What great schools do differently (or at least my school!)
For the last year or two I've really wanted to get started on a book about my school. If you take a look at our website, there is nothing that screams awesome about what we do. It's a different outcome if you come to our school for a tour and take the time to sit down with our students. We feel we're doing education the way it should be. To start heading down the rabbit hole of creating a book, I plan to intersperse the little things we're doing at our school that set us apart. These will not be in any order whatsoever...enter the rabbit hole with me.
Chamber of Commerce- When I first started at Elkhorn Crossing, we were told that we would all be serving on a committee for the Chamber of Commerce. There wasn't much grey area. I had no idea what the Chamber of Commerce was, or why once a month I may be giving up an hour of class time to serve on some committee that had nothing to do with my school. Our veteran teachers scoffed at the idea, but our principal had his reasons.
Though I didn't believe him at the time, my connections with the Chamber of Commerce have played a key role in our school's success. It does not matter what the agenda is for our Chamber meetings, at some point in the meeting our conversation will turn to what is going on at my school. I never bring it up, but it comes up every time. These people are the leaders of my community, and they have the connections to make things happen. They have been a great help with grading student presentations, advertising our film festival and some have just been a great sounding board for someone who is establishing themselves in the community.
There is no doubt that being at a monthly meeting when school is in session can be a pain. Someone has to watch your class, sub plans need to be made, and on those days when you're attending a Chamber luncheon, your day is shot. However, the connections you make will not only help your school but will also open doors for you personally that may had seemed impossible to breach before. If you're looking for community folks to be your cheerleaders, start with helping to serve your community via your local Chamber of Commerce.
Here's a link to the Georgetown Chamber site http://www.gtown.org
Chamber of Commerce- When I first started at Elkhorn Crossing, we were told that we would all be serving on a committee for the Chamber of Commerce. There wasn't much grey area. I had no idea what the Chamber of Commerce was, or why once a month I may be giving up an hour of class time to serve on some committee that had nothing to do with my school. Our veteran teachers scoffed at the idea, but our principal had his reasons.
Though I didn't believe him at the time, my connections with the Chamber of Commerce have played a key role in our school's success. It does not matter what the agenda is for our Chamber meetings, at some point in the meeting our conversation will turn to what is going on at my school. I never bring it up, but it comes up every time. These people are the leaders of my community, and they have the connections to make things happen. They have been a great help with grading student presentations, advertising our film festival and some have just been a great sounding board for someone who is establishing themselves in the community.
There is no doubt that being at a monthly meeting when school is in session can be a pain. Someone has to watch your class, sub plans need to be made, and on those days when you're attending a Chamber luncheon, your day is shot. However, the connections you make will not only help your school but will also open doors for you personally that may had seemed impossible to breach before. If you're looking for community folks to be your cheerleaders, start with helping to serve your community via your local Chamber of Commerce.
Here's a link to the Georgetown Chamber site http://www.gtown.org
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