If creating an excellent staff meeting was a recipe, what ingredients would you need? A few weeks ago, I decided to work on answering this question. However, I realized that I couldn’t answer it without first defining why staff meetings are important. Staff meetings are more than a monthly obligation. Staff meetings are opportunities to build relationships, to build and change school culture and to rally our team around common goals. They are also great opportunities for us to share and grow together as professionals. If we can get the recipe for excellent staff meetings, they can be both beneficial and engaging. Here’s my first attempt at the recipe.

Excellent Staff Meeting Recipe #1

  • 7 Cups – Planning
    • What timely information needs to be shared with the team?
    • What are some engaging ways to share this information?
    • What needs to be on the agenda
    • Does this meeting require visuals (video, PowerPoint, handouts, etc.)?
  • 2 Tablespoons – Expectations and Norms
    • With a large group of people, it’s always good to go over the expectations for respect, sharing, and engagement (at least until these become entrenched in the school culture).
  • ½ Cup – Celebration
    • Encourage one another by celebrating successes.
    • Celebration also helps to reenergize our efforts and shows that we are making progress.
  • ½ Cup – Community Building
    • If working as a team is important and staff meetings are the one time each month the entire team is together, why wouldn’t we spend time building our capacity to work better together?
  • 1 Cup – Goal and Vision Alignment
    • Readjusting ourselves to our school-wide goals is necessary. Where are we in relation to our goal? Is what we’re doing getting us closer to our goal? What does our data say?
    • This allows the staff the opportunity to connect policies, programming, as well as teaching and learning to our goals.
  • 2 ½  Cups – Professional Learning
  • ½  Cup – Collaboration
    • Build in time for collaboration and conversation. This can be separate or included in the professional learning.
  • ½   Cup – Positive Attitude
    • Don’t forget as the leader, your attitude is contagious.
  • ¼ Cup – Conducive Environment
    • Seating matters – make sure that the seating is conducive for sharing. It is important to me that everyone is included and I arrange the seats so no one is sitting outside the group.
    • Music makes a difference. I try to play upbeat music before we begin and during transitions (if I can).
    • Songs from my staff meeting playlist:
      • “Let’s Groove” – Earth, Wind & Fire
      • “Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey
      • “Celebration” – Kool & the Gang
      • “Let it Whip” – Dazz Band
      • “I Can’t Go for That” – Daryl Hall
      • “Before I Let Go” – Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
      • “P.Y.T.” – Michael Jackson