Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools has launched the teaming model at the middle school level this year. Through teaming, groups of students are paired with groups of teachers for core subjects. “When you connect kids to their schools and the adults who care for them, and educate them every day, especially middle-level students, that period of time is special,” Superintendent Patrick Ward said. The experience is a priority as the district focuses on the nurturing and development of students, as well as professional growth of staff, said Willoughby Middle School Principal Jim Greene. “It requires all of us to align our work and practices with a shared vision so students are prepared for college, career, military and life,” he said. Greene has observed that the middle school teaming programming promotes communication and collaboration. “The goal is to create a more personalized learning experience for students while also helping teachers build relationships with students, and also fostering collaboration,” he said. In regard to the teaming model, each grade level is divided into two core staff and student teams. “They’re like small families within the school,” Greene said. “We have Team A and B, and students will also have an English Language Arts, math, science and social students teacher on their team. Our elective teachers flex in regard to joining various work groups surrounding teaming.” With elective classes, every student and their team are now with those students throughout the day, observed Willowick Middle School Principal Scott Stasa. “When it comes to elective classes, they’re with all students who are in their grade level,” he said. “We have various electives such as art, computers, music and physical education.” The middle school is similarly operated like a high school bell schedule with eight class periods per day and students moving from teacher to teacher. Now, through teaming, the school has looked at how time is used during the day. “We still have 45-minute classes, but we can also double up classes,” Stasa said. “If on a team, let’s say (English Language Arts) needed to spend more time with those students. That teacher can block that class with another class period that day. You’re with that teacher up to 90 minutes. That is something we did not have before at the middle school level.” The middle schools also now have flex time through teaming, which is another use of time where students get together with either their full team or they can be grouped up. “This is a time where teachers get their time back,” Stasa said. “Let’s say a science teacher gives a test for or five periods a day. They don’t have to do that anymore. They can use that flex time period and give the test to all students on that team or all students in that grade level rather than offering that test every single class period.” Flex time also allows students to be grouped by their abilities, he said. They may also be grouped based on their learning interests so they’re not necessarily going to the same class for flex time every day. “They can be grouped and every day, those kids may have their homerooms, but they know that during flex period, they’re either going to go to this teacher, that teacher or gather together in one big space and do a team project,” Stasa said. These are tools the district did not have access to that, in the matter of the last few months, put together, he said. “The time these kids have with their teachers and the relationships they’re building is so impactful,” he said. “It’s made a huge night and day difference for the middle school model.” Additionally, teaming comes with more communication, Stasa said. Every team has its own email address, which allows the team to email parents. Team meetings where parents are able to meet with that team of teachers rather than one teacher are also able to be hosted. “For any discipline reasons, we have the students meet with the team of teachers to discuss whatever the issue is rather than one-on-one,” he said. “Communication is bringing in our guidance and counseling team to work with those teachers. We can learn about some issues students might be having inside or outside of school and we can work together to come up with solutions, and plan for those students to be successful.” During open houses and parent teacher conferences, parents are now able to meet with the team rather than individual teachers, or if they’d like, they are still able to meet individually, Stasa said. Teams are also putting together weekly newsletters for parents so they’re aware of what’s going on in the lessons and their up to speed with what’s taking place in the classrooms. “I think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever brought to the middle schools,” he said. “The culture and the morale in the buildings is night and day compared to the last few school years. People are excited to come to work every day and our students are smiling. There’s just a different vibe.” Greene has had experience in other districts and has not observed something to this capacity to support children individually. “When it comes to opportunity, we have to look at time and the right staffing,” he said. “We have awesome students and awesome school communities. How can we give them the best possible education, especially with personalized learning. That’s the ultimate goal. We want to maximize every child’s success upon graduation and I think this is on the right track with that.”