Blog Week 6: Group Adjourning Phase Experience

            When I think of the different aspects of the groups that are hardest to leave, it isn’t necessarily those that are the top performing groups that are hard to adjourn, but those groups in which I have formed deep personal relationships with those I associate with.  The group that was the hardest for me to leave was my employees and close customers from my scrapbook retail store.  We had developed very deep personal bonds as we scrapbooked our memories together, sharing aspects of our lives that were the most meaningful to us.  We laughed together, cried together, and supported each other through some very difficult times.  The retail market was slowing down due to the economy recession, and my family had the opportunity to move back to my hometown where we had very good job opportunities for my husband and I.  I sold as much inventory from my store as I could, and had one last all-night scrapbook crop to say goodbye to my employees and customers.  Although it was heart wrenching to say goodbye and move to a new town, I still keep in touch with many of these close friends through Facebook, text, and telephone.

            Although I have met some wonderful early childhood colleagues through my Walden experience, and I have learned so much from these amazing professionals, I have not had the opportunity to get to know them on a deeper personal level.   I think online coursework is at a disadvantage as far as really being able to relate to a fellow student, because we are so limited in what we learn about each other.  Our discussions and blog responses are over the course of days rather than in the moment and in-person where we could better bounce ideas off each other and really collaborate on a deeper level.  Still, I am learning a great deal from the diverse group I am associating with through my coursework, and I expect that I will continue to contact and collaborate with several of my Walden colleagues once our graduate studies are over.

            The adjourning stage is an essential part of teamwork because it gives participants the opportunity to capture the successes and learning opportunities from the project.  It also gives a chance for participants to have closure.  With my scrapbook store closing, a huge part of my life was ending and I needed that final celebration as a way to feel like those years of my life contributed positively to others.  I am now able to look back on that experience with great fondness, because I made so many lifetime friends and was able to have such wonderful memories.