Middle school aged students need a curriculum that transcends teaching and learning. There needs to be a strong connection between students and teachers, as well as a strong connection among teachers. This is such a crucial time for the development of students as adolescents as well as in their educational career. For students to be effectively educated at this age, they must feel they are cared for, respected, welcomed, and appreciated. The most effective way for teachers to do this is through the implementation of teacher teaming and advisory. Being a teacher who is effectively engaged in every one of their student’s lives is unrealistic, but through the implementation of teaming, it becomes more accessible to get a well-rounded view of a teacher’s students as a whole. Implementing advisory programs as an effect of teaming is essential to further team discussion and implement new areas of the curriculum to adjust to student needs. Many teachers are uncomfortable approaching students regarding sensitive topics, they are not adequately trained to address the needs and concerns of students of the middle school age, and many teachers have also not been exposed to the ideology of advisory. In turn, teachers are often ill-equipped to help adequately further student academic growth because they have no means of effective communication with their students.
That is why implementing teaming paired with an advisory period is so important. Teachers can gather insight on the feelings, attitudes, and mindsets of their students in advisory programs. Teachers can also relate to students in these periods, create a sense of advocacy and community in these periods to ensure students that students feel welcome, connect to students, and help students set academic and personal goals. All of these advisory benefits and practices are planned and addressed within the team. Teachers can then adjust curriculum to meet the needs of students, get a well-rounded picture of students’ feelings and mentalities around the school and curriculum, and, the goal, get to know their students so that school can be a fun, engaging, and common place for all students. If schools can implement these practices and ideologies that surround teaming and advisories, students will have greater success not only within their education, but in their lives to come!
I completely agree with your claim that curriculum needs to "transcends teaching and learning". It has to be about SO much more. You make a very clear connection between advisory and the importance of teaming. It's clear that you understand the great importance of relationships. Thank you!
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