Being visible promotes good communication. Positive, pro-active communication can
be a very enjoyable part of your school day, and it pays enormous dividends.
- Get to know the names of all staff members and students as soon as possible.
- Walk the halls before school in the morning; stop in classrooms to chat with staff.
- Allow time for casual, informal encounters with staff members throughout the day.
- Schedule times every day when you are in the hallways, schoolyard, cafeteria, etc.
- Meet the school buses as they arrive, and greet the students.
- Chat with parents as they drop students off in the morning or pick them up at night.
- Visit the gym, library, school foyer whenever possible during the day; talk with
students.
- Go outside frequently during recesses and the lunch hour.
- Put yourself on the duty schedule; bus duty or early morning hall duty can work well.
- Be highly visible. The more you are “out and about,” the more opportunities there are for positive, face-to-face communication. (If you’re out of sight, you’ll be out of touch.)
A Final Word: Be sure when you are “out and about” in the school that you spend time in classrooms informally observing students and teachers at work.