My plan is to try to enhance relationships between teachers in our school. Our school has progressively gotten bigger over the years that I have taught there, starting with around 800 students to its current 1100 students. With an increase in students comes and increase in staffing, so there are many staff members that do not know each other very well. In the past years I have encouraged a select group of staff members to participate in a social gathering that typically takes place after parent/teacher conferences, but I have kept that invitation to only those that I have some sort of personal connection with. My goal is to open that invitation to all members of the staff so that those that may have previously felt disconnected from a larger group can be brought into the fold.
I love after school gatherings with co-workers. Since switching buildings I have not had the opportunity to go to a staff gathering but I am trying to fit one it because I truly believe that a true community felt environment starts with a staff that knows each other well!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. It can't be bad to get to know the people you are working with.
ReplyDeleteDrew,
ReplyDeleteWhere do you have your gatherings and do you do anything specific besides visiting?
I have mentioned the idea of offering teacher volleyball once or twice a month after school. It would be a way to get some exercise and yet still get to know some of the other teachers in a new setting.
Drew, I think that this social gathering is a great idea. With so many staff members, chances are there is someone else out there wishing that there were stronger relationships among the staff. To add to Kathy's question, I wonder if it was a child friendly setting, if more people would show up- ie, family bowling for staff members on a Saturday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteDrew,
ReplyDeleteI split time between three schools and don't know a lot of the people I work with daily. Just the other week some of the other teachers invited me out to a social gathering after our annual 5th grade vs staff basketball game. It was fun to chat with them about something other than work for a change.