STAFF RECOGNITION IDEAS / TIPS

Here are some ideas you can use to plan activities this to recognize the staff in your school and to increase public awareness about the important work they do.

Staff Appreciation Days:

Great Ideas for Staff Recognition and Teacher Appreciation Days:

1. Have a free car window wash.

2. Bring a bagel, coffee, or other breakfast item to their classroom.

3. Give coupons for free items from the student store.

4. Student Government can offer a babysitting night at school while staff goes out.

5. Make a banner with the staffs’ names on it.

6. Write personal thank you cards to staff.

7. Gift wrap packages for faculty during the holiday season.

8. Fill holiday stockings with fun items: candy canes, post-its, pens, tissues, etc.

9. Give staff a Payday candy bar on payday of each month.

10. Give the staff an ice cream party during lunchtime.

11. Spotlight Teacher of the Month on the school’s bulletin board and include: baby pictures, where they went to college, family pictures, etc.

12. Give staff a spirit shirt to wear on Fridays.

13. Student Government can serve coffee to the staff in the front office before school begins.

14. Invite staff and their families to a back-to-school BBQ. Be sure to include games for the young ones at the BBQ.

15. Student Government can sponsor a tailgate for staff prior to a big sporting event. BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers.

16. Give staff holiday cards

17. Pass out carnations to staff on Valentine's Day

18. Sponsor coffee hours once a month in the staff lounge.

19. Write notes of appreciation to staff

20. Contact a local pie shop to raffle off pies for staff.

Teacher Appreciation Week offers the opportunity for citizens to reaffirm their commitment to parent-teacher partnerships. Join the National PTA in Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.

  How To Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week

  Americans Celebrate National Teacher Day

Faculty Meetings Recognition:

A faculty meeting is a great opportunity to recognize and show appreciation to the school’s staff. Listed below are some ideas you can incorporate into your faculty meetings:

1. Have your ASB officers present service pins to teachers who have done something exceptional. They can recognize the theater teacher after completion of a school play, a coach who just won a league title, a teacher who did a really cool lesson in class, a teacher who volunteered during a school activity, etc… Teachers love to be recognized, and they truly appreciate any gesture of gratitude.

2. For your next faculty meeting, have your “foods” class make cookies and brownies to hand out. Make a poster that tells staff how much you appreciate their hard work.

3. Play a game of "Guess Who This Baby Is." Collect pictures of your faculty as babies and display them during a faculty meeting. Let people guess and record their answers on a sheet. The person who gets the most correct wins a fun prize.

4. Have your ASB officers present a plaque for teacher of the month at a faculty meeting. Allow students to nominate teachers prior to the meeting. Make sure that the students give a brief description of why they nominated a teacher.

My Perfect Day Questioner:

At the beginning of the school year, give each teacher a questionnaire with a list of questions. The questions are designed to find out each teacher’s individual interests and hobbies. Throughout the year, place an item in the teacher’s mailbox from the questionnaire they gave you with a note saying, “We hope you are having a perfect day!” Listed below are some examples of Perfect Day questions:

1. On a perfect day what candy would you eat?

2. On a perfect day where would you vacation?

3. On a perfect day what music would you listen to?

4. On a perfect day what movie would you watch?

5. On a perfect day what flower would you plant in your garden?

6. On a perfect day what car would you drive?

7. On a perfect day what morning drink would you have?

8. On a perfect day what author would your read?

9. On a perfect day what type of food would you eat?

10. On a perfect day in which season would you live?

Try to find inexpensive items to place in the teacher’s mailbox throughout the school year that remind him or her of their perfect day.

Developing Teacher Relations:

Teachers need to kept apprised of school activities. They work hard to provide quality instructional time, and they deserve the respect of knowing in advance when student activities may interrupt this most valuable time. Listed below are some helpful tips for keeping good relations with the staff:

1. Provide teachers with leadership-student helpers when

    when school begins.

2. Provide teachers with a calendar of all school activities.

3. Invite staff to your council meetings.

4. Alternate periods when conducting leadership business

   that interferes with instructional time. This way the same

   teachers are not being bothered every time.

5. Write thank you cards to teachers when they assist with

    an activity.

Developing Relations With Staff:

The school's support staff is as every bit important as the teaching staff. Therefore, it is equally as important to make sure you are developing a solid relationship with the support staff. Leadership classes are constantly asking office staff to order supplies, print materials, and the list goes on and on. Moreover, leadership classes are dependent upon the custodial staff for a myriad of things, such as, making sure the bleachers are out for a rally or supplying brooms to clean up after an activity. It is very wise to shower support staff with the same amount of attention that we give teachers.

