Evaluation 1 (Raft Building):
Describe the task:
We were asked to build a raft that would support the weight of five teenagers and had to travel a total distance of 300 meters without the raft falling apart or sinking. We were given a total amount of four rubber tires, eight pieces of bamboo and ten pieces of rope. There were a total of five teams ranging from four to five people per group and every group had the same amount of materials. My team consisted of four males and one female. Alex Brutus, Jasper Ellemann, Lachlan Cameron, Sorcha Edminston and myself. We selected Lachlan Cameron to be out team leader as he had a good imagination and good craftsman skill. Throughout the construction of the raft Lachlan showed brilliant democratic leadership which is when he would listen to our wholes teams ideas and would create a plan from all of our ideas. This made us time efficient as we thought of a good plan for the raft quickly. The rules of this task that we had to follow were that we could only use the materials given to us, every member of the group must be on the raft when paddling, no members of the group were allowed to kick or get in the sea to help push their group further. Any group that didn't abide by the rules were disqualified from the race. Another rule was that we were only allowed to ask a total of three questions, this would be if we needed help with different techniques to the raft. The feedback were mainly verbal.
What was my role?
Throughout the task I contributed in many different ways such as sharing opinions and ideas as well as being the member of the group who taught the know used when the bamboo sticks had to be securely fastened together. Within the theory of Meredith Belbin I feel that I am the role of a plant. This is when the person is creative and unique. Another aspect of the Plant role made my Meredith Belbin is that they are good problem solvers. I managed to think of a new idea for the template of our raft when we didn't have enough pieces of rope because we over predicted the amount we were given. This meant we had to come up with unique and different answers to the problem in order to find a solution. I suggested that rather than having five points of paddling we would only have four and the weakest member of the group would sit in the middle whilst the others paddles. Yes this was hard work! However even though I wasn't the picked leader of the group, the whole group had a form of leadership to the task that they were given as they were given a section that they needed to complete for the raft. Initially Lachlan Cameron had the final say in the whole process of the raft building but he would listen to everyones opinions and ideas.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, that I showed different attitudes towards the task but predominantly would show a positive attitude. I feel the main attitude I showed was confidence. I feel that confidence within the group was due to having the others members in my team be my friends, this meant that it was easier to voice each others opinions together and help each other out as I knew how each person would react in certain situations. I felt that this activity didn't allow me to be pushed out of my comfort zone as I like to build things and am a very productive worker when in a team environment. Trough-out the task I also was being helpful to every member of the team because I wanted to make sure that the knots were secure, as this was my main job of the group.
How did we perform as a team?
Our team was the best team working on this task. We took the competition seriously (with a slight twist of a joke) by collaborating effectively and constantly making sure that everyone was working well and if they needed assistance that they would receive it as soon as possible. Within the group it helped that we all knew each other and how one another worked because it created a friendly working environment in which we were able to work together efficiently. In comparison to other teams I think that we were more cooperative and used our time efficiently. This is because we were able to complete our raft in time as well as finishing the task without cheating, first place. As I looked around at other teams I could see that some people within their group would be sitting down and talking rather than building the raft itself and this then meant that they were unable to finish the raft in time.
What were my strength's?
Individually:
I had a variety of different strengths such as being physically fit, good creativity and being a good listener.
Physically fit: This was a strength because this gave us as a team an upper advantage I was able to make sure that none of the knots were loose and that they were secure enough to withstand the weight of five teenagers. Also physical fitness was an advantage because when paddling in the sea each member of the team had good muscular endurance, especially me. This meant that I was able to row in sync with my team the whole track marked out by our advisors.
Good creativity: This was a strength because I brought innovative ideas to the group in how we would create the raft through layers rather than trying to rush into the building phase. Good Listener: This was a strength because it allowed me to listen to everyone's opinion and ideas to then take all the ideas from each member of the team to create one which will work best. I also listened to the problems that the group as a whole encountered. This allowed me to help other members in need if they didn't understand how to do something, but not only was I a good listener it helped that our whole group consisted of good listeners and innovative people.
Team:
There were many strengths within my team because there was good communication, awareness and confidence.
Communication: This was a strength because this gave our team the upper hand as we all knew each other and knew we would get along with one another. We were able to communicate our idea's which further more meant that we could give constructive feedback when we felt a person could be doing their role in the task better as well as being more efficient. This allowed us to take a lead over the other teams as they were still going through the forming stage where as we were going through the storming stage from the beginning, effectively skipping the forming stage. This gave us the advantage of being able to work well.
Awareness: This was a strength because the team was aware of what their individual role which meant that we were able to work effectively as a team. Also this is good because as everyone knew what they had to do and were also capable to complete their role. We each were aware of how long we had to build the raft so if we a person within the team completed their subordinate task they would help a teammate who was not able to go as fast as they could.
Confidence: This was a strength because we were confident from the start of the task that we were able to complete the task and win. With all the individuals being confident is united our team and made everyone confident that we could win. With a positive attitude we were able to enjoy what we were doing as well as doing it effectively and quickly. Other teams weren't as confident and some were on the same level of confidence. The lower confident teams took a longer time to come up with good ideas and take longer when building the actual raft. This gave us an advantage because we were able to build an idea quicker.
What were my weaknesses?
Individually:
I had fewer weaknesses than strength's. Some weaknesses were that towards the end of the task I had lost attention to the task as well as sticking to reality with concerns on what materials we had to complete the raft. Another weakness is time management.
Attention/Focus to the task: This was a weakness because I drifted away from my group which meant I had left them to finish off the task I had started. This occurred after I taught Jasper Ellemann the knot which was able to tie together the bamboo sticks and the rubber tire, which then led me to leave Jasper to do the rest of the knots I had left. Fortunately my group was relaxed about the whole situation because they had noticed I completed a lot of work earlier on during the task so they were able to use their strength of mental endurance to complete the task.
