Students have heard that there is no "I" in team. So where do they fit in? Building a team identity and community can make all students feel like the MVP of their team.
Many students become part of a team as soon as they walk through the front doors to their middle school on the first day of school. For many of these students, it's the first team of which they've been a part. Several students may have been on teams in the past-or maybe are currently-that thrive on competition with other teams. However, when middle school students become members of their middle school teams, their goals are to develop an identity, foster a community, and leave competition at the door.
As anyone knows who has been part of a team, the friendships, trust, and dedication among team members don't develop overnight. Everyone on the team needs to work together to build their identity and establish their community; hopefully, both will continue to strengthen as time goes by. Middle school teams can incorporate several ideas-ideally into their Advisory periods-in order to start building their teams' identities and communities as soon as possible. The first list below is a compilation of things that team members can choose and/or create that will symbolize and represent their team. The second list contains activities and projects that team members can work on together to build their community and celebrate their identity as a team.
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Team Identity
- Name
- Logo
- Mascot
- Colors
- Slogan
- Song
- Cheer
- Rewards
- Ritual
- T-Shirt
- Calendar
- Greeting
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Team Activities
- Decorations for doors, hallways, and rooms
- Newsletters
- Meals
- Assemblies
- Displays of student work
- Bulletin boards
- Contests
- Field trips
- Parties
- Spirit days
- Talent shows
- Service projects
Overall, students in middle school want to belong. Even if they belong to "the group that doesn't belong," they are looking for that sense of camaraderie and friendship. Middle school students will buy in to belonging to their middle school team, as well, especially if the teachers buy in first. For many students, their middle school team may be the first and only team for which they are a player. It's important to make each student feel like the most valuable one. Building team identity and community can make that happen.
