Connecting with all Staff

(Build Relationships)

Use Google For Scheduling

Set up a calendar with reminders to visit buildings or classrooms. Create a Google Form where people can share the great things going on in your building.

Write Positive Notes

Start your day by writing 2 positive notes to staff members. Use cards imprinted with your school logo.

Conduct a Hashtag Review

Take time each day to review your school or district hashtag on social media channels to see what's going on in other classrooms. Do this by setting up a notification system such as IFTTT to notify you via phone when the hashtag is used. Retweet and favorite exceptional practices.

Follow Through On All Commitments

When having conversations in the hallway, make sure to have a way to document the items discussed so you don't forget to follow up.

Make 5 Positive Phone Calls About Students To Start Or End Your Week

This changes the lens in which you view everyday events. Negative stories take up a good deal of a leader's bandwidth. Knowing you're going to start or end your week with calls to parents changes what you're looking for and helps your overall mentality when walking through the school. Helps you seek out positive events and interactions. Also creates a positive home-to-school connection that will help you in the long run.

Target Issues Appropriately

Address issues immediately when they come up. Don't make blanket comments to all staff if it only involves a few people. Instead, address it with those individuals separately.

Send Cards To Family Members

Take time to write and mail a quick note to the spouse, children, or parents of your staff members to show you value your staff and their support system.

Build Up Momentum Before The School Year Starts

Don't send the back to school letter in June, but do start thinking about ways of making people feel great about returning to school.

Call The Teachers

Make personal phone calls to staff members the night before the first day back. Nothing fancy. Just chat about how they are feeling about the upcoming year.

Provide Back-To-School Swag

Have a small care-package ready for staff when they arrive back on campus, including a staff shirt.

Ditch The Opening Staff Meeting

If you must, keep your message motivating and short! The social capital you will build with them is far better than anything you have to say on the first day of school. Instead, communicate information on starting the year in other ways such as in a folder on a shared drive, or creating a 10 min video that introduces any district needs that are rich in information but aren't urgent. They can view it at their leisure and reference it throughout the year.

Find Places To Celebrate The Efforts Of Staff Members

Ask kids and staff for permission to share their work with other groups.
Start school board meetings with a student highlight to allow staff and students to show off an achievement or activity.
Contact local media to celebrate staff efforts.
Post things in the school newspaper (sent quarterly to everyone, including alumni).

Meet The Staff Where They Like To Be

Find ways to meet outside of school and mix it up for different preferences (local eatery, school athletic event, potluck dinner at colleague's home, etc.).

Participate In The Big Events

Make sure school shine on days we celebrate such as:
- 100 Calls On The 100th Day - Make 100 calls to parents of 100 students. Prior to this day, survey staff to gather names of students that made them smile. (teacher's name, student's name, what the student did to provoke a smile).
- The Personal Day Give Away - Have administrators raffle off a number of personal days during the week before winter break. Staff members take a personal day while central office personnel cover the class or designated area for the day.

Take Advantage Of The Small Events

Take a classroom: Offer to cover classrooms. Send out email saying "Hey everyone! I'm walking around school this morning. If you need 15 minutes for a break, let me know and I'll pop in!" After your time is fully booked send out another email indicating you are filled up but will be doing it again.
Take the school: Take the school for a 45 minute block periodically so your staff can have uninterrupted planning time with colleagues. Take the kids through a team-building game or have an all-school assembly.
Surprise Staff: Brush snow off cars and windshields prior to end of day.

Be Transparent About Your Growth

Ask for feedback with a short survey twice a year (middle and end of year).
Find 2 things going well and develop a 2 step plan for each to keep the momentum going. Find 1 thing that is not going well and develop a 2 step plan to improve that area.
Post the data and the plan in the staff lounge and send it to all staff members.

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