Working in Groups
As a student of the Ivy Tech Honors College and while completing the LIBA279 Honors Capstone Course, we were tasked with creating a Learning Portfolio and reflecting upon artifacts that pertained to specific Honors Program Outcomes.
Below is one of those reflections.
Thank you for your time.
- Michael
Honors Program Outcome 1:
Work effectively in groups, demonstrating an ability to consult with others, reach consensus, and collaborate to create solutions to a given problem.
Reflection
What is it about working in groups that can seem so easy in certain contexts yet so daunting in others? I have played sports, served in the military, and managed teams of people in various jobs which all require group work. However, in the collegiate setting, groupwork can seem a little scary. Will I get a good group or a bad one? Will the work be evenly split amongst each member? How will this work effect my grade? Valid concerns though they are, the truth of the matter is that so many things in life require group work. So, the best choice available is to accept these challenges head on and with a positive attitude.
Attitude
One thing I have learned in my educational journey is the ability to adapt. With the pandemic of 2020 all schooling went online and the classroom was flipped on its’ head. This could be challenging enough with regular course assignments, but it added another dimension to group work. I was fortunate enough to work with a fantastic group of people during my Social Psychology class on a group presentation about bias and prejudice. While the project itself felt powerful in its’ message, the biggest take away with respect to working in groups had to do with my own attitude. It is easy in a Zoom dominated world to keep the camera off, speak only when spoken to, and melt into the background. But that is just not me. Maybe it is a poorly timed pun given the state of the world, but attitude is infectious. Starting each group discussion with a smile and asking how my group was doing easily made the difference in how we responded to each other. While discussing difficult and harsh topics we were still able to maintain a feeling of positivity. The mood, in spite of the subject matter, was upbeat and supportive. Although this will not be a significant revelation to anybody reading this, it is worth reiterating. Even when we are forced apart, our positivity and upbeat attitude can bring us together.
Rapid Adaptation and Listening
If you have ever attended a class I was enrolled in then chances are you know my name. I am the student who is not afraid to speak up and offer an answer when prompted. I like to volunteer to go first when presenting projects. I do not mind the attention. But this is something I am acutely aware of and make sure to temper my approach so that others might also be heard, because the truth is that I love to hear the thoughts and ideas of others.
Listening is a vital skill set for anybody who wishes to work effectively in groups. I was presented with several unique and engaging opportunities to practice these skills while conducting Case Study Seminars in Abnormal Psychology. The professor would roleplay a patient who was experiencing some form of mental disorder and it was up to the class to ask questions of the patient to determine an appropriate diagnosis. I loved these assignments. They engage my mind completely and stoke my passion for my future career. What I remember now when I think back on these experiences is just how important my peers were in developing and understanding the patient. Questions that I had forgot were important or questions I never even considered to ask spilled from my groups mouths with what seemed such little effort. It makes me think of one of my favorite quotes, but I will tell you that a little later on. It was listening in this rapid-fire group setting that provided some of the greatest learning for me during my time at Ivy Tech. Something that I continue to work on and never plan to forget.
Overcoming Group Challenges
It has not always been easy, I must admit. To say that I started off in a precarious group situation seemed at the time like an understatement. One of the first courses I took at Ivy Tech was Leadership, which culminated in a group project that was a significant portion of the overall grade. I was assigned a classmate to work with and all seemed well. We met virtually a couple times and discussed what we wanted to do for our final project. A food drive on campus! Then silence. I shortly found out that my partner had dropped the course and I was on my own. Or at least that is what I initially thought. The truth is that group work does not always just involve the person you are assigned to work with or the team you are placed on. Sometimes, it falls on you to expand, update, or optimize your group to better achieve your mission. Working with the professor of the course I was able to get in touch with a faculty member who turned out to be a more important partner than I had anticipated. I was able to complete with project by partnering with some on campus events for Black History Month. In hindsight, the learning experience of this course helped me to understand that overcoming a challenge is often the most rewarding path.
Silver Lining
While I had lost a group member in my Leadership course, I found another that expanded beyond the curriculum. I was introduced to one of the Directors of the Ivy Cares program which deals with students in need. After completing my project, we stayed in touch and not long afterward I was invited to be a member of the Ivy Tech Subcommittee for Hunger and Homelessness. This was a new group of both faculty and outside community leaders… and me. While I initially felt like I was not in the same league as some of the other group members, it was through their encouragement and support that I found the courage to offer new ideas and thoughts for how we might approach our goals. This culminated in creating a Committee Goals and Objectives document that I was able to present to the committee. It taught me that when a group is supportive, amazing things can happen.
Final Thoughts
Remember that quote I mentioned earlier? It seems difficult to find out who the quote should truly be attributed to but it goes, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room”. This is, in essence, my philosophy when it comes to working with groups. I strive to surround myself with intelligent and insightful people, much like my peers in my psychology courses, who can, just by their own ability, teach me so many things. If I were to describe a learning approach, I would describe it as being a learning sponge. Soaking up every bit of information, unique insights, and opposing beliefs so that I might expand my viewpoint on the world. This cannot be achieved just through reading a book or taking a class. It is accomplished by embracing the opportunity to work with others and surrounding yourself in such a way that each member of the group benefits.
So, I will continue to do just that. Searching for the right room with the right people so that I might become a better person myself.