Time Management: This was a weakness because towards the end of the task of the building phase we had to improvise a section of the raft. I feel I spent to much time learning the knot as well as considering the different forms of rafts that we could follow to build. Fortunately with our team we had a lot of different skill sets whereby we were very innovative because we had a problem and we solved it efficiently. Even we this weakness we were able to overcome the time and finish first in the race.
Team:
There were fewer weakness' as a team but yet we still lacked praise.
Praise: This was a weakness because as a team we gave each other constructive criticism but we weren't giving each other any praise for the task that we carried out. Throughout the building phase of the raft we were getting on with the building rather than the praise because we thought that we wouldn't have enough time to finish. If we gave praise I think that it would of initially sped up the speed in which we were working as it is another form of motivation. Comparing our team's level of praise I had noticed that they were giving more praise than us which meant that they were working faster and finished their rafts before us but not necessarily making the best raft.
What could I improve next time?
Individually:
I think next time in order to improve on my weaknesses I would make sure that I put a 100% effort into the activity and also make sure that I try go out of my comfort zone. This could even be learning a new skill that I wouldn't have wanted to learn before.
Time Management: The way in which I would improve my time management would be to calculate the amount of time I in total to then split the workload between the members of the group. After receiving the workload that has been asked of me I would plan out the amount of time I have for each section. For example as I was creating the knots to securely fasten the bamboo sticks together or too the rubber tires, I would see how long I would have to complete all the knots. I would also use my time effectively by looking around my environment and notice if a member of my team has finished their workload and to try ask for their help to complete it together rather than on my own.
Attention/Focus to the task: The way in which I would improve my attention to the take would be to train my mental endurance. This will take a lot longer to train compared to that of learning the time management skill.
Team:
I think that next time in order to improve the team's performance we would have to work on giving one another more praise because we lacked this. I also think that we would not go off task and start discussing topics that were in no way related to the raft building task. Another aspect in which we need to work on was time management. This is because we were lucky to finish in time but we were the last group to finish. This could be related to the aspect of our focus on the task.
Attention/Focus to the task: One of the ways in which we would improve our attention to the task is through praise. This is because I think that if we gave each other a praise we would be happy with the workload that we are producing. The way to improve this is to just make sure that comments are made throughout the task. For example when I see Alex Brutus doing something well I would just say 'nice job, that knot is really secure! Keep doing this and we will win!' This would give him more confidence in what he is doing.
Time Management: One of the ways in which we would improve our time management is by working out how long we have for each subordinate task that we have. For example how long it will take until the tires are pumped to their maximum capacity as well as how long it will take to get the basic frame together of the raft. If we did this I think that we would work as a team and help each other with the role that we were given.
Was there any conflict within the group?
Luckily there was no conflict within the group as we are all friends and communicate well. Although there were times whereby there was a disagreement with the group when choosing which idea we would use when building the raft. This was quickly resolved when Lachlan mentioned that he was the leader and showed a democratic leadership style. This helped because with this particular task there are many outcomes that could've happened. After the selection stage of what type of raft we would build there were no real conflicts within the group.
What relevant theory could be used to analyse the overall performance?
Throughout the whole task I performed traits of a democratic leader as I would always listen to the voices of others and use their opinions and ideas to take shape to my initial idea. I also made sure that within the group I would make sure no one's work went unnoticed giving every member positive feedback and reinforcement. This is because I believe that everyone has a right to share their opinions because this eventually will bring the group and the members within the group closer together.
Using John Adair's Action Centred Leadership Model the task was to build a raft that would withstand the weight of five teenagers to travel 300 meters. The team was to work together efficiently and with 100% effort to be put into the finishing 'product' raft. The individual was when I was selected to fasten all the knots as well as keeping track of the progress of the group making sure that I kept up with everyone else within the group.
Throughout this task I felt I had expert power from French & Raven's five forces of social power. This is because the group needed my knowledge on how to lock the knots into a position whereby the raft can be held together. This is because without my information the raft wouldn't have been able to be completed so by the end of the task I was able to have expert power.
We were asked to build a raft that would support the weight of five teenagers and had to travel a total distance of 300 meters without the raft falling apart or sinking. We were given a total amount of four rubber tires, eight pieces of bamboo and ten pieces of rope. There were a total of five teams ranging from four to five people per group and every group had the same amount of materials. My team consisted of four males and one female. Alex Brutus, Jasper Ellemann, Lachlan Cameron, Sorcha Edminston and myself. We selected Lachlan Cameron to be out team leader as he had a good imagination and good craftsman skill. Throughout the construction of the raft Lachlan showed brilliant democratic leadership which is when he would listen to our wholes teams ideas and would create a plan from all of our ideas. This made us time efficient as we thought of a good plan for the raft quickly. The rules of this task that we had to follow were that we could only use the materials given to us, every member of the group must be on the raft when paddling, no members of the group were allowed to kick or get in the sea to help push their group further. Any group that didn't abide by the rules were disqualified from the race. Another rule was that we were only allowed to ask a total of three questions, this would be if we needed help with different techniques to the raft. The feedback were mainly verbal.
What was my role?
