| Never under estimate the power of staff meetings! Schools across Montana have settled into the school year and the winter months seem to be dragging on with no end in sight. Fatigue is often inevitable and educational leaders search for ways to keep morale high. Staff meetings, though dreaded by some, can be an effective tool in an educational leader’s toolbox for addressing safety issues and concerns. Staff meetings are an important time to cover a variety of topics related to the day to day operation of a school. Time is of the essence and staff expects the meeting to be focused and productive.
Each person within the school community understands the importance of testing and the push in the upcoming months to make adequate yearly progress on the standardized test. However, now may be a good time to take a break from the discussion of AYP and standardized tests to visit about work place safety. It may only take about five minutes and the time spent may pay great dividends. Here are some quick talking points or ideas:
- Identifying areas of potential hazards
- Responsibility of each staff member in providing a safe work environment
- List of safety measures staff can practice to avoid work place injuries
- Communicate with the District Safety Committee about potential hazards
- Access the MSGIA website at a staff meeting and quickly review some of the training tools available
Staff meetings can turn quickly if there has been injury/accident/incident that could have been prevented. It is human nature to play the proverbial “blame game”. This can be avoided with discussion at staff meetings about the importance of work place safety and the role everyone plays in making schools a safe place.  |