Team “Maintenance”   AWARDS!

A great debriefing activity after each project. 

Objective: Identifies,Recognizes and appreciates the strengths and qualities of individuals with in the group. 

Time:  15-35 Minutes.

Procedure:

1. At the completion of each project, inform students that they should identify team members that made contributions to the success of the project.

2. Discuss with students what are important qualities or skills that were needed for each particular task.  Have students recognize and compliment those people who helped the group.

3. In small groups, ask students to choose someone that they believe has exceeded expectations.  It can also be someone who possesses a characteristic that helped the team effort by being cooperative, artistic, persistent etc.

4.  Students can design or decorate awards for their team members using their skills/ strengths as the superlatives.  See Suggestions below.

5.  A short, fun ceremony should follow.  This will help to boost the morale of the group, encourage the development of both team and individual leadership qualities, and bring closure to the project.

6. The advisor should participate by joining a group.  Over time this will ensure that each student is recognized.

 AWARD CATEGORY EXAMPLES: Get Creative!

Best idea - Best team member - Best role model for students - Most enthusiastic - Most Organized - Most perspiration -Energizer Bunny Award…etc.

AWARD “PRIZE” EXAMPLES: Get Creative!

• Decorate Lolly pops (Round Sucker POPs  like “Blow POPS, or Tootsie Roll POPS” work best) Use Small Squares of Metallic wrapping paper and ribbon or pipe Cleaner to secure paper.  Create a Tag to attach to the stem of the POP to identify each award.
• Use construction paper, Glitter, markers and other available materials to make awards.  Certificates, paper origami or paper hats, Award ribbon cut outs ,  any other shape.
• Decorate Sugar Cookies with the specific award title and present to the recipients.

  Honor Students monthly for their achievement in one of the 
  five “A+”  Categories

  Attendance, Academics, Athletics, Arts,  and
  Activities/Attitude

Each month, recognize and award students who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in one of the five areas of your schools achievement standards.  Students are awarded with an A+ Tee shirt customized with your school colors and initials or symbol.  Students can be honored at monthly assemblies or once a month during the daily P.A. announcements.  As more and more students are honored and proudly wear their tee shirts more students are encouraged to achieve.  This has worked wonderfully to Motivate and encourage students.  Make sure students are not honored more than once a year so that more people have a chance to be recognized.  During the 4 years of high school each student has an excellent chance of being recognized for their excellence in one of the five areas of achievement.

In additions to honoring birthdays, anniversaries etc.  Here are just a few ideas show your appreciation year round. 

September: Survival Kits (notepads, pencils, red pens, post-its, asprins, gum, etc.).  Make sign names for teacher class rooms.  Make decorated teacher door stops.

October:  Carve pupkins to decorate teachers lounge, Ghost-lollipops using tootsie rool pops, Kleenex and yarn ( Have a boo-tiful weekend! or Thanks for being Spooktacular!)

November:  “Turkey of the Week”  given to staff with a good sense of humor.

December:  Free gift wrapping services for staff, organize photos for teacher’s familiew & pets, personalized ordaments, candy cane reindeers (pipe cleaner antlers, red pom-poms for the nose)

January:  Exam blues reliever, staff buddy program to team build quieter staff, hot chocolate and cider i the teacher’s lounge, tie noe to confetti poppers that read ” Let’s start the year with a bang!”

February:  Hershey kill flowers, Happy Valentine’s day cookies decorated by staff, “Dime-on  d  pin”, Red Hot candies

March:  Hold leuncheon of sup sandwiches ( There is no SUBstitute for you!)

April:  Free car wash for all staff, Decorated boxes filled with candies

May:  Early bird staff breakfast, Package of seeds (”Thanks for helping us grow and learn.”)

June: Book mark the year by taking images and photographs that define the year and make a book mark that is laminated and presented to each teacher along with a thank you note.  Assign a student leader to help teacher clean and pack up their class room.  decorate a bottle of sprkling cider with ribbons and attach a note of “bon-voage” …have a great summer.

 I found the featured book to also be a great source of ideas for easy, low cost, staff appreciation and recognition ideas.