Education is an ever-changing, ever-progressing entity. With new students each year and the constant coming and going of staff members, school systems are never static. At Rock Paper Team, we provide the best team building services in New York City for all levels and groups within your educational institution.

Why Team Building for Students and Teachers?

Each school year encompasses many different phases. Whether it’s the excitement of starting a new year with a new group of students, the anticipation of seeing accomplishments rewarded, or the spring fever when school starts to wind down, Rock Paper Team is here to help you make the most of every stage.

If you are starting your new school year with new student orientation or teacher training or if are in the midst of in-service days throughout the year, we can provide interactive activities for teachers and students that will help your entire teaching team stay inspired and motivated.

The Rock Paper Team Difference

With over ten years of experience, Rock Paper Team will customize activities for students and educators in NYC based on specific goals, school themes/mottos, mascots and identity. Here are just a few of the scenarios in which our activities for students can benefit the educational system:

• When holding in-service days to introduce teachers to a new method or process
• When gathering the entire staff to promote the school’s foundation and mission
• When looking for new and creative ways to celebrate and appreciate both your staff and students for their achievements – gratitude increases positivity!
• When searching for effective ways to build respect, trust and communication among your class leaders, sports teams, clubs or organizations – team building for students encourages growth and community!
• When brainstorming fun and effective ways to teach incoming students about the campus – our fun-filled, customized programs for students help new students build lasting relationships with their peers while enhancing the foundation of your school!

One of our all-time favorite group activities for students is our picture scavenger hunt: an interactive scavenger hunt including people, places and items that reflect your school theme. Creativity and teamwork builds lasting friendships and enduring memories. Plan your next school event with Rock Paper Team!

Testimonial: Kate Clymer, Director of Career Services at Lincoln Technical Institute

“Dan Colgan is a dynamic and didactic presenter! His energy is contagious and his experiences are relevant. What a wonderful facilitator for our Professional Development Day on campus. His team was quick to respond and their communication styles were seamless. His team was able to create a customized workshop specifically for our interdepartmental needs. I am very pleased with his service and highly recommend him. Thank you Dan, for spending the day with us here in Whitestone, Queens.

Having worked in secondary and higher education, Dan understands the needs of school teams. The pulse and energy of those who take on leadership responsibilities at a school, whether students or staff, requires building trust and support beyond the classroom. Rock Paper Team will give you tools to adapt for how your school works currently and where you want to go in the future.”

As a teacher, you provide the foundation of success for your students. As administrators or boards, you continue to create multiple opportunities to motivate your teachers to work together and provide the best education possible for our future leaders. Contact us for a custom quote and to learn more about how Rock Paper Team can help your school utilize team building to meet its goals.

Education Case Study

Audience – 16-20 administrative departments of a technical school

Issue – Increase communication among inter-generational staff who are looking at methods, studies and social media

Solution – Eight-hour in-service day building the team, showing cross-functions, the mission and goals, and sharing methods of success

Program – After research, program begins with the client creating exercises and content for participants. The day started at 8:30am.

Using improv methods and social status games like icebreakers, the facilitator explained the make-up of the day and the topics that would be covered. Understanding that the administrators may be called out of the room at times, a commitment was made to be present for when they could participate.

Using the mission of the institution, the team broke into groups where each department was represented. They used the mission to create a student with a different backstory. They looked at their individual departments and the collective institution to see how they could work with that student. They also incorporated where their individual departments coincided with the actual mission of the school.

After sharing their student and the ways they can help the student succeed, they learned about the life cycle of a team and how to be more fluid with each other and their expectations. This was accomplished with exercises that focused on communication, trust, strategy and stepping out of their comfort zones.

In the afternoon, they debriefed the morning lessons that were learned and used another icebreaker to start the afternoon. This led to best practices that each person used to effectively accomplish their responsibilities. New methods were taught to utilize technology and improve communication.

At the end of the day a commitment was made by each person for an action item to be accomplished in 30 days. First, the commitment was written down so each person could write their individual thoughts and then shared out loud. The post-its used to write the commitment were then put together as a commitment collage that would be revisited 30 days later to see what was accomplished.

Results – By tying in the mission with each person’s responsibility and department then focusing on the team as a whole administrative area, a unifying purpose re-emerged. Since they were not isolated by their individual department and had shifted the focus to the students and not the job, a newfound sense was realized, which created more effective communication patterns. By committing to build better, fleshed-out working relationships among departments, it allowed the administrators to know that they were fully supported and on the same page.