Throughout the task I contributed in many different ways such as sharing opinions and ideas as well as being the member of the group who taught the know used when the bamboo sticks had to be securely fastened together. Within the theory of Meredith Belbin I feel that I am the role of a plant. This is when the person is creative and unique. Another aspect of the Plant role made my Meredith Belbin is that they are good problem solvers. I managed to think of a new idea for the template of our raft when we didn't have enough pieces of rope because we over predicted the amount we were given. This meant we had to come up with unique and different answers to the problem in order to find a solution. I suggested that rather than having five points of paddling we would only have four and the weakest member of the group would sit in the middle whilst the others paddles. Yes this was hard work! However even though I wasn't the picked leader of the group, the whole group had a form of leadership to the task that they were given as they were given a section that they needed to complete for the raft. Initially Lachlan Cameron had the final say in the whole process of the raft building but he would listen to everyones opinions and ideas.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, that I showed different attitudes towards the task but predominantly would show a positive attitude. I feel the main attitude I showed was confidence. I feel that confidence within the group was due to having the others members in my team be my friends, this meant that it was easier to voice each others opinions together and help each other out as I knew how each person would react in certain situations. I felt that this activity didn't allow me to be pushed out of my comfort zone as I like to build things and am a very productive worker when in a team environment. Trough-out the task I also was being helpful to every member of the team because I wanted to make sure that the knots were secure, as this was my main job of the group.
How did we perform as a team?
Our team was the best team working on this task. We took the competition seriously (with a slight twist of a joke) by collaborating effectively and constantly making sure that everyone was working well and if they needed assistance that they would receive it as soon as possible. Within the group it helped that we all knew each other and how one another worked because it created a friendly working environment in which we were able to work together efficiently. In comparison to other teams I think that we were more cooperative and used our time efficiently. This is because we were able to complete our raft in time as well as finishing the task without cheating, first place. As I looked around at other teams I could see that some people within their group would be sitting down and talking rather than building the raft itself and this then meant that they were unable to finish the raft in time.
What were my strength's?
Individually:
I had a variety of different strengths such as being physically fit, good creativity and being a good listener.
Physically fit: This was a strength because this gave us as a team an upper advantage I was able to make sure that none of the knots were loose and that they were secure enough to withstand the weight of five teenagers. Also physical fitness was an advantage because when paddling in the sea each member of the team had good muscular endurance, especially me. This meant that I was able to row in sync with my team the whole track marked out by our advisors.
Good creativity: This was a strength because I brought innovative ideas to the group in how we would create the raft through layers rather than trying to rush into the building phase. Good Listener: This was a strength because it allowed me to listen to everyone's opinion and ideas to then take all the ideas from each member of the team to create one which will work best. I also listened to the problems that the group as a whole encountered. This allowed me to help other members in need if they didn't understand how to do something, but not only was I a good listener it helped that our whole group consisted of good listeners and innovative people.
Team:
There were many strengths within my team because there was good communication, awareness and confidence.
Communication: This was a strength because this gave our team the upper hand as we all knew each other and knew we would get along with one another. We were able to communicate our idea's which further more meant that we could give constructive feedback when we felt a person could be doing their role in the task better as well as being more efficient. This allowed us to take a lead over the other teams as they were still going through the forming stage where as we were going through the storming stage from the beginning, effectively skipping the forming stage. This gave us the advantage of being able to work well.
Awareness: This was a strength because the team was aware of what their individual role which meant that we were able to work effectively as a team. Also this is good because as everyone knew what they had to do and were also capable to complete their role. We each were aware of how long we had to build the raft so if we a person within the team completed their subordinate task they would help a teammate who was not able to go as fast as they could.
Confidence: This was a strength because we were confident from the start of the task that we were able to complete the task and win. With all the individuals being confident is united our team and made everyone confident that we could win. With a positive attitude we were able to enjoy what we were doing as well as doing it effectively and quickly. Other teams weren't as confident and some were on the same level of confidence. The lower confident teams took a longer time to come up with good ideas and take longer when building the actual raft. This gave us an advantage because we were able to build an idea quicker.
What were my weaknesses?
Individually:
I had fewer weaknesses than strength's. Some weaknesses were that towards the end of the task I had lost attention to the task as well as sticking to reality with concerns on what materials we had to complete the raft. Another weakness is time management.
Attention/Focus to the task: This was a weakness because I drifted away from my group which meant I had left them to finish off the task I had started. This occurred after I taught Jasper Ellemann the knot which was able to tie together the bamboo sticks and the rubber tire, which then led me to leave Jasper to do the rest of the knots I had left. Fortunately my group was relaxed about the whole situation because they had noticed I completed a lot of work earlier on during the task so they were able to use their strength of mental endurance to complete the task.
Time Management: This was a weakness because towards the end of the task of the building phase we had to improvise a section of the raft. I feel I spent to much time learning the knot as well as considering the different forms of rafts that we could follow to build. Fortunately with our team we had a lot of different skill sets whereby we were very innovative because we had a problem and we solved it efficiently. Even we this weakness we were able to overcome the time and finish first in the race.
Team:
There were fewer weakness' as a team but yet we still lacked praise.
Praise: This was a weakness because as a team we gave each other constructive criticism but we weren't giving each other any praise for the task that we carried out. Throughout the building phase of the raft we were getting on with the building rather than the praise because we thought that we wouldn't have enough time to finish. If we gave praise I think that it would of initially sped up the speed in which we were working as it is another form of motivation. Comparing our team's level of praise I had noticed that they were giving more praise than us which meant that they were working faster and finished their rafts before us but not necessarily making the best raft.
What could I improve next time?
Individually:
I think next time in order to improve on my weaknesses I would make sure that I put a 100% effort into the activity and also make sure that I try go out of my comfort zone. This could even be learning a new skill that I wouldn't have wanted to learn before.
Time Management: The way in which I would improve my time management would be to calculate the amount of time I in total to then split the workload between the members of the group. After receiving the workload that has been asked of me I would plan out the amount of time I have for each section. For example as I was creating the knots to securely fasten the bamboo sticks together or too the rubber tires, I would see how long I would have to complete all the knots. I would also use my time effectively by looking around my environment and notice if a member of my team has finished their workload and to try ask for their help to complete it together rather than on my own.