Teacher Recognition That Matters

By: Vince Ferry

Teacher Appreciation Day is easy to spot. The school mailboxes are filled with tokens of appreciation, and posters line the hallways shouting, “We Love Our Teachers!” These simple gestures go a long way to boost staff morale. Teachers are underpaid and overworked, and for many, a simple thank you is all it takes to make a teacher feel rewarded.

A an activities director, however, there is even greater need to recognize the teachers on the staff. Think about how often the school’s leadership class calls upon teachers to help with an activity. Whether its voting for the prom court, excusing students for an assembly, or getting the students riled up on rally day, an activities director’s success depends greatly on the support of the staff. Therefore, the more opportunities the activities director creates to appreciate and recognize staff, the more likely the staff will support the activities program in return.

Great activities programs make teacher appreciation a yearlong effort, and do not limit it to just a one day or one week activity. In fact, the actual Teacher Appreciation Day should be the crescendo of a years long’s worth of recognition efforts. The student activities class should actively try to recognize a new teacher each week. There are many ways to simply show appreciation to a teacher: thank you letters, perfect day coupons, deliver coffee and a doughnut to their homeroom, bring them their favorite magazine, put their picture on the school’s bulletin board, send them a birthday card, and so on. In this website, www.asbdirector.com, there are dozens of simple staff appreciation activities.

Remember, the happier the teachers, the easier it is to put on great activities. Plus, teachers deserve to be recognized.

Active Appreciation / Recognition Ideas:

By: Patrick Maurer - (Meet The Pros / CADA 2007)

Active Appreciation - rediscovering ways to recognize people that make our days great! (PDF Flyer)

Patrick Maurer presents speeches, workshops, leadership retreats and team building sessions to schools & organizations across the U.S. For more information visit his website at www.pmaurer.com

Patrick's Recognition Tips:

People want to be noticed. The more specific you are, the more people realize you noticed.

Rather than just sending a thank you to the cheerleading team, send one to each individual cheerleader. Once again, it shows that you noticed.

While it is important to be prepared to thank individuals, people don’t want to feel like a checklist item. The more unique you can make the thank you or the more creative (surprising) you can make the medium, the better!

Reasons to Recognize:

activity, adaptability, attitude, awareness, care, cheerfulness, commitment, conscientiousness, creativity, dependability,  discipline, energy, enthusiasm, flexibility, giving, humor, inspiration, instruction, listener, loyalty, mentorship, optimism, organization, originality, passion, pleasantness, positivity, reliability, respectability, service, trustworthiness, understanding, volunteerism.

People to Thank:

Administrative staff, administrators, advisors, aides, alumni, athletic captains, athletic coaches, band directors, bus drivers, cheerleaders, choir directors, class officers, club officers, community leaders, counselors, dance team, DJ’s, equipment managers, faculty, ground crew, janitors, librarians, maintenance staff, marching band, neighboring schools, nurses, parent volunteers, play directors, police officers, school board trustees, substitute teachers, superintendents, technology coordinators, volunteers

Ideas by Patrick Maurer

Teacher Appreciation Ideas (Recognition Ideas)

Candy Apples

Spice up the “apple for a teacher!” Much better than the “payday” candy bar!

Candy Jar Messages

Create a symbolic candy jar for every teacher. Add candy that can be representatives (i.e. starburst for that “burst of energy” in the classroom each day)

Lunch

Treat your teachers to a luncheon during a school day or a staff development day.

Morning Mahalo

Visit all of your teachers just before school or during the morning break and provide them coffee, tea, and/or OJ, a muffin, and a piece of fruit.

TA For a Day

Provide a TA for a day certificate. Volunteer to help score papers, organize file cabinets, decorate classrooms, clean desks, etc.

Teacher Supply Gift Certificate

Provide some much needed monetary assistance to a local office supply store.

Special Note: Make sure to not over-program any teacher recognition event. A lunch is a wonderful idea, but if there is no time for the teachers to even visit, it isn’t quite as much as a reward.

Ideas by Patrick Maurer

Internal Programs

Agendas

Give accolades to members on your agenda. Add birthday announcements or extra curricular successes on the side.

Buddy Program

Assign monthly buddies to individuals (preferably people who don’t know each other well). Have a buddy challenge each month (i.e. take pictures together at a basketball game). Award a prize each month to buddies who complete the most challenges.

End of the Year Video

Put together a video of the year’s events, video tape meetings, set-up of events, and a few of the events themselves.

