Faculty Groups: From Frustration to Collaboration

A perfect road map for teachers, this research-based book translates what social scientists have learned about work groups into practical guidelines for educators to ensure student learning.

"This is an astounding handbook for educators. What we've needed is exactly what this book provides."
-Jan Kesseling, Superintendent
Madison Loral School District, Middletown, OH

Develop high-performance teams and improve student learning and achievement!

Traditionally, the culture of teaching has been one of isolation, yet today's educators are being asked to make fundamental changes in the way they interact with their colleagues by participating in various school teams-grade level teams, vertical teams, school leadership teams, study groups, and school improvement teams, to name a few. While great in theory, the concept is often difficult in practice. Faculty Groups translates what social scientists have learned about work groups into straightforward, commonsense, practical guidelines for educators.

Believing in the efficacy of faculty teamwork, author Susan A. Wheelan provides a road map for teachers to learn how to collaborate with each other, reduce frustration, and make a significant difference in student learning and performance. By developing high performance faculty and administrative teams, educators can generate a cooperative and collegial culture, resulting in a learning environment that is second to none.

To successfully develop collaborative faculty groups, points of discussion include:

• How groups develop, and why some groups succeed, while others fail
• What faculty members and leaders can do to help their groups become productive
• How to design, facilitate, and participate in effective meetings
• How multiple groups working in the same school canwork together to create a collaborative school culture
• How detailed surveys, assessments, instruments, and teambuilding activities for team members can measure their skills and target areas for improvement

Educators agree: no goal is more important than educating the next generation. Everyone involved helps to create the school's culture and establish effective and productive work groups. Written for principals, teacher leaders, and teachers on teams, this book can also be used by other educational groups such as school boards and site-based leadership councils.

Susan A. Wheelan, PhD, is president of GDQ Associates, Inc. Until recently, she was professor of Psychological Studies and faculty director of the Training and Development Center at Temple University. Currently she is teaching at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. She also has worked in a number of school, hospital, and clinical settings. Dr. Wheelan received Temple University's Great Teacher Award in 1992. She is coeditor of The Lewin Legacy: Field Theory in Current Practice and Advances in Field Theory. She coauthored How to Discipline Without Feeling Guilty. Dr. Wheelan is the author of Facilitating Training Groups, Group Processes: A Developmental Perspective, and Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders. She has written numerous articles for publication as well. Dr. Wheelan has provided consultation to a wide variety of organizations. She has led workshops and training seminars on such topics as Executive Development, The Role of the Internal Consultant, Working in Teams, Management Skills, Communica-tion Skills, Dealing With Difficult Employees, Leadership, Conflict Management, and many more. She has been an invited speaker in England, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and throughout the United States. Topics included group and organizational develop-ment, diversity, and conflict management.