Make the Time to Say It

Day in and day out, there are always 100 tasks we have to do within our schools. One of the monthly "things" that most teachers and principals are required to participate in is a faculty meeting. For nearly a year, I have taken the advice Peter DeWitt has written about in regards to faculty meetings. I want our middle school faculty meetings to be short sessions of teacher led PD with a dose of inspiration where it fits.

A few days before the actual meeting, I send out the agenda and any related materials that need review. This year, I've added a bellringer of sorts to the agenda. On our most recent agenda, teachers were told:

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Bellringer – Write the first name of the student you “stand for” on a post it note.

“I Stand For” Activity

Parent-Teacher Conferences are nearly done. In thinking about all of your students this year, there are usually a few that require extra support from us -- the kind of support that is needed beyond content understanding. Think of all of your students and be prepared to talk briefly (2-3 sentences) about one of them. We will only use FIRST names when we talk about the student. The "I Stand For.. activity will give us a deliberate chance to regain our focus on all of our students and the importance of our work together. Post-its will be collected onto poster board.
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As teachers entered the room, they were reminded of the bellringer and began to write the first name of the student on a post-it note. I did the same and led the sharing of 2-3 thoughts about my student. What happened after that was simply magical.

Teachers spoke from the heart about some of the toughest kids. These are the kids I wasn't sure still had allies in the building. They make it tough to be loved. But, not by my teachers. I heard phrases like:

• I believe in him.
• I think she just needs someone to know we care.
• I haven't connected with him yet but I will. I can't get him to respond but I will.
• He's trying very hard to do better.
• She's the quiet type and I want to make sure she doesn't go unnoticed. 
• I know he makes mistakes, but you should see his smile. 

I collected the post-its and matted them on a piece of poster board (for the faculty room) as a reminder of what we really stand for.

Just when I think I am as proud of my team as I could ever be, they take it up a notch.

This was one of the best team building tasks we have done in our three years together. The activity took just about 10 minutes to do (for 25+ teachers) but it was time well spent.

Find out more about this activity idea at : Staff Meeting Idea: Teachers Stand for Students