Three Steps to A Meaningful Teacher Appreciation Day or Week

How can you genuinely celebrate your staff and do it in a way that is restorative to you as a leader?

Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner. My guess is that it's something you want to be memorable and to truly celebrate your staff. My guess is that it also becomes a stressful undertaking to plan and execute as a site leader and, if you’re honest, it’s challenging timing for you at this point of the year. 

What would you say if you could find a way to have a genuine celebration for Teacher Appreciation Week that built connections and relationships AND restored YOU as well?

This can be the experience of your and your team this year with a few simple adjustments to your plan. Consider the three big shifts that you can make that will amplify the impact of your actions

1) NAME THE POSITIVE (and get specific) - Consider the difference when someone says to you, “Thanks for being a great team member” versus “Thank you for showing up early and always being ready to reflect each week in our team meetings.” Both are short statements, but the more specific one lands more powerfully.  When people name detailed, concrete actions, the impact increases. People feel seen by the compliment that is directly about them. Challenge yourself to do that. If you need to reduce it to one or two genuine compliments to get through, make the time saving there. Getting a generic “nice” statement doesn’t help with relationships, connections, or rejuvenating people through appreciation. The value to the recipient is that they feel seen through your genuine, specific comments. The value to you as a leader is that you also benefit from the stream of positive contributions you see from your staff as you work through your list. You'll start to see patterns emerge as you look at your list and then you also have stories to tell the staff about the year as you wrap up and lay the foundations for next year. 

• Break the task into a few names each day so that you can take the time to generate 1-3 compliments for each staff member. 

• Keep them short and bullet points

• Focus on what you’ve observed (like, actually observed, not the evaluation meaning of the word) which will help you get specific and helps you to reinforce what you want to see more of in the school environment. Even if you don’t have a great relationship, where have you seen this person show up and collaborate and contribute positively to your school goals? For example, have you seen them actively collaborate with the 7th-grade team? Help the physical education department set up for field day. Brought a delicious dish to the last teacher potluck?

• Put Your Praise in Writing- use Canva for a template. (Here’s one option - you can copy and then make your own in Canva). You can give everyone a personal list of praise and do it in a way that they can take with them. Canva has great options from the free account to quickly create something visually appealing and special. You can also do this in Google Slides and import your school logo or other graphics.  

2) HAVE FUN TOGETHER - Author Priya Parker, in her book The Art of Gathering focuses on the role that the host of any gathering plays and the responsibility to think through the time spent together, the ways that interaction will be supported and facilitated. When you are celebrating your staff, you are the host. What are some ways that you can have fun together? What is a silly offering for interaction? How can everyone have access to the joy and options for how to engage? What is the time when you see your staff laughing together? How might you turn this into something playful that you could do as a staff?

Consider some of the following for your staff:

• Creating a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt around your campus.
• Running a fun adult spelling bee (see Priya Parker link below for templates)
• Holding your own Lego Masters competitions
• Crafting an afternoon of wellness. 

One high school I know of planned outside yoga, sitting yoga, mindful walking groups, and picnic tables with coloring sheets as part of an afternoon "meeting". Everyone could choose the activity where they felt the most comfortable, but the restorative activity was designed for all. This could easily be adapted for an Appreciation Celebration. 

For a fun quick reel on the wide range of settings where people have applied this concept, take a look at Priya Parker’s IG account: 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrdUbLuOtDn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

3. NOURISH - Feed your staff. 

That really is all that needs to be said because the common thread across time and cultures is to feed the guests who have gathered. It’s a form of nourishing, nurturing, and comfort. It’s always a good decision to provide ample, well-prepared food for a group. Don’t run to Costco. Don’t rely on pre-packaged food if you can avoid it. This is a time for fresh food, prepared well.  The return on this investment is high. People appreciate being cared for and providing a thoughtful meal that reflects that care is a part of how relationships are sustained in school communities. If you need to get creative about how to fund a meal for the full staff, consider the following (of course, observe all laws and local/organizational policies for gifting food and accepting donations):

• Is there a local sandwich shop or another eatery within walking distance that might donate lunch or provide it at cost?
• Is there a catering company trying to get off the ground, or maybe within your school community, that you can support at a good rate for the luncheon?
• What can the PTA or PSO provide for the staff for lunch?

Focus on one or more of the above areas with enthusiasm and love. The positive energy that you put into the items above will yield positive energy from those on the receiving end. And it becomes a cycle. As a leader, you will see the connections strengthen through your efforts, which also sustains you. 

 Naming the contributions of your staff will help you to see all the good that IS occurring.

Considering how to PLAY and engage will open up possibilities for you to relax and connect in new ways. 

Feasting together CARES  for all of you in a communal and nourishing way. 

Here's to an upcoming appreciation week that fuels sustained appreciation in the weeks and months ahead. Here's to feeling more restored as a result of the gift of care you are able to give to your team.