Mailboxes

Set up a mailbox in your meeting room. Write fun notes and distribute treats.

Member of the Month

Recognize a member of the month. Nominate during a meeting with people providing positive reasons why (provides recognition to several individuals even though only one gets the prize).

Mini Mascot

Have a mascot that travels from person to person. Mascot is given as a “thank you” or “good job” accolade. Individuals could sign a mascot journal explaining why.

Secret Buddies

Set-up a month-long secret buddy program. Provides secret gifts to fellow members.

Shout-outs

During the last few minutes of each meeting, take out a bag of candy and do several shout-outs. People can recognize others for anything.

Social Nights

Organize a few fun nights for your group. Thank individuals throughout the evening.

Ideas by Patrick Maurer

School Wide Programs

Appreciation Day

Distribute “Appreciation Accolades” during class. Allow clubs, teams, & groups to submit accolades to people. Recognize individuals in posters & flyers throughout campus.

Birthday Cards

Distribute a birthday postcard to every student in your school or add names to announcements. Design a plan for birthdays when school is not in session.

Digital Camera Cards

Take a picture of volunteers setting up an event or participants at the event. Send a photo to that individual. Example: For a pieeating contest, send anaftermath photo to all the pie eaters thanking them for taking part in the rally.

Letterman Jackets

Establish a policy so that student can earn a letter in athletics, academics, art, music, performance, volunteering, etc.

Pool Party

Host an end of the year pool party for all volunteers,. Use the school pool, bring music, order pizza or bbq.

Postcards

Find creative postcards are your stationary store or design your own at a print shop or online.

Raffle with Volunteer List

Add the name of every volunteer to a semester/year end raffle with a variety of prizes.

School Newspaper Ad

Take an ad out in the school newspaper thanking your volunteers/participants. Follow Digital Camera advice & add a photo of participants.

Spirit Kit

Give a spirit kit to various volunteers (esp. underclassmen). Provide pompoms, face paint, school song lyrics, t-shirt, etc.

Student Store Discounts

Distribute discounts/coupons/ vouchers for your student store. Give out free school shirts, hats, key chains, etc.

Student/Teacher/Volunteer of the Month/Year- Recognize three outstanding individuals each month. Take a nice photograph of each individual to hang in the office and later give to the recipient.

Valentine’s Day Cards

Provide a school-wide mail service on Valentine’s Day. Allow students to send messages, songs, flowers, etc. to other students. Keep in mind that some individuals will really feel “left out” on this day.

Volunteer Point System

Attach points to various volunteer opportunities. Volunteers acquire points and can cash them in various prizes (tickets, bids, raffle entries, etc.)

Ideas by Patrick Maurer

Major Awards

Special note: The following award ideas require collaboration support from school. Make sure you set-up a system that recognizes, finances, and awards recipients for years to come. Do not overdo “naming” awards in initial years. Make sure perpetual awards are awarded annually or at least on a regular basis so that they are not forgotten.

Brick Engraving

A possible fundraising program that allows community members and alumni to recognize individuals. Find a location on campus to create a brick walkway or garden area, take orders and donations, and place engraved bricks in location. Used on several college campuses and major parks.

Name Award

If you have a truly outstanding leader/volunteer, consider naming an award after him/her. The member of the month award becomes the “Joe Gaudet Member of the Month Award.”

Name Building

Work with your school to name a building after a phenomenal teacher. The science building becomes the “Tom Hayes Science Building.” If a building is too much, consider naming a hallway.

Name Event

Work with community member to name events after great volunteers. The crab feed becomes the “Richard Huhn Crab Feed”

Perpetual Award & Presentation

Make several awards perpetual awards. Purchase a larger plaque at an awards shop and budget for

annual engravings. Give a smaller take-home plaque to the recipient and display master award in a dominant place on campus.

School Walk of Fame

This could be done in a manner similar to brick engraving, or could be done in a short-term basis on campus to display photos of volunteers and/or outstanding students.

Tribute Book

When a teacher or administrator retires, contact former students & colleague to help create a special memories & messages book. If time permits, talk with your yearbook staff & create a special page in the book.

More activity ideas by asbdirector.com

Recognition Ideas:

Student Recognition

Community Recognition

Parent Recognition

SHARE YOUR STUDENT ACTIVITY IDEAS

Share your student activity and leadership ideas! This site is intended to be an idea share resource for middle school / high school student body presidents, student councils, activities directors, school advisors and student leaders nation-wide. Tell us how we can make this guide more helpful to you. Send us tips on how we can improve this free online resource or convey us your very own student activities! Please submit your student activity and leadership ideas below!