Teamwork and JFLL

• We are a team.
• We do the work. Our coaches and mentors help us learn, but we find the answers ourselves.
• We share our experiences and discoveries with others.
• We are helpful, kind, and show respect when we work, play, and share. We call this gracious professionalism.
• We are all winners.
• We have fun.
~ Core Values for JFLL

One of the reasons we love the JFLL program are the core values that the program is built around. I think they are an excellent tool for helping kids navigate any of the issues that can come up in working in a team situation.

Starting a JFLL team outside a classroom situation presents challenges a bit different than those a teacher might encounter in a classroom. As homeschoolers we have, for example, found competition and independent learning are not usually issues we face. But we do need to put energy into fasciliating teamwork and ensuring everyone is on the same page around academics, commitment levels and what the team culture will be.

We've been lucky in that we have had great success with both teams we've been involved in, but it could easily go the other. It starts, I think, with thinking about the kids our kids would enjoy working with. The JFLL is not just about playing with lego. There are academic components as well, and so it helps if the kids and/or the families are on the same page about how that will be handled, how much commitment the team will require and how much teamwork will be required for those areas. This can often be challenging in a homeschool situation, because we it's not always easy to identify which kids and families might be a good match. Approaches to academics can vary widely among homeschoolers.

At our first JFLL team meeting we talked through how the meetings would run, how we could make decisions as a team and what the expectations for the group are. In the past we have done teamwork exercises which are a fun way to get to know each other. This past year that didn't seem necessary for our particular kids but it is definitely a tool that can help get the team members comfortable and give coaches an idea of what areas might need a bit of attention.

The JFLL core values have been important tools in teaching our team how to listen to all input, how to evaluate an idea while respecting the person who offered it, how to work towards concensus, and how to step back and make sure that the process is workng for everyone.