I have had very little experience with adjourning as it is described by Abudi (2010). Most of the groups or teams I have been involved in continued on after I left. Or I continued on after another member left. I have served on governing boards; I worked at the same preschool for 12 years; and I gathered a cohort of directors from a school district to create a community of learners. In each of these cases when I left the greater part of the entity continued on without me. However, in each of these cases it was difficult for me to leave the few members of the group I had become close with, those who I worked well with, those whose passion and drive mirrored my own for the mission of the group.
This week I shared with you, in the discussion board, about a group I was involved in for a class during my bachelor's degree program. There was dysfunction and a lack of direction. This group was not hard to leave. Without meaning any offense to the individuals in the group I have to say it was a relief to be on my own again in my schoolwork. I think this is often true- when a group or team is dysfunctional and lacks cohesion leaving is a liberation.
As I have navigated through this degree program I have often wished that we had been a true cohort, a community of learners, which stayed together throughout the journey. I feel as though I have had a chance to get to know some of you along the way. However, with others this is our first class together and the journey is almost over. There have been students who have come in and out of classes with me throughout the past year or so. Many of them were also just passing through, so to speak. Because of this fractured group dynamic I feel that it is hard to know how I will feel when we disperse from this program. On the one hand, I will miss the chance for professional conversations with all of you. On the other hand, I will be so excited to be done and mastered (is that a thing?) that I feel the relief will come even without the dysfunction.
So, whether there is a big ceremony, as in the case of graduation, or there is little fanfare- such as when I left the directors' cohort group- adjourning is essential in almost all cases. I did not walk for my graduation when I earned my bachelor's degree and I am not sure if I will for this master's program either. However, just as with my previous graduation, there will be a HUGE party and many of you will be there with me in spirit.
Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html
Wendy, I also wish this had been a cohort where we all stayed together and graduated together, However, it has been really nice to have been together for most of our classes. I hope you are able to walk in this graduation. I am planning to walk and with God's help I hope I will. I did not walk when I obtained my AA and I always regretted it so for my BA I did not want to miss it and therefore I do not want to miss this opportunity either. I hope we get to see each other there.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy
ReplyDeleteI do understand about going in different direction but the time we shared in my opinion is priceless. It’s hard for me to come to know a person and to never hear from that person again but I tell myself often that the individuals I meet are and will always be successful and valuable positive educators. According to Abudi, G.2010 unhappiness at departures. I didn't attend my BA and wished I did.
Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html
I agree, I would have preferred this to be a true cohort in which we begin and end together, learning about each other along the way. I started this program with a group of people and we met again in many of our initial courses. However, I entered this program with transfer credits and the rest of my original cohort is now in a course that I have already taken. This is the first time i have had the pleasure to work with anyone in this course and I must say that adjourning from this group will be less difficult because I have not established the same relationships as I had with my other cohort.
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