4 Ways to Cultivate School Spirit and Culture

Meghan WellsBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Lead Better

TL;DR: Here are four ways to establish positive traditions and communication to cultivate culture. (1) Decorate your room and school with school colors so students identify as being a part of the community. (2) Explicitly teach school traditions like learning the Alma Mater words. (3) Celebrate students by creating a “Wall of Fame,” which is a collection of student pictures … Read More

Spirit Week: Five Questions School Teams Should Address

Steven WeberBlog, Connect Better

TL;DR: Spirit Week can have good intentions, but it is important to make all students feel included each day. Considerations are offered for the following Spirit Days: Beach Day, College Spirit Day, Disney Day, Fancy Friday, Jersey Day, School T-Shirt Day, and Tacky Christmas Sweater Day. Make sure you school’s theme week aligns to your school district’s mission statement. Spirit … Read More

Intentionally Supporting Your Staff All Year Long

Martin SilvermanBlog, Lead Better, Teach Happier

TL;DR: School leaders should be intentional all year when facilitating positive school culture. Supporting your staff all year long means you need to treat each part of the year differently. In the beginning of the year, develop routines, build relationships, and get to know where everyone is academically. The time of the year approaching spring break is a great time … Read More

A Missing Ingredient

Elijah CarbajalBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better

TL;DR: The missing ingredient to strong classroom management is building healthy relationships. Building relationships with students takes time. It won’t happen overnight, so be patient. Create positive relationships is a whole class effort, but it ultimately starts with you. The Worst Advice and the Toughest Year When I was in college I was told by multiple professors in the education department, … Read More