The last weeks of school are drawing to a close. After a well-deserved break, teachers and administrators will soon be planning and gearing up for a new school year. What better way to begin those back-to-school sessions than with active team-building exercises to energize your team members?

Below are a few examples of hands-on exercises to build communication and develop trust between teachers, administrators or other team members:

• Mine Field – Set up a “mine field” using chairs, empty boxes, etc. and leave enough space between the objects for someone to walk through. Blindfold one team member, and have the other member lead them through the mine field using only verbal directions.
• Build It – Groups of two are tasked with building a complex object out of common household items. The first team member has 10 minutes to write down detailed instructions for building the object (have them look at the object already built), and the second member then has 10 minutes to replicate the original object using only the instructions written by their partner.
• All Tied Up – In this exercise, groups are required to work together to complete a simple task such as wrapping a present or pouring a cup of water for everyone in the group. However, they are all tied together by their wrists. Problem-solving, communication and teamwork are essential in this exercise.

There are hundreds of creative team-building exercises available to unite teams. Whether you use one of the exercises mentioned above, or create one of your own, team-building is a perfect way to break the ice with new team members, or energize and connect your team before heading into a new school year.

Teams may also want to consider refreshing for the school year by attending our Leadership Series workshops this summer, which feature national presenters on an array of topics: http://goo.gl/QCBtuL.

About the Blogger:

Harris County Department of Education’s Communication team helps promote the efforts of HCDE’s programs and services to the education community. Our close-knit, award-winning team works together on creative strategies to effectively support the organization. We’re always looking to share great stories and on occasion contribute to the HCDE blog, School Bell.

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