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Erin Berglund

Paper #1

Dacheng Zhang

July 12, 2021

Experience in Small Groups

In an age of social media and electronics many find it difficult to step away from the

screen and face communication straight on. However, when working in small groups you are

given an opportunity to embrace diversity, achieve academic success, and promote psychological

well being. A small group allows everyone to have their voices heard and ensures a safe

environment for all members to share their differing opinions. It also allows more information

and resources from many different backgrounds and personalities, this results in more

recommendations and ideas for the end goal. This type of group not only provides a network of

different propositions and insights, it also promotes learning comprehension and greater

satisfaction.

A small group is made up of 3 or more people and can exceed up to 15 or 20 depending

on the group's purpose and responsibilities. My experience in small groups is quite broad, luckily

I went to a very hands-on high school where almost everyday we would separate into small

groups to brainstorm different project ideas. These projects ranged from science experiments

where we would test which fast food chain had the freshest burgers, to government projects

where we would assess what government is most sufficient in withstanding the test of time.

Although I have had a decent amount of exposure working in small groups, the greatest

experience I had was as captain of my high school volleyball team. Not only was my job to

coordinate games, after school practices, and carpooling to and from tournaments. But I was also
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in charge of ensuring all girls had their thoughts heard and were receiving equal treatment no

matter what position they were in. Working in small groups gives you a better understanding of

everyone's needs and goals when it comes to working in a team. Because I was captain my junior

and senior year I was in charge of team building exercises the first two weeks of school. I

planned out a team escape room, which allowed everyone to put their creativity to the test. As

well as secret sisters and a potluck dinner with no phones allowed. This allowed all team

members to connect at a friendly level before the season started, resulting in shared decision

making and understanding of all members.

Although in my past I have had the opportunity to work in many different small groups,

there is always room for improvement when working with different types of people and for

different purposes. For example, in the past week working with my online classmates over zoom.

I found it more difficult to create lasting bonds with the other members than I have meeting

people face to face. I believe this is because meeting someone over zoom is much less personal

and seems more structured. This results in a less friendly, welcoming environment. Something I

need to work on in this upcoming semester is letting my guard down and acting as if I have

known the people in my small group my whole life. By doing so I will feel more comfortable

sharing my thoughts and will help others do the same. Working in small groups gives you a great

opportunity to embrace new skills and promote team cooperation which will benefit all members.