Suppose you have just received excellent results for your school in the compulsory government NAPLAN tests in literacy and numeracy. Time to celebrate with the whole staff in some form another.
Suppose your school has been lauded for an excellent stage performance of a play or a musical. Time to celebrate with all the participants.
Suppose the school grounds have been kept tidy for a long period of time. Time for you to get on the PA and congratulate the whole school.
Suppose some bright maths students have won prizes in a competition. Time to celebrate with the particular students, their teachers and to let the school bask in the success.
At a more personal level a long time ago a very effective administrator showed me samples of the personal congratulatory notes he wrote to various of his staff for commitment beyond the call of duty. I took this on board and used it myself. The notes are very private to the persons to be congratulated. As an example, when I was Director of Personnel for the Education Department of Western Australia, one of the 160 clerical persons for whom I had responsibility pulled out all stops to resolve a cleaner shortage in a very remote school. I left a a note of thanks on his desk indicating the importance to that school of what he had achieved. I can't recall but as was my way I probably spoke personally to him as well. Spoken words are good, but the written note has a permanence about it that the recipient can return to from time to time and also use as part of reference material for job applications.
The 160 staff beavered away over their computers day after day and by dint of effective guidance from their Managers were able to get the government schools across the state successfully staffed for the opening of the school year. This was a vital target, as to not achieve it caused problems at school level and opened the Education Department to annual criticism from the media and the Teachers' Union. To celebrate my Managers and I organised a barbecue in adjacent grounds for the 160. The Director General joined us for the celebration and was bit taken aback, but supportive of the fact that we did this.
If you are a Principal of a remote school often staffed by young teachers boarding away from home in an unfamiliar environment, celebrations and just time to get together and relax are vital. In our climate barbecues are good.
Lest you think I am bragging, as an educational administrator the indications are that I did okay, but I am here to tell you that I made many mistakes as I learned my craft. I hope I learned from them.
May the Force be with you!
GD
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