Adjourning

Adjourning from a group where a team building of trust and collaboration has taken place is essential because it gives you a feeling of accompolishment and success.  Atlhough you may separate from some the team on a daily bases, you stilll will not completly stop all contact from time to time.  I have been involved with different teams from cheering (myself and when my daughters cheered) to my sorority (AKA).  These groups were hard to leave but I still stay in contact with the people I met in these groups.

The hardest team group that I have had to leave was my center staff that I just recently left.  The majority of the people I had worked with for over 6 years including my assistant director.  We were like a family and had accomplished so much together - NAEYC accreditation, GA Center of Distinction.  They looked forward each holiday season to going out to a nice resturant for our staff holiday luncheon - Sun Dial, Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's.  Since I received a promotion three years ago, I was doing double jobs as the center director and as the Professional Development Director for the company.  They finally brought in a director for me to train but she resisted my help and created an environment that was not good for either of us.  I chose to step away and give her full reign of the center.  My staff and I have not had a chance to adjourn from me not being there with them yet.  I saw them on Monday at our Professional Development Day and we all stated how much we missed each other.  Just this morning a staff member called me to tell me she would not be in to work; after I reminded her she didn't have to call me she stated that she did it out of habit.  I am planning for us to still get together over the holidays to have a final closing of our work chapter together.  They send me texts and e-mails thanking me for making them strive for excellence.  All of that means so much to me.

I imagine that when myself and my colleagues complete our masters degree in early childhood studies that we will continue to blog each other from time to time to stay in touch.  I hope that those of us who live in the Atlanta area will be able to get together to celebrate our accomplishments.  They have motivated me and I hope I have motivated them during our courses.