Meet Me in the Middle - Chapter 11: Teaming

Teams are implemented for a variety of reasons, but the biggest and most important reason is to offer students with the best and most supportive teachers, and together the teachers are like a force. On a team teachers for the different content areas can integrate their lesson and units to compliment each others so that students are working on something from each class that in one way or another can be related. It is important for teams to meet on a regular basis to discuss what is going on in their classes both with materials and students. There is no point to a team if they are not acting like and working as one. As a team teachers no longer view their students and curriculum as an individual teacher but view their teaching through the eyes of all their team members.

I really like how this chapter states in the beginning that middle schools can be a big and overwhelming place and that teaming can help to make the middle school seem smaller and friendlier. Students on the same team can be supportive of one another and school events and activities can allow friendly interactions between different teams and maybe even some friendly competitions like I had in my middle school. Due to my practicum experience I got to see a team of teachers at work, where I attended their meetings. At their meetings they discussed mostly specific students and how they can better understand them and help them based on all of their opinions. I saw this to be very helpful because you get a well rounded solution from all the teachers that interact with these students on a daily basis. I think that team teaching is a very powerful concept in a middle school because it can provide students with a close and caring environment.