Teaming: Evolution and Energy

Features

Variations on a Team: Changing Paradigms
Jerry Rottier
The teaming structure, first developed in middle level education's infancy, was never intended to continue in its original form. Teaming in today's middle schools has taken on a life of its own, with a variety of faces and configurations, but with the common goal of improving student achievement

The Spirit of Teaming
Joan Maute
It doesn't matter how large or small a team is or what subjects are represented. What matters is that the teachers develop and nurture a spirit of teaming. To create the synergy necessary for teams to grow and prosper, members must attend to four vital elements.

Leading Teams in an Era of No Child Left Behind
Daniel L. Kain
In this new era in education, team leaders face several challenges, including taking on new responsibilities, creating focus and purpose, establishing order, and empowering others.

Social Night at School: A Recipe for Funding Extra Classroom Needs
Valerie Wilkes
An invitation-only student social night at one middle school was just the ticket for teachers in need of extra classroom funds. Not only did the teachers fill their coffers, students did a much-needed turnaround on behavior and attendance.

Taking Stock of Lessons Learned
Ann Briscoe Nero
An educator looks back at the lessons she learned during her more than three decades in education.

Building a Community of Learners
Julie Eggers
What motivates inner-city adolescents to not only learn, but gain self-confidence and leadership skills? One teacher found the answer in a Literacy Leadership Team that put some students in the teacher's chair and encouraged others to get involved in their own learning.

Departments

Teams in Action
Larry Chambless, Amanda S. Mayeaux, and Monique D. Wild
This team's mission was to develop a strategy that encouraged students to openly and willingly discuss their school performance with their parents. Mission accomplished.

HoTLinkS
Brenda A. Dyck
Hot Internet links and a wealth of Web destinations for educators in search of ideas and resources.

Teaching in the Middle
Rick Wormeli
Rigor in testing doesn't mean more testing or harder questions. It means challenging students to think.

The Mark of Leadership
Marian White-Hood
Study after study documents the impact that people working together has on organizational health. The middle school is no exception. School leaders must make the connections among school performance, people, and leadership.

Spotlight on After-School Programs

After School and Adolescents
Terry K. Peterson and Bryan D. Fox

High-Energy After-School Programs
Gregg G. Mowen