Issue 7: Celebrating Your Colleagues
Did you know?
In a controlled experiment in which teachers received various types of feedback, those who received positive feedback outperformed those who received negative feedback.*
"When I go into an educator's classroom, I am entering the heart of who that educator really is." –a long-time coach
Performance Learning PLUS is a monthly e-newsletter by Performance Learning Systems (PLS), a comprehensive educational services company that has provided a full spectrum of programs, products, and consulting services for educators and business professionals since 1971.
In this special Valentine Edition, learn new strategies for CELEBRATING YOUR COLLEAGUES!
Tips
Because teachers usually work alone in their classrooms, daily successes often go unnoticed by colleagues. Take time this week to celebrate one of your colleagues.
Sample Celebrations
- Write a note to the teacher acknowledging his or her efforts or achievement.
- Make a banner and display it in the teacher's classroom.
- Put flowers on the teacher's desk.
- Organize several faculty members to give a cheer for the teacher as he or she enters the faculty lounge.
- Create a certificate or an award and present it to the teacher.
- Bring in special food to share with the teacher and other staff members.
- Volunteer to supervise the teacher's class for one period, or offer to take his or her recess duty.
Celebrating Simply
Celebrations do not need to be elaborate. Just being present to acknowledge when a teacher's lesson works well or when a student succeeds is a celebration. Warm eye contact, a thumbs-up, or even a smile from the back of the room can show a teacher that his or her hard work and achievements are valued.
The ideas above are based on PLS's newest online course, The Value of Peer Coaching.
Research Shows...
A valuable function provided by peer coaching is the positive reinforcement that validates those things the teacher is already doing effectively.**
References:
*A.G. Bavetta (1992). An investigation of the influence of communication behaviors when presenting performance feedback. Dissertation Abstracts International, 54, 3 , 1003A.
**P. Munro & Elliot (1987). Instructional growth through peer coaching. Journal of Staff Development, 8, , 25-28.
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Related Graduate Course
Coaching Skills for Successful Teaching™
Earn graduate credit as you fine-tune your teaching skills, enhance your self-confidence, and build rapport with colleagues.
Coaching Skills for Successful Teaching®
