Chapter 11: Teaming

Abstract: The class agreed that this chapter was about creating an effective team teaching system within the middle school. A great aspect of teaming is that teams tend to make large schools feel far more like small communities, where students may work closely with a small group of teachers and other students. To begin effectively using this model, we must work collaboratively with team members and hold regular planning sessions that enable us to discuss integrated teaching units as well as to plan for our specific students. To gain the greatest rewards, the team must state explicit goals and objectives to ensure that all members have the same end results in mind. In order to effectively teach, we must make the information relevant to all students while at the same time providing each student with a personalized learning experience. A great instance of a team environment occurs in Raymond K. Smith Middle School in Hahnville, Louisiana.

Reflection: The general feeling within the class seemed to be an enthusiasm for the idea of team teaching. Team teaching offers middle level teachers the opportunity to integrate learning across curriculum while maintaining a comfortable community. A major point that was readdressed was the idea of teachers working together in order to ensure that students are not assigned multiple major projects at the same time. While it is impossible to entirely avoid overlap of assignments, it is necessary to recognize that our students will become overwhelmed with too many projects. Overall, there is a general consensus that team teaching builds communities that help our students to succeed.