The Trifecta

The illustrious High School Staff meeting…  Once a month we meet at a pre-determined location to discuss a preset agenda of topics related to what is going on in the school.  In most systems, the staff meeting is in contract; therefore, teachers are required to attend. Some staff really look forward to this time to engage with colleagues and collectively refresh, while others dread the idea.  When we reflect on our past experiences as teachers sitting in staff meetings we recall both highly engaging and highly disengaging experiences.

Now that we’re in the role of setting the meeting’s agenda, we are asking ourselves “How do we tap into the real potential of a staff meeting? Can staff meetings be valued by all staff members? What would a staff meeting have to look like in order to be valued by everyone?”  We feel that the answer lies in understanding what the stakeholders want from the meeting.

As far as different preferences go, some staff prefer the “information download” version of a staff meeting where the agenda is a one-way “Laundry List” of speakers and updates. Others prefer a collaborative session where ideas are exchanged and discussion time is king. Still others prefer the staff meeting for the social dynamics – the experience of being together with other teachers and getting face-time with the principal. How can we meet all of these preferences given the mercurial nature of staff dynamics?

For us here’s the trifecta: a staff meeting should be the place where we share updates on what is going on school-wide, within departments, and within teams. It is also the place where we collaborate on what is working and what needs to be adjusted. And it is the place where we are face-to-face with staff and ready to engage in communication at that personal level. It is our chance to let staff know that we are present and in touch with the goings-on in the school.

As we revise and plan for next year, our goal is to make our staff meetings valuable for everyone. The ideal staff meeting will be a trifecta of informational updates, effective collaboration, and personal connectivity.

 

Identify the stakeholders…       Trust the process…      Trust the people…