Set Clear Expectations
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS WITH STAFF:
It is important to set and maintain clear expectations with staff and students. Research shows that clear expectations establish a common understanding among staff, students, and parents. It also reduces misunderstandings about school rules and responsibilities.
At the start of each year I set clear expectations with my staff during our “Back to School” staff meeting. I discuss my expectations on:
professionalism
contract obligations
absences
lesson planning
discipline procedures, ect
I go over my expectations and their contractual details so that expectations are clear. During the staff meeting, it is a discussion, I ask "Does anyone have any questions or need me to clarify?" I want expectations to be clear so I make sure everyone understands. Since I go over our contractual obligations, I let our NEA rep go over new changes to clarify and answer questions also.
Below are examples of 2 slides from my “Back to School” presentation I go over with staff.
STAFF ACTIVITY FOR STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
During this same “Back to School” meeting, I do a staff activity to get teacher input on school wide expectations for students. I hang giant posters around the room each labeled with a different area of the school, such as: CAFETERIA, HALLWAYS, PM BUS LINE, AM GYM, ect.
Staff (teachers & paras) are divided into groups at each poster to discuss and write what the school wide expectation should be for each school area (such as expectations in the hallway). Each group spends about 5 minutes with each poster writing their ideas, then I call them to rotate to the next.
After each group has visited each poster, staff sit back down and we go over what is written as a whole staff. We discuss if we agree/disagree and clarify anything that needs clarified.
Once we all agree, I use the posters to create a google doc title “School Wide Expectations”.
Each teacher gets a copy to review with their student at the beginning of the year and then again throughout the year. I send a reminder email at the start of each quarter titled “Behavior Bootcamp” which reminds teachers to review and practice our school wide expectations with their students.
I also give a copy of our schoolwide expectations page to parents at our “Welcome Back to School” parent night. I have also put this in our enrollment packet that parents get when they enroll their students. *****I do not just give this to them without explanation, I tell parents- “Here is a copy of our school wide expectations. Please read over it so you know our student expectations.”
I have made these expectations into simple posters that we hang around our school. These posters are hung and used as a reminder when students are not following the expectations.
Below is a link to my school’s expectation page and posters:
file:///Users/terridenise/Downloads/Copy%20School%20Wide%20Expectations-shared.pdf
