10. I love my team

10. I love my team. Teaming is at the heart of middle schools.

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships. Organizational Structures

“I love my team.”

“I appreciate you all.”

“Thank you for supporting our kids in this past event.”

“Thank you for helping.”

I have heard these statements and seen them in emails throughout the year. I have said them on many occasions. (I said it today.) The faculty on my team and within the school support one another and reach out to help one another. I was talking to a colleague who shared how supportive her team mates are to her and to one another. They have established a community of support for their children. Within the last few weeks they surprised their students and had a celebration to “knight” those who were making great gains in behavior and academics. Those children who were “knighted” now have a shield on their locker with their name.

I am so appreciative of our support personnel and find much joy in conversing with those who have dedicated their lives to this community. When I email one of my colleagues for help and thank him for information, or insight, or assistance, he responds, ‘That’s what we do.’ The team is often looked at as those teachers who serve a common group of students. But I see "team" in that view and also in the view of the support personnel, our exploratory teachers, our Parent Teacher Association, and our administrators in our building. We operate in a community of care. It is one of the magical components of middle schools.

Paul George (2008) reviewed middle schools in Florida. He shared what structures exist in exemplary middle schools including: teaming, advisor-advisee, intramurals, curriculum

enrichment, exploratories, and heterogeneous. When he surveyed middle school principals he found that these structures are “disappearing” in middle schools. The American Educational Research Association Middle Level Specialty Interest Group has conducted several studies and proposes that teaming and common planning time are two of the most important structures within middle schools. Of all the structures associated with exemplary middle schools I believe the team is the most important. And of all the structures, this is one of the things we do best at our school.

As teams we have common planning, a structure in place for advisory, and our team has implemented “clubs” once a week to allow our students to explore curriculum differently, and to compliment our exploratories that exist for our students. Our school is in support of and is nurturing us to learn how to engage our students in more project-based learning, and most of our students are already heterogeneously grouped. What I love most about our school is that we value one another, look out for one another, and advocate for our students together.

Advice: Teaming: What Effective Middle School Teachers Do

Whenever I work with middle school teachers I ask the same question: “What makes an effective team?” The following data are based on feedback from middle school teachers and based on interviews with teams that principals have recommended as exemplary. Five characteristics are shared.

The most basic characteristic that appears to permeate effective teams is the notion of consistency. Teachers share that consistency relates to organization and a focus on common goals. Questions to consider: As a team, or as a school, do your teachers have common expectations for students? Do teams of teachers talk about daily structures, how work is collected, how children move from class to class? Do your teams have common planning time and how do they use it? What student behavior is expected across the school? Teachers share that the more consistent teachers are, the more likely students are able to follow rules and expectations. Exploratory teachers who serve children across teams share that consistencies with regard to rules and expectations provide them with much support in managing student behavior.

The next area teachers consistently reflect on is the notion of chemistry. When interviewing teams of teachers they often share that they compliment one another's strengths and enjoy one another's company. Teachers describe chemistry as: having compassion, humor, open to differences; they perceive themselves as nurturers, are enthusiastic, amiable, and positive.

Communication is a third characteristic of exemplary teams. Teachers believe that being able to share ideas and listen to one another is extremely important. Teachers share that communicating with children, with administrators, and parents defines effective teams. Teachers talk about their students all the time; they meet with parents as a team or at the least check in with other team mates prior to calling home. About a month ago, the administrative assistant shared that she witnessed one of our students being kind to another student. When we heard, we brought him out in the hall and said the administrative assistant shared with us his kindness and how much it meant to her to hear him supporting a fellow student. (He beamed.) We did too.

Fourth, teachers share that the commitment of team members appears to have a large impact on team success. By commitment, teachers describe team members knowledge of and ability to implement: a middle school philosophy, a strong work ethic, respect for one another, support for one another, a focus on teachers’ strengths; being open-minded, honest, professional; and a commitment to sharing ideas about programs and events that address knowledge of middle school children.

Finally, the most common characteristic teachers share is collaboration. The notion of working as a team to create experiences for children starts with a commitment to working together. Teachers who share ideas and who collaborate with one another ‘for the good of children’ make a difference.

I believe that teaming is at the heart of middle schools. It has been so much fun to work with a dynamic, supportive group of teachers.