Graduate Attributes

Team work

Teamwork can be defined as a group of people that make a cooperative effort to work together within a team in the interest of a common goal. It can also be said that teamwork is a group of people giving their own individual opinions to form one opinion (The Times Higher Education, 2011). Teamwork is a skill that is developed over time and working with others is not easily acquired by everyone, but can be taught slowly.  People may find that they work well within some teams and not within others, as teamwork is most effective when all members are working harmoniously towards a common goal. Within the classroom, teamwork can also be called collaborative learning and should be incorporated as part of a classroom routine.  

My experience with teamwork and collaborative learning within a university context, has taught me the importance of working harmoniously with all members of a group. When the members of a team are unable to constructively work together, a task cannot be successfully completed.  On the other hand, I have discovered that when groups do work well together, the results can be both positive and rewarding. Throughout my university degree, I have received the opportunity to work in a number of different groups for assessment tasks and these have helped to scaffold my ability to work as a professional in teams at school. In addition to teamwork at university, working within sports teams in my personal life has also helped me to develop certain attributes that help me to be a cooperative and organised member of a team, which I can then work with in a school context. 

My mentor teacher, as well as other members of staff, have on numerous occasions commented on my friendly attitude and ability to get along with everyone. I feel that these traits help me to be a team member that is easy to work with, values other opinions, and yet contributes my own views as well. My mentor teacher stated that ‘other teachers have commented on Ashleigh’s personable approach to all activities undertaken be the Year 6 team’. My goal is to be a valuable member of each team that I work in and to bring great ideas and a positive attitude.

Communication

Communication occurs when someone conveys information to another in some form. As Davies (2009) states, the communication process is complete when the receiver understands the meaning of the communicator. In today’s society, there are many different ways to communicate which can be broken down into three categories, verbal, non verbal and written communication. Aspects of verbal communication include directly speaking to someone or talking to someone on the telephone. Non verbal communication, which is also known as body language, includes facial expressions, posture, positioning of the body such as proximity, hand gestures and eye contact. These factors help others to realise how a person is feeling or what they are trying to communicate. Finally, written communication has advanced along with technology. While once, the main form of written communication was a letter, these days you are more likely to receive a text message or an email.

Communication is a skill that I developed at a young age. At the age of fourteen, I got my first job as a learn to swim teacher and communicating with children and parents became the norm for me. As I started university, the skill developed and while I still get nervous speaking in front of my peers or when I’m being assessed, due to my good communication skills, I am able to speak clearly and loudly. I have been told throughout my life that I am very easy to talk to and that I am very good at explaining information to people in a way that they understand. People often tell me that I will be a great teacher due to my ability to communicate difficult concepts, as I break it down and explain each aspect explicitly until they understand. While my mentor teacher stated that at the start of the year I occasionally said things that are grammatically incorrect, I have been consciously making an effort to think while I am speaking. Towards the end of my internship, she commented on my ability to utilise her suggestions and that grammatically, I now speak much better. The principal of the school said that I ‘communicate beautifully with the students and that as a result, they respect me, listen and are engaged’.