6 Leisurely Team-Building Activities All Teachers Can Try

Team-building activities can serve any educator well in their career. If you yourself are a teacher, you're a part of a unique group of people that truly have a vital job in society. You are teaching our young people, the hope of the future, to be all they can be as they are heading towards adulthood.

This is a tough job that requires endless amounts of drive, patience, and love for what you do. Fortunately, there are millions of others like you sharing the same ambitions.

That said, it can be tedious at times. You need a reliable network of fellow educators around you to inspire you and keep your spirits up on the days that can be difficult. There are some team-building activities for teachers that can be done with their co-workers to create an atmosphere of support.

Here are six ways to make your personal learning network as strong as it can possibly be.

6 Team-Building Activities for Teachers

1. Have a Weekly Coffee Chat: Just getting together with a group of your fellow teachers over a nice cup of coffee can facilitate great talks and bonding time. You can chat about your struggles over the week, and what solutions the group can come up with for common classroom problems. Venting to your fellow teachers and being a sympathetic ear can also give you all a stronger connection to the job you are doing.
2. Go on a Retreat: This is basically an extension of the coffee talk, but instead of a quick meeting your professional circle can take an actual trip together. For example, you could all try a spa or organize a camping trip, or some other getaway adventure. It doesn’t even have to be something expensive either, since many resort places will give a decent discount to an educator’s group.
3. Have a Monthly Potluck: People love to share ideas and socialize over food, so this is a delicious activity. All different kinds of meals can be represented each month by picking a unique theme. Try to make sure there are a good variety of appetizers, meals, and desserts by having people email, tweet, or send you a Facebook update with their specific dish beforehand.
4. Learn a New Activity: Have any of you ever been rock climbing? How about skydiving, kayaking, or zip lining? These and other adventure activity ideas are a blast to do in a group. The sky’s the limit on what you can learn about yourself and each other by doing an activity you have never done before.
5. Have an Adult Field Day: You are used to seeing the students perform in field day activities, but what about one for the teachers? This is a great way to bond with your fellow coworkers over simple games like “the three legged race”, egg run, or the 50-yard dash.
6. Create a Facebook Group Page: This will allow you and your fellow teachers to connect in a daily way online when you may not be able to communicate in person. You can hash out problems, discover solutions, and bounce ideas off each other online to make you feel more connected.
   
   

   Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

   Originally published Nov 11, 2017, updated Dec 10, 2021