Attention/Focus to the task: The way in which I would improve my attention to the take would be to train my mental endurance. This will take a lot longer to train compared to that of learning the time management skill.
Team:
I think that next time in order to improve the team's performance we would have to work on giving one another more praise because we lacked this. I also think that we would not go off task and start discussing topics that were in no way related to the raft building task. Another aspect in which we need to work on was time management. This is because we were lucky to finish in time but we were the last group to finish. This could be related to the aspect of our focus on the task.
Attention/Focus to the task: One of the ways in which we would improve our attention to the task is through praise. This is because I think that if we gave each other a praise we would be happy with the workload that we are producing. The way to improve this is to just make sure that comments are made throughout the task. For example when I see Alex Brutus doing something well I would just say 'nice job, that knot is really secure! Keep doing this and we will win!' This would give him more confidence in what he is doing.
Time Management: One of the ways in which we would improve our time management is by working out how long we have for each subordinate task that we have. For example how long it will take until the tires are pumped to their maximum capacity as well as how long it will take to get the basic frame together of the raft. If we did this I think that we would work as a team and help each other with the role that we were given.
Was there any conflict within the group?
Luckily there was no conflict within the group as we are all friends and communicate well. Although there were times whereby there was a disagreement with the group when choosing which idea we would use when building the raft. This was quickly resolved when Lachlan mentioned that he was the leader and showed a democratic leadership style. This helped because with this particular task there are many outcomes that could've happened. After the selection stage of what type of raft we would build there were no real conflicts within the group.
What relevant theory could be used to analyse the overall performance?
Throughout the whole task I performed traits of a democratic leader as I would always listen to the voices of others and use their opinions and ideas to take shape to my initial idea. I also made sure that within the group I would make sure no one's work went unnoticed giving every member positive feedback and reinforcement. This is because I believe that everyone has a right to share their opinions because this eventually will bring the group and the members within the group closer together.
Using John Adair's Action Centred Leadership Model the task was to build a raft that would withstand the weight of five teenagers to travel 300 meters. The team was to work together efficiently and with 100% effort to be put into the finishing 'product' raft. The individual was when I was selected to fasten all the knots as well as keeping track of the progress of the group making sure that I kept up with everyone else within the group.
Throughout this task I felt I had expert power from French & Raven's five forces of social power. This is because the group needed my knowledge on how to lock the knots into a position whereby the raft can be held together. This is because without my information the raft wouldn't have been able to be completed so by the end of the task I was able to have expert power.
Evaluation 2 (Basketball Referee):
Describe the task:
We were asked to deliver a joint coaching session for a year eight Physical Education lesson which was basketball. We were given very little time to think of a type of training session that we would run. We were given information used from the previous notes left by the original teacher that they had been learning the lay up. We organised all the pupils into four teams of six students, doing so evenly so that there was no team that had an advantage or disadvantage. The competition was organised with the correct markings on the floor as well as all the appropriate equipment that was needed to carry out the physical education lesson. We had one hour to get this competition started and completed, which meant we had to work quick. The rules to this game are the same rules that would happen in an inter school match. The only difference was the length of time per game.
What was my role in the team?
Throughout the training session I was a leader whilst Jasper Ellemann was assisting me throughout the session as another official figure on the other basketball court. I think I was a good leader throughout the physical education lesson because I had a good amount of knowledge of the sport that I was able to bring to the lesson. I was also able to pass on the knowledge about general rules and regulations whilst carrying out the training session in a game situation. Also when an injury occurred I carried on the session so that Jasper was able to have full focus on the injured participant and give the students the attention he required. If I looked at the team roles that Meredith Belbin created I feel that I would be co-ordinator as I had to control the whole situation as well as making sure Jasper knew what he had to do in order to cover the objectives of the lesson. I felt that Jasper's team role would be a team-worker as he ensured that we worked together effectively and he provided support to me when I needed it.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, I performed to the highest standard that I was able to in this case as I was able to lead a large number of year eight students when running a basketball session. I know I am able to give myself credit to the cover lesson that I had to take because I was able to also encourage all the students to initiate substitutions which would empower the team as well as communication and teamwork. This was because by giving them this responsibility they felt obligated to do well and they would know how to all play fair and treat everyone with respect as well as creating the best team available in different situations. For example one student was really tired and they made a substitution with their fellow peer. The peer then noticed that the player was not tired anymore and offered to make a substitution to get them back in the game.
How did you perform as a team?
I feel that as a team we performed the best that we could with the time we had been given, which was really good. This is because if I was doing the session by myself I would struggle significantly as there were to many students for me to control efficiently. I would've also miss out of some aspects of coaching, for example Jasper was able to provide extra information when coaching such as tips or techniques. The way in which we worked together was we generated a quick plan and do something where the students were able to learn, have fun and be competitive towards each other. So we thought that we'd make a tournament. We worked together by getting the teams organised as well as helping each other time each game making sure the game didn't run overtime.
What were my strengths?
Individually:
The strengths in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that I was a good communicator, I managed to keep time management, motivation, and confidence.
Communication: This was a strength of mine because I managed to communicate effectively to each participant in my coaching session as they were all able to understand the rules and regulations of the competition that I ran. I was also vocal when it came to making decisions on whether or not there was a foul, they would clearly understand the decision.
Time Management: This was a strength of mine because I was able to make sure that every team played each other and that no team didn't play one another. I also timed it right so that towards the end of the coaching session we were able to have a quick shooting game which I knew all the participant's in my coaching session would like.
Motivation: This was a strength of mine because I displayed many different forms of motivation. I showed positive reinforcement by telling the participant's in my coaching session that if they played well and properly they would be able to have a shooting game at the end. I also used positive feedback constantly to each participant when they did something well and also used negative reinforcement when something wasn't just quite good enough. An example of negative reinforcement is "Unlucky, you'll get it next time!"
