The first few weeks of school have certainly been a whirlwind. Between buses running late, buses leaving students at school, students being assessed daily and angry parents not much time has been set aside to reflect. The one tool that I have implemented and have found to be successful was writing a hand note to all staff members. I have written a note to every person in our school thanking them for something they have done to help our students, a peer or the school.
Though, this is not a huge deal I believe it is has set the tone for a positive working environment and school year. Being the new Assistant Principal I want staff members to know I am here to support and help them. We are truly a team and I want them to see I notice the small things they are doing daily to help our school. I believe this tool can be implemented into classrooms and teachers can also write their students notes letting them know they appreciate their hard work.
I challenge anyone who is reading this to try it out and write your students a note. If you have more then one class try it with one class, but make sure you are sincere and personal. The note needs to not be generic and give the students something you saw them do. See if morale increases at all because I truly believe it has helped start a positive working relationship with the staff.