Making the transition to working within a team can be both exciting and daunting. In schools today, most professional development focuses on job-embedded tasks. The rationale is that the substance of professional learning is within the schools, “in the workplace, not in a workshop” (DuFour, 2004, Spring). Due to the changing nature of professional development, even that term is being replaced with more inclusive language. ‘Professional learning’ is now preferred over ‘professional development’. With a shift in focus on professional learning, school teams are beginning to emerge in more districts across the nation.

Team building in schools is particularly centered on instructional practice that improves learning. Educators need to be ready to move out of the confines of the classroom and into teams with peers. Professional learning is a collaborative effort and it requires a team approach. As the future unfolds, evidence of success in teams, research, and articles about team achievement and the empowerment teams provide for members, will be more prevalent in educational literature. Excerpt from the ASAP Leadership Module: Team Building Accelerated School Administrator Program. ASAP: Accelerated School Administrator Program. 25 Apr. 2006. . .