Working in an office with other teachers and school staff can be a rollercoaster but here are some tried and tested ideas ways to help create a positive, inclusive and welcoming space in 2020.
Welcome notes
Leave a note to welcome teachers and school staff to 2020. For free downloads click this link: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Sarah-Cornelius.
Decorate the space
Having a clean and tidy space is important and of course indoor plants and photos help in creating a sense of welcome but here are a few other ideas:
- Last year a colleague popped up memes that related to each person in the office to promote laughter.
- The occasional vase of fresh flowers added something special to the space.
- Have a kit ready to go to celebrate each others birthdays. Balloons, punting and other decorations made an appearance each birthday on the desk of those who were a year older and helped make the day special.
Practise gratitude with one another
In our initial discussions about Positive Psychology at school we created a gratitude jar during a Professional Development session and kept it at our desk. When times were a little tough, we would read the notes of gratitude or encourage each other to do so. After a soul destroying email from a parent, I was overwhelmed (I cried) but a colleague grabbed my notes and put them on my desk which helped a bunch.
What ideas do you have? Comment below.