What do marble races, scavenger hunts, and tower building have in common? They are all teambuilding exercises that Mount Gilead High School’s teachers participated in during part of their two days of in-service during fair week.

While Mount Gilead students attended the county fair last week, their teachers spent time developing their skills in the classroom. Speaker Anthony Colannino from Mindset Works kicked off the professional development days Monday morning. Colannino taught teachers about how a ‘growth vs. fixed mindset’ can affect student learning.

After the morning session, the three buildings broke out into smaller groups. The high school teachers went to Mt. Gilead State Park for a potluck lunch and team building. Principal Deb Clauss, Curriculum Coordinator Christine Anthony, and J.O.G. teacher Gerry Hartman lead the teachers through a series of exercises where they learned firsthand about the challenges and struggles some students have in the classroom.

The teachers were divided into four groups to complete the team challenges. To mimic the real-life parameters students face in the classroom, some of the groups were given extra help when completing their tasks, while others had resources taken away.

English teacher Maureen Flora said, “I was reminded of the stressors that our students may experience during what I would think of as a simple in class assignment.”

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/09/web1_HS_TeamBuilding028.jpg

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/09/web1_HS_TeamBuilding030.jpg

From Jessica Gerber

MG Language Arts