Teaching Together

MERIDIAN, Idaho— Anyone unconvinced about the merits of "teaming" during the middle school years should talk with a group of teachers at Meridian Middle School here.

Jackie Sherman, founder and president of the Idaho Middle School Association, says that forming teams of teachers who work with the same groups of students throughout the year makes sense for all involved—teachers, parents, and, most importantly, students. The benefits for students are academic as well as social and behavioral.

"With teaming, fewer students will fall through the cracks," Sherman says. "Anything that happens with these kids, we pretty much know about as a team. We know our kids."

Sherman, a language arts teacher, also is the leader of a five-member teaching team at Meridian. For 45 minutes each day, Sherman and her fellow team members — Denise Call, Mike Kubicki, Erlene Butler, and Keven Roberts—share information about students, plot strategies, and go over curriculum, goals, and objectives. This year, student teacher Travis Fullmer also participated as a team member. Each member has specific responsibilities that contribute to the successful operation of the team. For example, Call keeps meticulous records of team proceedings, including discussions about lesson plans, phone calls to or meetings with parents, and student successes and setbacks.

"Students take up a big part of our time," notes Call. "We celebrate students who are doing well, note changes in student behavior or learning, and discuss students at risk."

A team can also develop consistent standards for assessment, behavior, and classroom procedures. That way, students know that a late paper in social studies is treated the same as a late paper in English. "We develop team policies so kids know what to expect," Call says. "That consistency is another benefit to students."

Kubicki, a social studies teacher, says that sharing information about students with other teachers helps him see kids through a multicolored prism. "I believe that the most important thing that teaming gives to kids is an opportunity to be viewed in a lot of different ways," he says. "Teams also provide a much faster alarm mechanism for interventions. And that's important. Part of the challenge with this age group is to keep kids on the edge from sliding down the hill with kids who are already running down the hill."

This focus on students also helps Donna Mikkelson and Blythe Moore to share perspectives and insights on the 60-plus students on their sixth-grade team. Mikkelson, who teaches social studies, English, and reading, and Moore, the math and science team member, share two groups of 32 students for five hours a day. "We feel an equal responsibility for those students," Mikkelson says. "We know these kids intimately. It's a transitional time for them, and we provide some stability in their lives."

Teamwork is a Learned Skill
Mikkelson and Moore, who have been team teaching for about six years, liken their relationship to that of a married couple. "The Number One thing you need to make a team successful is time together," Moore says. "You have to get to know each other's personal communication styles. You have to organize and to state your needs to your partner. And you have to respect your differences."

"Teaming is like a marriage," Mikkelson adds. "You have to allow for personal growth and doing things differently. Sometimes, if it's not working out, a friendly divorce may be in order. If it gets to the point of stagnating and bumping heads all the time, then it's time to say enough."

Staff development and inservice are critical to the successful shift to a team concept. "People need to understand what a team is," Sherman says. "A team needs to be goal oriented. Team members need to be familiar with what others are doing. There needs to be some guidance and vision in putting together team units. The team's vision gives purpose to what you do with students."

Sherman maintains that schools should begin preparing teachers a year before they begin working in teams. They will need to build a knowledge base and vision for how their teams will work, determine who will work together well, and build staff and community support for the approach. "You need to get people excited," Sherman says. "You need to get people on board."

Ongoing Staff Development Necessary
Staff development should continue for at least the first three years of implementation. It should cover areas such as defining a team, how to form teams, creativity and teamwork, coordinating lesson plans, working with others, effective communication, student assessment, integrating curriculum, and team evaluation.

State and national middle school conferences are excellent places for teachers to connect with others who have successfully implemented team approaches. "It's really important for administration to hold teams accountable and to keep them going," Sherman says. "A team absolutely needs a sense of esteem. That comes from noting your successes, evaluating your efforts, and growing from your mistakes. It comes from seeing that you are doing something good for kids."

Working with other teachers—sharing strategies, communicating student needs, and developing policies—has positive effects on the individual teacher, as well. "I see what works for my colleagues, and I learn from that," Sherman says. "I become a better teacher."

Sherman says that once teachers have worked on a team, it is unlikely that they will want to return to isolated assignments. "Once you've done it, you'll always want to do it. I just feel like a more creative and effective teacher because of it. And as a team member, I'm better able to address the needs of students."

Theme Parks, Exploration, and Good Teachers

acy Ann Hack could hardly wait to talk to a visitor to her classroom at Meridian Middle School. In fact, she didn't wait. Macy finished her poetry early, then volunteered her views on middle school, friendship, and learning.

"Middle school is pretty easy," she says. "You get more freedom. And people think you're more mature and grown-up. That's what my mom thinks anyhow. She makes me do my own housework now."

Macy says she hopes to someday be a professional actor or artist. "I enjoy learning art and drama because it gives you a chance to let your imagination go wild," she says. "I also like architecture. I went to Las Vegas this year and I got to explore the theme parks. They were totally cool."

Macy also says she likes to explore new subjects, investigate exotic places, and study French, the exploratory language class for Meridian sixth-graders.

"Exploratory classes are a good challenge for us," she says. "They give us a good idea about what we want to be in high school and college."

And someday, Macy says, she plans to attend college. "My hope is that I will make it into a good college and get a good job, but I don't want that to be ruined by a dumb mistake."

Middle school is not all fun and games. Peer pressure, Macy says, has already led some of her friends to join gangs. "The only problem with middle school is we have the drugs and the violence and the gangs," she says. "I don't get involved with that stuff because I think it's incompetent and stupid."

Good teachers, Macy says, can go a long way in helping students make responsible decisions. "What makes a good teacher," she adds, "is understanding, love, and caring."

- Tony Kneidek

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Date of Last Update: 9/28/01
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