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12 Ways to Motivate Staff
March 29, 2012
One's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
In her Exchange article in the Exchange Essential "How to Motivate Staff," here are some quick ideas Sue Baldwin offers for motivating staff...
  1. Write the staff person a personal note catching them in the act of doing something positive.
     
  2. Highlight a “Staff of the Month” on the bulletin board.
     
  3. Give a dollar amount that can be spent for new equipment for their rooms.
     
  4. Offer an unscheduled break after a difficult situation within their classroom.
     
  5. Close the program to have a staff retreat at a local motel or bed and breakfast.
     
  6. Chocolate!
     
  7. Close the program during low attendance (before Labor Day or during the holiday season) so staff can redesign their classroom.
     
  8. Solicit positive comments from parents and pass them on to the teachers.
     
  9. Send staff to conferences and have a staff meeting following it to report on new ideas that can be incorporated into the program.
     
  10. Develop a mentorship program for new and experienced staff.
     
  11. During Week of The Young Child have a “staff appreciation” day.
     
  12. Celebrate holidays outside the program with a potluck evening activity, which could also include different self-care activities.
     





The July 2012 issue of Exchange will be our "Idea Issue." We will be exploring how ideas are generated as well as sharing creative ideas in a wide range of areas. We invite you to help us build this issue by sharing an idea (100 words or less) in our Ideas Issue Survey #1 that you have employed to motivate staff. You will receive credit when your idea is used in print or online.

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Comments (1)

Displaying 1 Comment
Ariel · March 29, 2012
Asheville, NC, United States


Most of these are great ideas, but we have to stop using food as a "reward" or "treat"-chocolate isn't helping teachers be better, and we should be modeling for our teachers what we want them to model for the children. We would never give a child a piece of chocolate and say "good job" and we shouldn't for teachers either. Worksite wellness and personal wellness must become a priority for early care and education.



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