Your students are great sources of information about the daily events in their school. So I always tried to take advantage of opportunities to sit down with kids. Since I had to help supervise the lunchrooms where I served as principal, the lunchroom was a perfect spot to talk with students at all grade levels about a wide variety of topics.
One day I had an idea for a conversation starter… When I was talking with kids in the lunchroom, I asked them to share positive comments about their teachers. As the students talked, I wrote down their comments. I had their comments rewritten on large paper strips without their names. We created a display of teacher photos in the cafeteria and the students' comments were posted around the photos.
Now everyone could see students' positive comments about our teachers. The teachers took special joy in the display; they took the comment strips home with them when we took down the display.
Perhaps this is an idea you might use during Teacher Appreciation Week this year?
Read more practical tips from George Pawlas…
Pawlas on PR
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Meet Dr. George E. Pawlas
George E. Pawlas has written the book on PR for school principals -- literally! In The Administrator's Guide to School-Community Relations, Pawlas presents a treasury of practical tips and strategies for principals. The book includes hundreds of principal-tested ideas, illustrations, and templates to help you
create successful school newsletters and other communication tools;
use the media to your school's advantage;
enhance parent and family involvement;
work with the community and local businesses;
deal with crisis situations; and
much more.
Pawlas has been an educator for nearly four decades. He has served as an elementary school teacher and principal, a district administrator, and a state education department consultant. Currently he is a professor of educational leadership at the University of Central Florida. In addition, Pawlas has authored dozens of articles and coauthored three editions of a book on educational supervision. He is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences.
George Pawlas's
George E. Pawlas has written the book on PR for school principals -- literally! In 