14 Back-to-School Strategies for Staff Engagement
Topics: School Management
Get inspired as you head into a new school year with these back-to-school strategies straight from your principal peers in the field. During a recent #NAESPchat on Twitter, hosts Allyson Apsey and NAESP Center for Women in Leadership fellow Jessica Gomez led a discussion that included staff meeting name changes, inclusion activities, creating a culture of collaboration, and more. Here’s what they had to say.
Change the name, change the focus. How can we rename staff meetings to flip the script to a culture of collaboration?
A1: Spark, bring something that ignites the team #NAESPchat
— Megan A. Bacorn (@MeganABacorn) August 12, 2021
A1. Huddle! I coached basketball and volleyball and my best coaching happened in the huddle! #naespchat
— Latoya Dixon, Ph.D. (@latoyadixon5) August 12, 2021
A1: This year I changed the name of my faculty meetings to “Collaboration in Action” and hope my teachers see them more as a learning opportunity than a chore. #NAESPchat
— Tara Falasco (@TaraFalasco) August 12, 2021
What is one must-have component when setting up a welcoming physical (or virtual) meeting space?
A2) #NAESPchat
Space needs to be inclusive, psychologically and emotionally safe where voices are heard. Build trust by being authentic.
Also, use your people to build your people! #buildCapacity
— Miss. Luis 🇨🇦 (@ErmaLuis1) August 12, 2021
A2: I think the setting of the room must match the “why” of the meeting so this year I’m going to have the tables and chairs set up in small groups so they’re not all facing the front. We know students shouldn’t sit in rows facing the front so why should teachers? #NAESPchat
— Tara Falasco (@TaraFalasco) August 12, 2021
A2: A definite must have is plant life and greenery as it is very calming and inviting #NAESPchat
— PrincipalPinkney (@PpalPinkney) August 12, 2021
A2: Snacks. Pretty sure we were all thinking it 🤣. Seriously, there is just something welcoming about food. #NAESPchat
— Dan Greenberg (@texasbuckeye) August 12, 2021
Share an inclusion activity you use to set the stage for a culture of collaboration during your staff meetings.
A3: Can be helpful for Ts to acknowledge what's on their mind in order to lay it aside during the meeting. Have Ts share a "penny for their thoughts" w/ partner & then set the penny in the center of the table. They can pick it back up after meeting. #NAESPchat #SerendipityEDU
— Allyson Apsey (@AllysonApsey) August 12, 2021
A3: Acutally, @DeidraCastoSIS taught me this one- bandaid lesson! Each staff member gets a card with different ailments and use a bandaid to symbolize equity for what each person needs. https://t.co/TDbWFTwNNG
— Megan A. Bacorn (@MeganABacorn) August 12, 2021
A3: Whole Staff Community Walk where we talk to the neighbors and visit the local businesses. #NAESPchat
— PrincipalPinkney (@PpalPinkney) August 12, 2021
A3: We will be starting each collaborative in action time “fueling each other’s ride” by saying something positive they noticed another teacher doing. #energybus #NAESPchat
— Tara Falasco (@TaraFalasco) August 12, 2021
What are some ways we can create opportunities to celebrate staff and help staff celebrate each other during meetings?
A6. I think celebrations don’t happen often enough. We need to make sure we pause long enough to celebrate every step to excellence. It all matters! #naespchat
— Latoya Dixon, Ph.D. (@latoyadixon5) August 12, 2021
A6: I noticed…. Did you know that….. are some sentence starters on post-its or just as shout outs that build our culture capacity with appreciation and gratitude #NAESPchat https://t.co/6Ey9DzaGPk
— Megan A. Bacorn (@MeganABacorn) August 12, 2021
A6: We love having staff "Show & Tell" where they bring something that is working great to share with colleagues at the beginning of our meetings. I appreciate the opportunity to tap Ts on the shoulder and suggest they share! #NAESPchat #SerendipityEDU pic.twitter.com/9A1rzaTX6S
— Allyson Apsey (@AllysonApsey) August 12, 2021
Didn’t get to join the chat but looking for fresh ideas to implement this school year? Have ideas to share on staff engagement? Keep the conversation going at #NAESPchat. Be sure to join us on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. ET for our next Twitter chat.