7 ways to engage and celebrate your staff

The school bells are ringing, students are learning, and your staff has hit the ground running – another year is well underway! 

It’s important to keep the positivity going in the building when the days turn into weeks and the back to school energy dissipates. How can you celebrate your amazing staff and keep the beginning of the year excitement going? We have some easy ideas for you. 

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Activity One: Scavenger Hunt

Break into teams (grade level, by birthday months, etc.) and complete a scavenger hunt around the school. Feel free to use our template that we have created!! Staff members will send pictures for each task. If you get any fun pictures during the scavenger hunt (and we are sure you will) show them at the next staff meeting. Two ways to win: the team that finishes all of the tasks (with photo evidence) or set a timer for 30 minutes and the team that earns the most points (with photo evidence) wins! 

Activity Two: Draw Names or Spin the Wheel to Win a Prize!

Simply write all your staff members names on pieces of paper and draw five names for a prize. If you don’t have prizes to give out, ask three people to share a compliment about the winner! You could even get the whole school involved, read the names over the intercom or at an assembly! Wheelofnames.com is an easy way to select five staff members that earn a prize each month! Type in everyone’s name and spin the wheel during a staff meeting to see who wins. You can save the wheel for future meetings to keep track of previous winners! 

Activity Three: I Spy

Hide five (or more) items around the building for teachers (and their students) to find. The first staff members to find an item win a prize or recognition! You can announce over the intercom when an item is found to keep the competitiveness going! 

Activity Four: Staff Shout Outs

Everyone works hard each and everyday in the classroom and they deserve some recognition! Encourage your staff to nominate their coworkers when they see them doing something amazing in the classroom! Staff can submit names each month and you can draw names from the pile! Involve the students too, they would love to nominate their awesome teachers! Use our Celebration Notes template on our resource page!

Activity Five: Game show

Create an engaging game of random trivia (or specific questions to your building) using Kahoot! (or Quizziz, GimKit, etc.) Have your staff break into groups and let the games begin! Winning team earns a prize and bragging rights! 

Activity Six: BINGO

Create a BINGO sheet for your staff to complete over the month. They can self-track their cards and turn them in when they complete a BINGO for a prize! Ideas: call/email three parents to tell them something great about their child, write a kind note to another staff member, bring your team member their favorite snack! 

Activity Seven: Team cook-off

Have each grade level team sign up to make the same delicious food to share with the building. Staff members can vote for their favorite soup, cookie, or whatever food you decide! The winning team earns bragging rights, but really everyone wins..who doesn’t love food in the teachers lounge! 

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Most importantly…have fun! The school year can be long, adding in these fun ideas can help the morale of your staff! Who doesn’t love a little friendly competition plus recognition? Feel free to tag us on our social media if you use any of these ideas…we would love to see the celebrations! 

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