Confidence: This was a strength of mine because I was able to give clear instructions on what was happening throughout my coaching session and was not nervous or shy when I had to get my point across to the student's.
Team:
The strengths in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that we were good team workers and communicators.
Team Workers: This was a strength because we were able to create a simple lesson plan in which we were then able to carry it out. We organised all the equipment quickly and efficiently, only gathering the equipment that we needed.
Communication: This was a strength because we were able to communicate the activities that we would run and how they would run. We also created a tournament whereby we were communicating how long their was left until the match had ended and the teams had to play a match against a different team. This is important because without communication the lesson wouldn't be able to be carried out as we wouldn't know what one another were doing.
What were my weaknesses?
Individually:
The weaknesses in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that I didn't show positive enough body language, adaptation of the session, and my awareness.
Body Language: This was a weakness of mine because when I was an official whilst the basketball match was in play, I gave a more casual approach in the way I stood around rather than a professional approach. This may be because I wasn't engaged enough in the lesson. The way in which I would be able to improve this is by getting more involved in the session I run, whether that be giving more demonstrations or playing along in the games.
Adaptation: This was a weakness of mine because when there was an injury on Jasper's side of the court I did help to official both matches to make sure that Jasper was able to assist the injured student, but I should've adapted the game on his side to make it easier for Jasper to not have to worry about what his students were doing. I could've set up a mini shooting activity whilst the students on the other court carried on with their game. The way in which I will improve this for the next coaching session is that I will have planned different exercises in the case of an injury.
Awareness: This was a weakness of mine because I would be calling late. This was predominantly for when the ball went out of the court. This was very unprofessional of Jasper and I. The way in which I will improve my awareness for next time is to learn the basketball court boundaries and be able to have the knowledge on knowing when to call their wrongs.
Team:
The weakness in which we portrayed through the coaching session was that we didn't show positive body language.
Body Language: This was a weakness for Jasper and I because it didn't give the professional approach to the lesson and the students that we were teaching. If we gave the correct body language the student may have paid more attention to us throughout the coaching session.
What could you improve for next time?
Individually:
The way in which I would improve is by turning my weaknesses into strengths. I would improve my body language by becoming more engaged with the coaching session. I would improve my adaptation by planning mini/easy activities that can be not only quickly explained but simple to carry out. I would finally improve my awareness by learning the boundaries to the basketball court. I would also improve, for next time, discussing with my partner who was going to be the overall leader. I needed to improve this because it not only wasted our time and delayed the coaching session but also was unprofessional. Lastly I would like to improve on making a session plan and being prepared overall. This coaching session was put on the spot to quickly quick of something to run as a cover lesson, but in the future I would write out specifics on the plan. This would be timings for each activity, trigger words, how to carry out each activity, and also differentiation.
Team:
The way in we would improve our weakness' would be by turning them into strengths. We would improve our body language so that we would look more professional and give the students the professional vibe throughout the lesson.
Was there any conflict in the group?
There was conflict between Jasper and I this was about who was going to lead the session. I was able to resolve this because we played a simple game of stone, paper, scissors, bang. It was best out of one (I won). A more complicated conflict that I had encountered was with the coach for the school basketball team for that age group. She was getting very involved and tried to take my leadership away from me. I resolved this by asking her if she would stand beside me and let me coach the team for this lesson. I also asked her to tell me if I did make a mistake such as missing a call or calling the wrong thing because this would help me to learn from my mistakes and increase my knowledge of the sport. Eventually I overcame her and had my full leadership back, giving me the ability to run the coaching session effectively.
How could I use relevant theory to analyse the overall performance today?
The Team Role which I felt I was throughout the coaching session was a 'People Oriented' leader. I think this because I was focused developing the participants. This is important because it allowed me, as a new coach to them, feel comfortable and become friendly. Carrying out a training session to unfamiliar faces is quite difficult because young kids at their age don't like change and will try to make the coaching session a lot harder for me. I was organised during the activity I had a minor session plan and before the participants came I was set up and ready. Organisation is key when delivering a coaching session because it shows professionalism and doesn't waste any actual lesson time that the students have. I was able to create different relationships with the participants this was having a friendly approach. This was because I was generous to everyone, but when a participant was mis behaving I had to have a different approach which was to let them know that I saw what they had done and warned them not to do it again otherwise they will have to sit out. This is because I had to set an example that you can have fun during the coaching session but don't use that as a time to mess around because a the end the lesson you will have had to learn something otherwise it was a waste of time. However I was supportive during the whole session, the participants were able to get the best out of me, this was because I gave different tactics and techniques.
From Bruce Tuckman's theory between Jasper and I, we went past the forming stage, this is because we already knew each other and have worked together before. However we went through the storming stage, this was because we both wanted to be the leader. Afterwards, we discussed the development of the participants and I set various goals which the participants had to complete. We performed because the basket session became productive also achieving the goals and targets which we set for the participants in our session plan.
The type of power I had when leading this basketball session was an expert power from French and Ravens forms of power. I think this because I knew the knowledge and skills of basketball, however Jasper didn't have as much knowledge as I did of the sport of basketball. This meant before the coaching session I explained the simple rules to him using my knowledge from coaches and experience.
We were asked to deliver a joint coaching session for a year eight Physical Education lesson which was basketball. We were given very little time to think of a type of training session that we would run. We were given information used from the previous notes left by the original teacher that they had been learning the lay up. We organised all the pupils into four teams of six students, doing so evenly so that there was no team that had an advantage or disadvantage. The competition was organised with the correct markings on the floor as well as all the appropriate equipment that was needed to carry out the physical education lesson. We had one hour to get this competition started and completed, which meant we had to work quick. The rules to this game are the same rules that would happen in an inter school match. The only difference was the length of time per game.
