Student Celebration First Trimester 2012-2013

Wilson Celebration Link!  Please click the link to view the celebration video again.  I wanted to thank Alison for putting this together.  It's a terrific example of the many many things that have been accomplished this year!

What is the Temperature?

Morale-

Hot, Tepid, Cold, Just Right

Inspired by: a fantastic presentation on blogging at our Tech PD seminar!

Fortunately, good morale does not require people to be happy.   Although we were pretty happy seeing August dressed as the Safety Princess.  The definition of good morale is that people’s emotions contribute to, rather than subtract from, the unit achieving its goals. Many of the best examples of high morale come from situations of great unhappiness and stress--such as heroic actions in war, etc. Thus, while it may be impossible to make people feel happy while their friends are being let go, that is not your job. Your job is to build your team’s focus and dedication.

This week you gave each other positive feedback based on our Wilson SIP Look Fors.  This required courage and focus to look for quality examples from your peers.  It is a risk to allow yourself for peer support and guidance.  Our work isn't done in a bubble we need the support and guidance of our peers to lift our work.  We need to continue to share and monitor our morale as we work our school improvement plan.  Knowing that you have a voice in the process and are empowered to make the difference will effect the quality of the work you do.  
  
Here are a few suggestions adapted from a Harvard Business Review blog:

1) Their unit’s work still contributes to making others’ lives better. People perform when they believe that they are part of something they can be proud of. 
2) Their own ideas matter more now.  This is the time to take time to listen, and act on their suggestions.  That provides increased, not decreased opportunities for them to have positive impact. Listen, and give them positive credit, for solving the problems.
3) The misery will be temporary. All bad things come to an end.  If it's possible get the end date and focus on scaffolded support while staff is going through it.
4) Tomorrow will be brighter. Tomorrow's bring new beginnings!  It's nice to know that we can start over and learn from yesterday.

Prompt for comment:
Choose one of the quoted suggestions before from and ASCD blog.  Think about our school and how we can continue to build morale.  Our job is critical and the work difficult.  What can we do together to make our job efficient and valuable?  What should we focus on as we move into our second trimester together.

"Administrators always have to put aside their own issues and do what is best for students and staff in a caring and sensitive way. We try not to say no to teachers, and we always treat them as adults."

"Developing a positive school climate is critical to an effective school," added Les Potter. "Morale is a very tentative issue. You can do 99 things right and make one mistake that will shoot morale forever."

Principal Tony Pallija agrees. He and the rest of his administrative team try to do lots of special things for the entire staff -- from special little gifts to Cookie Day. "We try to pretend we are at IBM -- we treat everyone as a professional and we celebrate whenever we can," said Pallija. "The material things are nice, but I have a motto that I try to live by each day: My job as principal is to make the teacher's job easier, better, so they can teach and students can learn."

Take time to consider and share ideas that can be used to lift morale in our builiding.  

Remember you matter because the work you do is critical to our success!

Wilson SIP Look Fors

Click on the YouTubeVideo above or the link below to view the video

Please click on the link Wilson SIP Look Fors to view the Flipped Professional Development.

Please double click on the the link.  We will be using this information at PLC on Wednesday.  I would like to share my appreciation with Nick Davis for producing and editing it. Kim Kazmierczak