Teacher Appreciation

Hello Friends,

When we return to work on Monday, most of us will be heading into a three-week stretch of wrapping up the semester complete with fun holiday activities and celebrations. And then…two glorious weeks off! It’s easy to slip into the mindset of just making it to break, but many of us have staff development scheduled for the very first day back in January.

That means now is the perfect time to start planning so you can enjoy your holiday without work hanging over your head.

January staff development is an opportunity to reset, refocus, and energize for the second half of the school year. If we kick it off with nothing but “sit-and-get” sessions or back-to-back meetings, we unintentionally set a tone that doesn’t inspire or motivate our staff.

In August, I love going all out to welcome my staff back. January doesn’t call for that level of production, but it does deserve something fun, quick, and energizing! I’ve been thinking through a few ideas I’ve seen floating around social media but haven’t tried yet:

1. Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament with Mardi Gras beads
   Staff can play as they transition between sessions or during breaks, with finalists facing off in the library at the end of our staff development sessions.
2. “Something in the Pocket” hunt
   These pop up constantly on social media. In October it was pumpkins, November was turkeys, and I’m sure December will bring something festive. Easy to adapt for January.
3. Reindeer Hunt from Casey Necessary
   After the Thanksgiving Break she will hide 100 small paper reindeer around the building. When a staff member finds one, they bring it to the office window, add their name, and place it on a posted 100s chart. At the end of the week, random numbers are drawn for prizes.
4. Marshmallow “Snowball Fight”
   I shared a version of this in my February 2023 newsletter. It might be a bit disruptive during staff development, but I’m not ruling it out just yet. 😊

All of these activities can be easily adapted for January, and they provide just the right amount of fun without interfering with professional learning.

If you have suggestions or other ideas you’ve tried, I would love to hear them! Please feel free to email me at Kathleen.Eckert@iCloud.com.

If you haven’t yet started thinking about how you’ll welcome staff back in January, I hope this gives you a spark of inspiration to get those creative juices flowing.

Join my new Teacher Appreciation Facebook Group to share ideas, celebrate our amazing educators, and spread a little extra gratitude. Let’s make sure our teachers feel the love all year long! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17K84qs8Yc/

Bring me to your District!

I offer engaging, fun, and hands-on professional development for campus leaders designed to increase teacher retention. You can find more information about presentations and workshops on my webpage.

Bring me to your School!

If you would like me to help you create a detailed teacher appreciation plan for your campus, or you would like me to mentor and work with your administrative team on your campus contact me at Kathleen.Eckert@iCloud.com.

Newsletters

Sign up for and view all of my Newsletters about Teacher Appreciation on my webpage.

Thank you for loving teachers,

Kathleen Eckert