What was my role in the team?
Throughout the training session I was a leader whilst Jasper Ellemann was assisting me throughout the session as another official figure on the other basketball court. I think I was a good leader throughout the physical education lesson because I had a good amount of knowledge of the sport that I was able to bring to the lesson. I was also able to pass on the knowledge about general rules and regulations whilst carrying out the training session in a game situation. Also when an injury occurred I carried on the session so that Jasper was able to have full focus on the injured participant and give the students the attention he required. If I looked at the team roles that Meredith Belbin created I feel that I would be co-ordinator as I had to control the whole situation as well as making sure Jasper knew what he had to do in order to cover the objectives of the lesson. I felt that Jasper's team role would be a team-worker as he ensured that we worked together effectively and he provided support to me when I needed it.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, I performed to the highest standard that I was able to in this case as I was able to lead a large number of year eight students when running a basketball session. I know I am able to give myself credit to the cover lesson that I had to take because I was able to also encourage all the students to initiate substitutions which would empower the team as well as communication and teamwork. This was because by giving them this responsibility they felt obligated to do well and they would know how to all play fair and treat everyone with respect as well as creating the best team available in different situations. For example one student was really tired and they made a substitution with their fellow peer. The peer then noticed that the player was not tired anymore and offered to make a substitution to get them back in the game.
How did you perform as a team?
I feel that as a team we performed the best that we could with the time we had been given, which was really good. This is because if I was doing the session by myself I would struggle significantly as there were to many students for me to control efficiently. I would've also miss out of some aspects of coaching, for example Jasper was able to provide extra information when coaching such as tips or techniques. The way in which we worked together was we generated a quick plan and do something where the students were able to learn, have fun and be competitive towards each other. So we thought that we'd make a tournament. We worked together by getting the teams organised as well as helping each other time each game making sure the game didn't run overtime.
What were my strengths?
Individually:
The strengths in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that I was a good communicator, I managed to keep time management, motivation, and confidence.
Communication: This was a strength of mine because I managed to communicate effectively to each participant in my coaching session as they were all able to understand the rules and regulations of the competition that I ran. I was also vocal when it came to making decisions on whether or not there was a foul, they would clearly understand the decision.
Time Management: This was a strength of mine because I was able to make sure that every team played each other and that no team didn't play one another. I also timed it right so that towards the end of the coaching session we were able to have a quick shooting game which I knew all the participant's in my coaching session would like.
Motivation: This was a strength of mine because I displayed many different forms of motivation. I showed positive reinforcement by telling the participant's in my coaching session that if they played well and properly they would be able to have a shooting game at the end. I also used positive feedback constantly to each participant when they did something well and also used negative reinforcement when something wasn't just quite good enough. An example of negative reinforcement is "Unlucky, you'll get it next time!"
Confidence: This was a strength of mine because I was able to give clear instructions on what was happening throughout my coaching session and was not nervous or shy when I had to get my point across to the student's.
Team:
The strengths in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that we were good team workers and communicators.
Team Workers: This was a strength because we were able to create a simple lesson plan in which we were then able to carry it out. We organised all the equipment quickly and efficiently, only gathering the equipment that we needed.
Communication: This was a strength because we were able to communicate the activities that we would run and how they would run. We also created a tournament whereby we were communicating how long their was left until the match had ended and the teams had to play a match against a different team. This is important because without communication the lesson wouldn't be able to be carried out as we wouldn't know what one another were doing.
What were my weaknesses?
Individually:
The weaknesses in which I portrayed through the coaching session was that I didn't show positive enough body language, adaptation of the session, and my awareness.
Body Language: This was a weakness of mine because when I was an official whilst the basketball match was in play, I gave a more casual approach in the way I stood around rather than a professional approach. This may be because I wasn't engaged enough in the lesson. The way in which I would be able to improve this is by getting more involved in the session I run, whether that be giving more demonstrations or playing along in the games.
Adaptation: This was a weakness of mine because when there was an injury on Jasper's side of the court I did help to official both matches to make sure that Jasper was able to assist the injured student, but I should've adapted the game on his side to make it easier for Jasper to not have to worry about what his students were doing. I could've set up a mini shooting activity whilst the students on the other court carried on with their game. The way in which I will improve this for the next coaching session is that I will have planned different exercises in the case of an injury.
Awareness: This was a weakness of mine because I would be calling late. This was predominantly for when the ball went out of the court. This was very unprofessional of Jasper and I. The way in which I will improve my awareness for next time is to learn the basketball court boundaries and be able to have the knowledge on knowing when to call their wrongs.
Team:
The weakness in which we portrayed through the coaching session was that we didn't show positive body language.
Body Language: This was a weakness for Jasper and I because it didn't give the professional approach to the lesson and the students that we were teaching. If we gave the correct body language the student may have paid more attention to us throughout the coaching session.
What could you improve for next time?
Individually:
The way in which I would improve is by turning my weaknesses into strengths. I would improve my body language by becoming more engaged with the coaching session. I would improve my adaptation by planning mini/easy activities that can be not only quickly explained but simple to carry out. I would finally improve my awareness by learning the boundaries to the basketball court. I would also improve, for next time, discussing with my partner who was going to be the overall leader. I needed to improve this because it not only wasted our time and delayed the coaching session but also was unprofessional. Lastly I would like to improve on making a session plan and being prepared overall. This coaching session was put on the spot to quickly quick of something to run as a cover lesson, but in the future I would write out specifics on the plan. This would be timings for each activity, trigger words, how to carry out each activity, and also differentiation.
Team:
The way in we would improve our weakness' would be by turning them into strengths. We would improve our body language so that we would look more professional and give the students the professional vibe throughout the lesson.
