TL;DR: Creating a positive climate and culture in the classroom should happen all year long. Kindness jars are a great way for students to practice SEL alongside other skills. It is important to take the time for kids to learn and experience kindness. Climate & Culture: A Year-Long Process Climate and culture are two words that you hear more and … Read More
Positive School Culture Starts from the Top!
TL;DR: Make new hires feel welcome and make sure you have them added to school resources. Review expectations and make sure the school is set up for success second semester. Evaluate the school culture and get feedback from others. As we prepare for and begin the second half of the school year, this is a perfect time as a school … Read More
Welcoming Staff Back to the Building
TL;DR: Be mindful as you plan for return to school team-building activities. Consider your staff’s comfort level. You can survey staff prior to the start of the school year. In this post, you will learn some suggestions on how to build school culture at the beginning of the year. As I write this blog post, many districts where I live … Read More
4 Ways to Cultivate School Spirit and Culture
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
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