Just think of Principal Ideas as a virtual show-and-tell for principals. Each week in
the coming school year we'll present five new principal-tested ideas. Send in your idea today! See the sidebar to
learn how to be part of Principal Ideas.
Join the Fun --
Share an Idea!
The ideas presented in this article come from the Education World archive and from principals just like
you. Since these principals have been kind enough to "show and tell" an idea, now it's your turn! Share
an idea you've used to
- Celebrate Students
- Plan a Special Event
- Welcome Students Back to School
- Make Graduation Day Special
- Liven Up Your A.M. Announcements
- Motivate Teachers
- Involve Parents
- Raise Money
- Plan an Effective Staff Meeting
- Get Some Good PR for Your School …or any other topic of interest to principals.
Send your idea today to principalideas@
educationworld.com Be sure to include your name, your school name, and your school address
because if we post your idea in Principal Ideas, we'll send you an Education World mug!
Principal's Brag Board
Each month, we celebrate one student per class for working extra hard to improve his or her work quality and bring
up grades. The students' names are added to the Principal's Brag Board on my office door. Thanks to Marlene Scott, principal at J.B. Watkins Elementary School in Midlothian, Virginia
Egg-Timer and Clean-the-Parking-Lot Meetings
We have staff meetings of several different types.
We hold "Egg-Timer" Meetings, which last for 10 minutes. We set the egg timer and when the bell goes off at the
end of 10 minutes time everybody leaves.
We hold regular staff meetings, which end at 3:00 p.m.
We also have "Clean-the-Parking-Lot" Meetings. Those meetings last a little longer than our regular meetings, but
we all agree that on the Friday of that week we will "clean the parking lot" of cars. In that way, we get back the
extra time we put into the meeting earlier in the week. Thanks to Alan Siebert, principal at South Salem School in Salem, Virginia
Blow Up Your Teachers
Each year, the teachers in our school provide something special to liven up the hallways. Everybody on the staff
has an information sheet or some special writing that appears with their picture. We blow these up so they are poster-size.
This year, we are celebrating the school's 40th birthday so each teacher wrote a short piece to share "What I was
doing 40 years ago" or, in the case of young staff members, "What I plan to be doing 40 years from now." Lots of
children and visitors pause to read the posters. Source: Teri Stokes, "Schools Find Many Ways to Say 'Welcome Back'" (EducationWorld.com -- August
19, 2003)
A Reading Break
I set aside time to take over a class for a special read-aloud time that gives teachers an extra break. I might
read a favorite book and do a follow-up activity; or I might make special arrangements with a teacher to read something
connected to the classroom curriculum. Besides offering a brief mental-health break for teachers, this is a great
way for me to get to know students and for students to see the principal in a different light. Source: "Sixty-Five Ways to Recognize Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week -- and All Year
Long" (EducationWorld.com -- April 22, 2003)
Scavenger Hunt for New Students
We hold a hot dog roast the day before school starts. The school's PTO sponsors the roast. In the past we have
also run a scavenger hunt for new students. Each child got a sheet with questions on it. They were teamed with veteran
students who assisted them in finding things or locations around the school. At each destination, the new student
got a signature from the staff person in charge of the area. The student also received a little prize such as a
ruler, stickers, or pencils at each station. A scavenger hunt is a fun way for new students to get to know the school. Source: Marcia Wright, "Schools Find Many Ways to Say 'Welcome Back'" (EducationWorld.com --
August 19, 2003)
Principal
Ideas #10