Was there any conflict in the group?
There was conflict between Jasper and I this was about who was going to lead the session. I was able to resolve this because we played a simple game of stone, paper, scissors, bang. It was best out of one (I won). A more complicated conflict that I had encountered was with the coach for the school basketball team for that age group. She was getting very involved and tried to take my leadership away from me. I resolved this by asking her if she would stand beside me and let me coach the team for this lesson. I also asked her to tell me if I did make a mistake such as missing a call or calling the wrong thing because this would help me to learn from my mistakes and increase my knowledge of the sport. Eventually I overcame her and had my full leadership back, giving me the ability to run the coaching session effectively.
How could I use relevant theory to analyse the overall performance today?
The Team Role which I felt I was throughout the coaching session was a 'People Oriented' leader. I think this because I was focused developing the participants. This is important because it allowed me, as a new coach to them, feel comfortable and become friendly. Carrying out a training session to unfamiliar faces is quite difficult because young kids at their age don't like change and will try to make the coaching session a lot harder for me. I was organised during the activity I had a minor session plan and before the participants came I was set up and ready. Organisation is key when delivering a coaching session because it shows professionalism and doesn't waste any actual lesson time that the students have. I was able to create different relationships with the participants this was having a friendly approach. This was because I was generous to everyone, but when a participant was mis behaving I had to have a different approach which was to let them know that I saw what they had done and warned them not to do it again otherwise they will have to sit out. This is because I had to set an example that you can have fun during the coaching session but don't use that as a time to mess around because a the end the lesson you will have had to learn something otherwise it was a waste of time. However I was supportive during the whole session, the participants were able to get the best out of me, this was because I gave different tactics and techniques.
From Bruce Tuckman's theory between Jasper and I, we went past the forming stage, this is because we already knew each other and have worked together before. However we went through the storming stage, this was because we both wanted to be the leader. Afterwards, we discussed the development of the participants and I set various goals which the participants had to complete. We performed because the basket session became productive also achieving the goals and targets which we set for the participants in our session plan.
The type of power I had when leading this basketball session was an expert power from French and Ravens forms of power. I think this because I knew the knowledge and skills of basketball, however Jasper didn't have as much knowledge as I did of the sport of basketball. This meant before the coaching session I explained the simple rules to him using my knowledge from coaches and experience.
Evaluation 3 (Canyoning):
Describe the task:
We were asked to canyon across a layer of rocks and rock pools in order to get to the top of a mountain. Canyoning is when a person is climbing a mountain of rocks where they reach a certain point of achievement. The aim was to reach the top of the mountain as well as nobody acquiring any injuries. We didn't have a clear structure to who would actually lead the way for the rest of the group but had a selection of three student leaders. These leaders were Ryan Herbet, Jackson Cook and Jasper Ellemann. Every ten minutes to ensure that everyone had successfully completed a section of the climb we would stay static to make sure that everyone was comfortable and that no one had obtained any injuries. After reaching the top of the mountain, that we managed to complete earlier than predicted, we again regrouped and evaluated the skills that it took to achieve our set out goal of reaching the top of the mountain. The restrictions that we reached throughout my canyoning experience was that we had to wait a lot of the time since we had a selective five people who were faster than others. This meant thart a lot of time was wasted waiting and sitting around for others to catch up. This didn't show much teamwork.
What was my role in the team?
Throughout my canyoning experience I feel that I was more of a team worker rather than a leader. I think I was a good team worker as I would contribute towards the leaders paths when choosing where people's footing was safe to cross. I would suggest different paths in which we should cross because of the different abilities that we had within our group, so forth making it easier for them to complete the team target. I was also able to use my previous knowledge from when I have completed spontaneous hikes where we would, as a group, leave the path on hikes that are recommended to us and make it more difficult. This allowed me to use my previous experience in order to help the different abilities that we had in the group. If I looked at Meredith Belbin's Team Roles I think that I would be a 'Shaper'. This because I was able to help choose a path in which the rest of our group wouldn't lose momentum and would be able to complete the canyoning challenges.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, I performed to a moderate level but I was able to keep up with the challenges that nature had given and managed to complete it in a large group. I completed the canyoning without creating any injuries to myself. I know that I am able to canyon from previous experiences. I didn't complain a lot whilst canyoning about the time that it was taking and I was able to motivate others who were behind me in order to achieve the best that we could. Whilst canyoning I felt that I was really confident in what I was doing because I put all my effort into it, and the reason why I thought I only performed to a moderate level is because of the rest of my group.
How did you perform as a team?
I feel, as a team, that we performed to the best that we could with the challenges that we had given to us. This was really good. This is because we managed to complete the canyoning trip in less time that we had originally anticipated and had to walk down the mountain using a path given to us to wait for the bus to take us back to the camp site. We all worked together whilst canyoning and helping others who were struggling either physically by giving them a boost up a rock or mentally by giving them verbal motivation. I was in the group that was a bit further than others so that we could mark out a good path for those with less ability and there was a sense of competitiveness, which is always good to have in tasks like this.
What were my strengths?
I had many different strengths throughout my canyoning experiences. These were being physically fit, team worker and confidence.
Physically fit: This was a strength because this gave us as a team an upper advantage as I was able to make sure that no one had a difficulty in finding the correct path as I was helping choose the correct paths for all abilities. Also this was a strength because I was able to push myself when needing to climb harder rocks.
Confidence: This was a strength of mine because I was able to give clear instructions on which path people should take as well as being able to jump into a small rock pool with my peers. Also I wasn't hesitant to climb harder rocks.
Team Worker: This was a strength of mine because I was able to motivate other physically and mentally by boosting people up to high rocks as well as motivation to other.
