Teacher Recognition

Last week my admin team and I selected our very first Teacher of the Month. In my career, it has not always been clear to me how one earns this recognition. Sometimes, the award was given with specific praise or mentions of a teacher's actions that qualify them for this honor. Other times, the admin team chose the recipient, or the school voted on the Teacher of the month.

I appreciate all forms of teacher recognition and honestly believe that any teacher who earned the designation earned it for the exact reasons they hold the award. The only issue that I had coming up in my career was that I was not always sure what those reasons were. Even when it was stated why one earned the award, it differed from month to month. One month, it's because the teacher "worked hard." Other times it was because the Teacher had a high level of parent engagement for the month. The criteria for success was never provided upfront, so I never knew how to earn Teacher of the month. Although I was a hard worker, and I consistently communicated with my parents, I could never get the timing right to earn the recognition.

As a school leader, I aim to recognize teachers a little differently. First, we make it clear every week what the expectations are for our teachers. In our weekly professional development, we make an effort to model the expectation, have the teacher practice the skills and criteria for success, and then monitor for successful implementation throughout the week. At the end of the month, four weeks of consistently high-level performance and demonstration of mastery of the skill leads to one becoming a contender for Teacher of the month. However, in my district, we do not simply recognize a teacher of the month but a core value star of the month. This is an individual who is not only meeting the expectations set, but one who meets those expectations while modeling our district core values of Rise Together, Inspire Innovation, Scholar's first, and Elevate Expectations.

This month our very first core value star was Claire Prioleau. A handful of teachers could have earned this award this month, but Ms. Prioleau has elevated expectations. Her rapid mastery of our key priorities has led to a classroom culture where scholars work independently and meet or exceed her expectations even in this early stage of the school year.?

To earn this award this month, one had to master skills like giving clear directions, creating and teaching efficient routines in the classroom, and expecting and receiving 100% percent when giving directions and engaging in classroom routines. Because of Ms. Prioleau's mastery of these skills, we have also asked Ms. Prioleau to engage in aggressive monitoring in her classroom. AgMo is a skill we do not typically ask a teacher to attempt or master until the third month of school.?

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Ms. Prioleau's performance this month is her intellectual preparation and dedication to honing her craft. I have enjoyed sitting in on two of her team's planning meetings, and her contributions show a level of preparation that we hope to inspire in all of our teachers. At Uplift Williams Primary, these are the ways one can earn a core value star.

We provide clear expectations for our teachers. We post them, put them in our memos, and provide real-time in-the-moment coaching during our walkthroughs. Mastery of these skills is the foundation of the work that we expect teachers to do. After mastery, we wait to see what our teachers can do and how far they can take their skills. Can they encourage their teammates and peers to push themselves further [rise together], can they find unique ways to close the gap for their scholars? [Inspire innovation] Does their work and their actions put the needs of scholars first? [Scholars First] And finally, does their practice elevate the practice of those around them? [Elevate Expecations]

We are proud of the work that all of our teachers have done so far this year, and we make it a point to recognize that work in different ways. Hot Wheels for teachers who are caught meeting or exceeding expectations in specific areas. Regular observation and feedback with specific praise of what the Teacher is doing well or skills they have mastered, and of course, treats and goodies to thank them for all they do. Our Core Value Star is an honor we want to highlight for not just meeting the expectations but taking their work and the work of those around them to another level.?

We hope to continue to work to make that clear to our teachers. We want to give them models that they can emulate. Congratulations, Ms. Prioleau, and thank you for exemplifying all we aim to be at Uplift Williams!