Activity: “Building the Tallest Tower”
Instructions:
- Divide the class into small teams and give each team a set of materials (e.g., paper cups, straws, tape).
- Explain that the goal is to work together to build the tallest tower in 10 minutes.
- Remind Pupils to practice communication (discuss ideas), cooperation (work without arguing), and responsibility (each person should contribute).
Reflection: After the activity, ask Pupils what worked well and what challenges they faced in working together.
- Qualities of a Good Team Leader
Describe Key Qualities: Discuss qualities such as listening, decision-making, encouraging others, and setting a positive example.
- Listening: A good team lead listens to team members’ ideas, concerns, and feedback.
- Decision-making: Makes timely decisions, especially in high-pressure situations, and also involves team members while making certain decisions.
- Encouraging others: Recognizes and rewards achievements to boost morale, while maintaining an optimistic attitude that energizes the team.
- Setting a positive example: Leads by example by taking responsibility for their actions and decisions and also stays updated on industry trends and encourages the team to do the same.
Group Activity: Have each student share one quality they think makes a good leader and why.
- Challenges of Teamwork and resolving them
- Identify Common Challenges: Talk about issues such as misunderstandings, disagreements, and lack of communication in teams.
- Communication challenges: Misunderstandings in teams, lack of clarity, or insufficient communication can lead to confusion, mistakes, and frustration when a team works together.
- Conflict among team members: Disagreements can arise due to differences in opinions, work styles, or personal dynamics.
- Low/Lack of Motivation: Team members may lose interest or fail to contribute fully if they feel undervalued or disconnected from the project.
- Uneven workload/distribution: When some team members feel overburdened while others contribute less, resentment can build.
How to resolve them:
- Establish clear communication channels e.g., regular meetings, and encourage open dialogue where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas or concerns.
- Address issues as they come to avoid them pilling up or escalating.
- Assign/share tasks among team members according to their strengths and availability.
- Recognise and celebrate team member’s achievements no matter how small.
- Problem-Solving Discussion: Brainstorm as a class how to handle these challenges. For instance, suggest active listening and compromise as ways to resolve conflicts.
