want to listen to what is being discussed in the group meeting. Also, they will receive the feedback that is given because of the positive tone. The second norm is being honest in the professional group. It is very important, to be honest in the professional group. Honesty goes a long way, especially in a professional group with those who are attending. Being honest allows the professional to improve areas of weakness. The third norm would be professional at all times during group meetings. It is important to be professional when conducting meetings. During the first week of school, teacher leaders are required to attend workshops discussing how to conduct meetings with the departmental team. During this meeting, we are required to lead by example and stick to the discussion topics. Also, have everything prepared before the meeting begins and start on time. The worst thing to do is start a meeting off not being professional and being late. Educators hate having to stay after school for a meeting schedule at 3:45 but do not start until 4:15.
Cordarius
The norms presented in Chapter 4 include to start with the positive, support one
another with sensitive comments, use discretion, base feedback on observable facts, give feedback only when asked, be honest and be professional. “To follow these norms, we would have to cultivate good judgement and continue to trust one another.” (Reid, 2014).
However, these three that I would want to have in place in a professional group that I am participating in would be to start with the positive, be honest and be professional. At the school I used to work at, each and every faculty meeting we had the principal only talked about the negative things that were happening and what she felt everyone was doing wrong. This was disheartening for every staff member and it killed the morale of the team. It is important to share as much positivity as possible to help the team fill that they are appreciated. Being honest is equally important because it helps to build trusting relationships. If there is no honesty, there will be no positive bonds or collaboration within the team.
As educators, the professionalism that we practice is a sense of modeling to our students how one is expected to behave or act. When we enter the profession, we must abide by the code of ethics that is in place. If we allow ourselves to get out of character, we are only hurting ourselves. From the facilitator’s point of view, “having a clear set of norms for professional learning can build trust among participants by making sure that everyone feels that they will be heard, that attention is paid to inclusive behavior, and that there is space and time for questions and contributions from all participants. In professional development for teachers, attending to norms also mirrors the type of conscious self management that teachers hope to develop on their students.”
