Taco 'Bout a Staff Morale Booster!
So, we’re in the midst of a wild, stressful summer. This wild, stressful summer is after a wild, stressful school year. When we head back to school, we’re all going to be a little frazzled, very uncertain, and overall just more stressed than we already ALWAYS are during back to school season.
You know one way that I think we could all help each other out this year? Spread the love amongst our own staff. Deciding to champion a staff morale routine in your building this year just might be the dose of happy that some people need! After all, regardless of how closely you work with some people in your building, or how well you get along with each person…they are all doing the important work of trying to pour into kids all year long. And I think it’s important that we pause to fill each other back up!
One easy way to start building morale in your building is with Staff Shout-Outs! Today, I’m sharing my Taco-themed Staff Shout Out Bulletin Board. It’s easy to prep, easy to maintain, and sure to bring the people in your building a little closer!
Set up
Setting up this “Let’s Taco ‘Bout Our Staff” shout out bulletin board is super easy. The letters can be printed on colored paper, cut, and laminated for durability throughout the year. The staff shout out cards can be printed on colored paper or left black and white. Cut out the shout out cards and put them in a plastic bag or container close to where the bulletin board is going to be. Make it easy for teachers to find them! It also isn’t a bad idea to leave a couple of blank shout out cards in each staff member’s mailbox so they don’t have to remember to walk down to the bulletin board to find one. We all know how busy the beginning of the year is, and removing one item off of a teacher’s list can be a true lifesaver. So, if you need to go the extra mile for your teachers the first week of school to encourage them to shout each other out and get the board filled up, don’t be afraid to do that.
How it works
After making the shout out cards accessible to your staff, let them know that this bulletin board is interactive. It’s meant to be filled up with kind words from THEM! Create a routine of sharing the shout outs with the entire staff at a regular staff meeting time, a weekly newsletter, or over the announcements. When a shout out for a specific staff member gets shared with everyone, they get to keep that card. This will keep the bulletin board from getting so full that the shout outs are lost in the shuffle. By removing the cards that have already been shared with the team, you create space for new shout outs to be displayed.
Why does this matter?
The staff morale in a school can make or break the school year for many people. New teachers can feel discouraged from continuing their careers long-term if they feel shut out or surrounded by judgemental people. Veteran teachers can feel more burnt out than ever if they feel like they don’t have the support of their own teammates on their side. Taking just a few minutes to regularly communicate the good things that are happening in your building can be one step in changing your school culture for the better. Even if you’re not an administrator, there is no reason why you can’t take on the leadership role of running a staff morale bulletin board in your building this year! It could make all of the difference!
Want to do this with your students?
No problem! I have an almost identical version of this bulletin board display, except it’s for your students to use to compliment each other! It pairs perfectly with my Fiesta Classroom Decor. You can have festive, bright classroom this year, with an entire corner devoted to building community amongst your students!
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