What were my weaknesses?
I felt I didn't have any weaknesses other than praise. I feel that this was the only weakness because I could've praised more people as this would also give motivation to complete the canyoning trail.
What could you improve for next time?
I would take up outside curricular lessons so that I can learn more advanced skills within canyoning such as
Was there any conflict in the group?
There was only a minor conflict in the group because a lot of us wanted to become the leader. We resolved this issue by just taking turns by distributing the responsibility.
How could I use relevant theory to analyse the overall performance today?
Through French & Raven's Five Forces of Social Power I feel that I used Referent Power as I reacted to others around me and felt that is they had good charisma towards the task that I would too gain charisma. Using this it gave me the confidence to then carry out the task and help to choose the correct paths for all abilities.
Using John Adair's Action Centred model it is said that to make the perfect team there needs to be a balance of task, individual and the team.
Task: The task was to complete a canyoning trek to the top of a mountain without obtaining any injuries.
Individual: As an individual I felt that I was a Autocratic Leader as I was very persuasive in what paths we should take which made a minor conflict but it was resolved.
Team: The team is how well we performed together to complete the task and I feel that we were very good and worked well as a team because we managed to completed the task in less time than anticipated.
We were asked to canyon across a layer of rocks and rock pools in order to get to the top of a mountain. Canyoning is when a person is climbing a mountain of rocks where they reach a certain point of achievement. The aim was to reach the top of the mountain as well as nobody acquiring any injuries. We didn't have a clear structure to who would actually lead the way for the rest of the group but had a selection of three student leaders. These leaders were Ryan Herbet, Jackson Cook and Jasper Ellemann. Every ten minutes to ensure that everyone had successfully completed a section of the climb we would stay static to make sure that everyone was comfortable and that no one had obtained any injuries. After reaching the top of the mountain, that we managed to complete earlier than predicted, we again regrouped and evaluated the skills that it took to achieve our set out goal of reaching the top of the mountain. The restrictions that we reached throughout my canyoning experience was that we had to wait a lot of the time since we had a selective five people who were faster than others. This meant thart a lot of time was wasted waiting and sitting around for others to catch up. This didn't show much teamwork.
What was my role in the team?
Throughout my canyoning experience I feel that I was more of a team worker rather than a leader. I think I was a good team worker as I would contribute towards the leaders paths when choosing where people's footing was safe to cross. I would suggest different paths in which we should cross because of the different abilities that we had within our group, so forth making it easier for them to complete the team target. I was also able to use my previous knowledge from when I have completed spontaneous hikes where we would, as a group, leave the path on hikes that are recommended to us and make it more difficult. This allowed me to use my previous experience in order to help the different abilities that we had in the group. If I looked at Meredith Belbin's Team Roles I think that I would be a 'Shaper'. This because I was able to help choose a path in which the rest of our group wouldn't lose momentum and would be able to complete the canyoning challenges.
How did I perform as an individual?
I feel, as an individual, I performed to a moderate level but I was able to keep up with the challenges that nature had given and managed to complete it in a large group. I completed the canyoning without creating any injuries to myself. I know that I am able to canyon from previous experiences. I didn't complain a lot whilst canyoning about the time that it was taking and I was able to motivate others who were behind me in order to achieve the best that we could. Whilst canyoning I felt that I was really confident in what I was doing because I put all my effort into it, and the reason why I thought I only performed to a moderate level is because of the rest of my group.
How did you perform as a team?
I feel, as a team, that we performed to the best that we could with the challenges that we had given to us. This was really good. This is because we managed to complete the canyoning trip in less time that we had originally anticipated and had to walk down the mountain using a path given to us to wait for the bus to take us back to the camp site. We all worked together whilst canyoning and helping others who were struggling either physically by giving them a boost up a rock or mentally by giving them verbal motivation. I was in the group that was a bit further than others so that we could mark out a good path for those with less ability and there was a sense of competitiveness, which is always good to have in tasks like this.
What were my strengths?
I had many different strengths throughout my canyoning experiences. These were being physically fit, team worker and confidence.
Physically fit: This was a strength because this gave us as a team an upper advantage as I was able to make sure that no one had a difficulty in finding the correct path as I was helping choose the correct paths for all abilities. Also this was a strength because I was able to push myself when needing to climb harder rocks.
Confidence: This was a strength of mine because I was able to give clear instructions on which path people should take as well as being able to jump into a small rock pool with my peers. Also I wasn't hesitant to climb harder rocks.
Team Worker: This was a strength of mine because I was able to motivate other physically and mentally by boosting people up to high rocks as well as motivation to other.
What were my weaknesses?
I felt I didn't have any weaknesses other than praise. I feel that this was the only weakness because I could've praised more people as this would also give motivation to complete the canyoning trail.
What could you improve for next time?
I would take up outside curricular lessons so that I can learn more advanced skills within canyoning such as
Was there any conflict in the group?
There was only a minor conflict in the group because a lot of us wanted to become the leader. We resolved this issue by just taking turns by distributing the responsibility.
How could I use relevant theory to analyse the overall performance today?
Through French & Raven's Five Forces of Social Power I feel that I used Referent Power as I reacted to others around me and felt that is they had good charisma towards the task that I would too gain charisma. Using this it gave me the confidence to then carry out the task and help to choose the correct paths for all abilities.
Using John Adair's Action Centred model it is said that to make the perfect team there needs to be a balance of task, individual and the team.
Task: The task was to complete a canyoning trek to the top of a mountain without obtaining any injuries.
Individual: As an individual I felt that I was a Autocratic Leader as I was very persuasive in what paths we should take which made a minor conflict but it was resolved.
Team: The team is how well we performed together to complete the task and I feel that we were very good and worked well as a team because we managed to completed the task in less time than anticipated.