The Morning School Announcement

Cross posted at drjansblog.com

Somewhere along the line in my practice of school administration, I learned that morning announcements can have a significant impact on the climate of the school.  It is my own little fireside chat with my entire school population.  And, since I have always aspired to radio disc jockey status, I have firmly grasped the microphone at every school I have led and risen to the challenge of entertaining, enlightening and starting the day off with a cheerleader's enthusiasm for the start of another exciting school day.

At my second principalship in the 1990's, I discovered a Deagan xylophone in the school vault.  I dusted if off and began to make it a ritual part of every morning announcement.  Some may remember the NBC chimes or even Rydell's principal:

Download chimes.wav

I can honestly say that there have been many incarnations of my announcements.  At one of my middle schools, I even read a chapter a day from some of my favorite adolescent literature books (Number the Stars, Hatchet, etc.) and created quite a bit of enthusiasm for books.  I have given intense monologues about events of the day like when Magic Johnson announced he had HIV (in the 90's) and admonished the children to be careful because if Magic could get it then anyone could. 

In April of 1995 when Oklahoma City's bombing disaster occurred, I provided updates and reassured my thousand high school students; I repeated that same role when 911 terrified the nation and I was there once again to advise another high school that we would be okay and perservere through this attack.

I have used morning announcements to let the children get to know me at my elementary school.  I learned a little Spanish to reassure my 89% ESL school that I cared about what they cared about and gamely have given part of the lunch description for the day by describing in Spanish "that good, cold creamy milk the product of satisfied cows" (a phrase I had developed for my high school students years ago and which they regale me with when I see them all these years later).

And sometimes I use morning announcements to discuss attributes I want my students to learn about-- like courage and honesty and anything that comes to the forefront of our practice.  Many times I use the annoucements to lay down a challenge... when 100% of the fourth graders this year passed the state exams I was forced to go to the hands on science museum for an overnight stay (and pay for it) with my thrilled fourth graders who had taken my earlier spring challenge quite seriously about the wonder they would experience if they all passed. 

Morning annoucements allow me to set the agenda for the day.  And, when I am feeling under the weather or particularly angsted about something, the kids know... and there's lots of tiptoeing on egg shells on those days.  Annoucements allow me the opportunity to set the stage for a further discussion the teachers will then have with their students after the conclusion of annoucements.

And, morning annoucements serve the purpose of beginning the day with a familiar routine that means... school starts now.  And, that, my friends, is a powerful tool.

Cross posted at drjansblog.com

Somewhere along the line in my practice of school administration, I learned that morning announcements can have a significant impact on the climate of the school.  It is my own little fireside chat with my entire school population.  And, since I have always aspired to radio disc jockey status, I have firmly grasped the microphone at every school I have led and risen to the challenge of entertaining, enlightening and starting the day off with a cheerleader's enthusiasm for the start of another exciting school day.

At my second principalship in the 1990's, I discovered a Deagan xylophone in the school vault.  I dusted if off and began to make it a ritual part of every morning announcement.  Some may remember the NBC chimes or even Rydell's principal:

Download chimes.wav

I can honestly say that there have been many incarnations of my announcements.  At one of my middle schools, I even read a chapter a day from some of my favorite adolescent literature books (Number the Stars, Hatchet, etc.) and created quite a bit of enthusiasm for books.  I have given intense monologues about events of the day like when Magic Johnson announced he had HIV (in the 90's) and admonished the children to be careful because if Magic could get it then anyone could. 

In April of 1995 when Oklahoma City's bombing disaster occurred, I provided updates and reassured my thousand high school students; I repeated that same role when 911 terrified the nation and I was there once again to advise another high school that we would be okay and perservere through this attack.

I have used morning announcements to let the children get to know me at my elementary school.  I learned a little Spanish to reassure my 89% ESL school that I cared about what they cared about and gamely have given part of the lunch description for the day by describing in Spanish "that good, cold creamy milk the product of satisfied cows" (a phrase I had developed for my high school students years ago and which they regale me with when I see them all these years later).

And sometimes I use morning announcements to discuss attributes I want my students to learn about-- like courage and honesty and anything that comes to the forefront of our practice.  Many times I use the annoucements to lay down a challenge... when 100% of the fourth graders this year passed the state exams I was forced to go to the hands on science museum for an overnight stay (and pay for it) with my thrilled fourth graders who had taken my earlier spring challenge quite seriously about the wonder they would experience if they all passed. 

Morning annoucements allow me to set the agenda for the day.  And, when I am feeling under the weather or particularly angsted about something, the kids know... and there's lots of tiptoeing on egg shells on those days.  Annoucements allow me the opportunity to set the stage for a further discussion the teachers will then have with their students after the conclusion of annoucements.

And, morning annoucements serve the purpose of beginning the day with a familiar routine that means... school starts now.  And, that, my friends, is a powerful tool.

Comments

[Dave]

Some very good points. You gave a a few ideas as I do the morning bulletin as well. I actually have some radio training and maybe need to "dust off" some of my previous skills. Changing the routine gives immediate feedback to see who is listening for sure!

[Non surgical face lift]

Yes,I want my students to learn about-- like courage and honesty and anything that comes to the forefront of our practice.

[Ben Wildeboer]

Can you come give my principal some tips? ;-)

We get dry monotone readings of a paper with 4 to 5 seconds between each individual announcement. It's not exactly a "Yes! We're glad you're here!" type of start to the morning.