Middle School Teaming

As I start to learn more about teaming in middle schools, I begin to see learning in a middle school setting from a different perspective. Since this is my first look at teaming as an educational approach to teaching and working with students, I'm curious to see how certain aspects of it work. For instance, how does teaming differ from school to school, and what pieces often remain the same throughout school districts? Obvious changes, such as the ratio of students to teachers, will remain different, but it will be interesting to see how advisory period times during the school day vary and the different ways the time will be used. From the sources I have read, it seems that as long as the main goal of the team is met (creating a sense of community and building academic success as a group), then the means to that end will vary from district to district.