Templeton Middle School (TMS) eighth grade students build connections and a sense of community through team-building activities. The afternoon of outdoor activities has become a celebrated tradition at TMS that helps students strengthen communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
Templeton staff members and more than 40 parent volunteers helped to facilitate the team-work activities held in early October. Students work in teams of 13-15 to complete challenges that require communication and collaboration to successfully complete.
“Students have to listen to each other’s ideas, think creatively, offer suggestions and useful strategies and work together as a team to complete the tasks,” explains Templeton Middle School Eighth Grade Math Teacher Ann Brezenski. “My favorite part of the day is watching students cheer on their peers as they complete the stations,” she adds. “I enjoy watching students get excited about how well their team is doing. They learn a lot from each other and have fun participating in the activities.”
“Volunteering for the team-building activities in the eighth grade blue house was a really fun experience,” says parent volunteer Sarah Konkol. “It was great to see these teens working together to figure things out. You could see leaders emerge in some groups and others who were happy to take a step back and just cooperate for the good of the team. It was also fun for me to spend time with these kids, many of whom I hadn’t seen or interacted with much since their days at Woodside. I was glad to be included and to help,” adds Konkol.
Eighth Grade Science and Social Students Teacher Hannah Bjorklund enjoys watching the students’ confidence grow as they successfully navigate challenges. “It was rewarding to see students realize their own problem-solving abilities and the sense of accomplishment that came with it,” explains Bjorklund. “I also enjoyed observing the dynamic of students collaborating with peers they don’t typically work with. These interactions encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, build stronger interpersonal relationships and foster a sense of unity and teamwork across different groups,” she explains.
“It was great to see a majority of kids engaged while showing strong communication skills, encouragement, leadership and critical thinking,” shares parent volunteer Amy Schomann. “I hope the connections made carry over into the classroom, helping students be kinder to one another.”
“I think students learn that effective communication does help accomplish the task at hand,” adds Brezenski. “‘There is no I in team’ is really a theme that students learn from these problem-solving activities.
Bjorklund agrees that the students learn a lot about communication. “Many middle school students initially approach challenges with the mindset that their own solutions are the only viable ones,” she explains. “However, throughout the team-building activities they began to recognize that there are multiple approaches to solving a problem. This process helped them understand the value of considering diverse perspectives and listening to others’ ideas, which is essential for successful teamwork and problem-solving.”