Week 7 Discussion - Recognizing Staff Accomplishments

I am lucky to work for an Administrative Team who works to recognize teachers on a daily basis. One strategy that I have seen at work in my building is the “Anyone Can Be a Star” approach where individual talents are recognized. Our “Stars” are asked to be Teacher Leaders. As a Teacher Leader , one provides professional development to the staff regarding their given talent. It can be anything from management to instructional strategies to tracking data. The selected teachers are part of a small group (roughly 20%) of teachers who are recognized throughout the building with their portraits posted on the Teacher Leader wall. Teachers who are selected to be in this group feel very valued and appreciated for their talents. 

Although I have seen “Anyone Can Be a Star” in action, I also believe that everyone needs to be recognized and valued for what they bring to the table. I definitely believe a handwritten note from an administrator is powerful. It is individualized and shows staff members they are valued. For me, being recognized by my boss goes a long way towards my job satisfaction and motivation to work hard. 

As a future school leader, I can definitely envision peers recognizing each other at staff meetings with small tokens like “hugs and kisses” or “starbursts”.    This is a budget friendly item that can help build morale while recognizing the work that is happening throughout the building.