Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest
good-bye. Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest
established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to
leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had
experienced?
A few years ago I worked in a packaging plant with a group
of people that made me feel like family from day one of my employment. After
working there for a number of years we all had become more family oriented and
share birthdays, children graduating, babies being born, and all the things
that families do. When I found another job (my current employer), I put in my
resignation and began my process to depart. The next few weeks seem like it was
the end of the world. I know my co-workers were sad to see me leave. My
emotions were on a roller coaster and the transition was very hard for me.
The work we did required team work and the effort every one
put in allow us to reap the rewards at the end of the completed task. I will
never forget those people and I know they haven’t forgotten me. I see them from
time to time and we catch up on our children, our own personal life and make
sure we have updated information for each other. I learned a lot about
friendships and communication form the people I worked with for many
years.
A few days before my last assigned day they threw a party
with plenty of food and gifts. Since I was leaving the plant (assembly line)
and getting out of the work boots and coveralls, the gifts consist of money,
gift cards, well wishes and a lot of tears. They knew I needed a while new look
and the gifts consisted of things like stockings and gift card telling me to
buy some new dresses, pay for parking, and get some more girly type things like
lip stick and nail polish.
When you work on an assembly line no one care how you look
and the coveralls hid everything anyway.
How do you imagine
that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while
working on your master's degree in this program? Why is adjourning an essential
stage of teamwork?
It is always easy to make new friends and so hard to let go,
so I hope I never have to. I have had the opportunity to take a few classes
with some of my colleagues that I’m learning with now and I appreciate the
feedback, suggestions and answers I have received since starting my master’s in
education. I hope to see them at commencement so I can hug each one of them and
thank them personally for their help. I
don’t think and adjournment will ever happen. And long as we continue in the
field of early childhood we will always be colleagues. I don’t like good-byes or
the thought of not seeing my friends. It is essential that we grow in our
knowledge and experience so adjournments are a part of colleagues taking what
they know and sharing with others so that we can make this world a better place
for young children and the families of those children.
Me and one of my colleagues when we graduated withour first masters.
I graduated before her and had already taken my graduation pictures. When she graduated and was ready to take her pictures she asked me to pose with her because I inspired her to go back to school. I was so honored that she asked me. Her name is Carolyn. She is now working on and about to complete her PH.D. Me and her worked together for many years, and still for the same employer today, just at a different location. Carolyn has put togethe a "shout out" as she call it for all our other colleagues that have went back to school to futher their education and/or change their career. We stay in contact and encourage each other all the time.
Youdon't want this type of friendship to end.
