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Possip team member and former teacher, Adie Tate, shares ways to effectively use Possip Praise.
Put yourself in your teacher’s shoes.
Imagine how you would feel if you walked into your classroom and saw this written on the board. Or what if you walked into the staff break room and saw this posted on the refrigerator:
Or, show gratitude and praise in the workplace other ways:
What if you came back from lunch or from escorting your class to PE or art class and you found a card on your desk. In the card was a handwritten note with this praise. Imagine what your Exceptional Education team might say if they all received an email from you congratulating them for their good work and this quote from a parent:
Teachers are amazing people! They often put in extra hours and energy to make sure their students get what they need. We love reading the compliments and positive comments families post every week with Possip. We often call out staff members by name, and recognize their hard work. This could be something seemingly small, but very significant to them.
Sometimes that praise can be overshadowed by concerns, or frustrations families suggest. It doesn’t have the same sense of urgency when there isn’t a problem attached to it.
Creating a system to let teachers and staff know the great things and praise families share about them can be instrumental in building and sustaining morale, as well as strengthening your community. Research has shown that praising employees on a regular basis is very beneficial. It can lead to more engaged and happier employees. To learn more, check out the article Why is Praising People at Work So Important?. In the past, we’ve examined The Power of Praise During Teacher Appreciation Week and Beyond. However, sharing praise regularly is just as important as providing constructive feedback on a routine basis. This helps create professional development and building trust with your staff.
Here are four steps to set up a system to share Possip Praise throughout the year:
Step 1: Ask teachers how they prefer to receive praise.
Some teachers love to be recognized in front of a group of their peers. Others love public praise that can be shared with loved ones. Some appreciate private messages and avoid the spotlight. Survey your staff at the beginning of the year. Or, use your Possip Staff Pulse Checks – to get a sense of what will be most effective for each person or team.
Step 2: Create your ideal plan.
The plan can vary throughout the year or you can do the same thing every time. Some of our favorite ideas for sharing praise include the following:
- Idea 1: Introduce a “Possip Praise Corner” in your weekly staff email. Create a section titled “Possip Praise This Week” or “Check Out this Possip Praise from Our Community” and include school- or grade-level praise.
- Idea 2: Let staff members know when they’ve been recognized. Teachers love getting personal notes. Also, they especially love having a handwritten note they can keep and look back at when they need a “pick-me-up”. If you are feeling short on time and have lots of praise for specific teachers, you can set up a system where you send notes to different teachers each week. For example, you can send one praise comment or accumulate multiple praise comments for the same teacher and send them all at once.
- Idea 3: Share school-wide praise at the beginning of each staff meeting. Have a few Possip praise quotes ready to share at the beginning of each staff meeting. As a result, the meeting will get started on a positive note. Take a few moments to select quotes that are school-wide. In addition, at each meeting, ensure that different staff members are praised.
- Idea 4: If your school has a social media presence, plan a weekly post to share praise. For consistency and ease, publish your praise on the same day each week. This way, staff and family members can look forward to the post!
Step 3: Loop in other staff members who are interested in creating a positive culture at your school to encourage sharing Possip praise.
Start a “Smile” or “Sunshine” committee and ask for volunteers who want to help share joy and build community at your school. Once you have this committee in place, share the praise from your Possip report and your plan, then encourage them to be creative in how to share that info with the school staff. Make sure to communicate your expectations regarding how often praise is shared, equity, and being sensitive to asking for and respecting people’s preferences. Consider asking family members to serve on the committee as well!
Step 4: Designate one person on your team to be in charge of your gratitude and praise system.
Sharing praise can be one of the first things “dropped” because of everything school leaders and administrators have to do every day. It does not have the sense of urgency that other tasks can have. Have one person serve as the “captain” of the system. Thus, the system is followed after each report.
For more ideas to share praise throughout the year, check out these 10 Ways to Use Possip Praise During Teacher Appreciation Week. We love to see how school leaders celebrate their staff. Please share ideas you’ve found to be successful below! Email us pictures at hello@possip.com. Tag @possipit in your praise posts on social media!
