Staff Meetings
Meetings provide an opportunity for clear communication, effective planning, fruitful discussion, and professional development
Attend a meeting ready to listen to others, focus on the task at hand (silence technology or other distractions), and offer your own input
Regular meetings as staff help to create an environment of teamwork and support. Teaching is emotionally expensive and lonely, but interacting with each other as staff can combat burnout and provide fresh inspiration.
Foster growth by exploring the following:
Set personal goals—what can change tomorrow? What are your quarterly visions?
Discuss staff-wide vision—how can you make the school different next year? What aspects of school culture need to change?
Strategize—what is something that you’ve “always done this way” that needs to change? Where can you broaden your perspective?
Reasons to include professional development in staff meetings:
Giving teachers opportunities to grow in the craft of teaching can prevent burn-out
The intentional developing of teachers’ skills is to your school’s advantage
Practical tips for using staff meetings as opportunities for professional development:
Have guest speakers come in to talk about an area of expertise
Use pedagogical books as a framework for learning and discussion
Pull from staff strengths—have teachers talk about areas they have invested into and can present techniques to others
Sources
Why Meet? How Effective Meetings Can Build Your School Culture by Philip Horst Why Meet? How Effective Meetings Can Build Your School Culture - The Dock for Learning
Staff Development: Empowering the Educator to Engage the Learner by Howard Lichty Staff Development: Empowering the Educator to Engage the Learner - The Dock for Learning
We Love a Challenge: Promoting Staff Development by Ken Kauffman We Love a Challenge: Promoting Staff Development - The Dock for Learning
Maximizing After-School Chat Time by Ryan Hoover Maximizing After-School Chat Time - The Dock for Learning
