Name

EPPSP Group 38
Butler University

The Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals

STANDARD _:
Number and Proficiency here: 2. Assess and improve your school's culture. Using data-
collecting techniques like that of a climate audit, gather information concerning student and staff
morale. Based on the results of data, design and implement a plan for improvement that
positively influences change in the educational environment and aids in overall school
improvement. (ELCC 1.2)

Summary:

The process of transitioning to eLearning has been a learning curve for students, families,
teachers, and staff. Aside from the challenges of technology, academics, and engagement, we
are all figuring out how to remain a strong school community even while we are distant.

When the governor announced in late March that we would not be returning to school for the
remainder of the year, I, like many colleagues was upset about this news. After talking with
some other teachers, I knew that we had to do something to keep spirits up and continue to
strengthen our community. I then reached out to my principal and asked his permission to
contact staff in request of one thing they are grateful for, even in this tumultuous time. He
consented to my idea and I moved forward. I received great responses from colleagues with
their thoughts. I then took those thoughts and complied them into a video to be shared among
the staff and school community. The response to this video was overwhelmingly positive. I
received comments like, “This made my day!” and “This made me cry…in a good way!”.

After this, my principal decided to form a “morale committee” to continue boosting spirits during
eLearning. This committee consisted of our assistant principal, school psychologist, dean of
students, and myself. We have had virtual meetings to discuss ways in which we can continue
engaging staff and students. Our meetings have been quite productive, and we are starting with
two ideas—one for staff and one for students—and hoping to grow from there.

For students, we are beginning with a “Virtual Spirit Week”. Each day, the students will have a
theme they can use to dress up. The hope is that their parents send photos to the classroom
teacher, and these will be shared among the school community. Normally we get great
responses to in-school spirit weeks, so the hope is that this is no different.

For staff, we are starting a virtual coffee hour. In the half hour before our weekly all-staff Zoom
meeting, all teachers are invited to join the Zoom room early to chat and spend time with
colleagues. The hope with this is that teachers will continue to lean in to the school community
for support and encouragement during this time. In putting the coffee hour prior to our staff
meetings, the hope is that teachers will be in a positive mood when we begin our staff meetings
to also increase our productivity.

Being that I am the only non-administrator on this committee, I offered to write up the proposals
for these two events. In doing so, I created flyers for both and shared them with our principal for
approval. When he approved them, he followed up by asking me to draft emails to staff on his
behalf for both events. I immediately did, and we are currently set to begin both of these events
in the coming weeks.

Reflection:

When I initially emailed my principal asking to create a video about our “Attitude of Gratitude”, I
did so on a whim. eLearning had taken a turn from temporary to permanent, and I was feeling
let down that I would not be able to spend time in the classroom with my students for the
remainder of the year. At some point, I made a mental switch and channeled my sadness into
productivity. I grappled with the idea of asking my principal to start this project, because I did not
know how he, or the rest of the staff, would react. I decided to send the email anyway, even if
the response was not positive. It turned out that my principal was very welcoming of the idea, as
was the rest of the staff.

In creating the video, it was very refreshing to hear the bits of gratitude that the staff members
shared. They all found such wonderful things to be thankful for at this time. Creating the video
was an exciting way to highlight the thoughts and feelings of our staff. When the video was
released, it was met with an outpouring of extra gratitude from colleagues and community
members. I felt humbled to brighten people’s days and help them remember the positives even
among the uncertainty of this situation.

When my principal tapped me to help with this “morale committee” I was honored that he
appreciated the work I had done previously and wanted to continue using my skill set to help
others. Meeting with the administrators on this team—assistant principal, dean of students, and
school psychologist—I felt like I also had the bonus of gaining leadership skills. They managed
an effective meeting and we worked clearly and concisely to get done what was needed. In
taking the responsibility to propose our ideas to the principal, I was able to practice those same
skills. I drafted the proposal, provided an artifact that would be given to staff and community
members, and I shared them professionally with him. In turn, when he accepted the proposals
and asked me to draft an email on his behalf to the staff for each event, I was able to practice
thinking and writing like an administrator. I was tasked with speaking clearly and concisely,
providing appropriate details, and offering necessary support.

At this point, all events have been shared with the community. I am thankful to have had this
opportunity to lead and help maintain our supportive and caring school culture, even while we
are all physically distant.
Artifacts:

Link to “Attitude of Gratitude” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wj0qs6U-gM&t=11s