More information about the School Ambassador Training program
Build your school brand with stories
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"Tell me a fact and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."
- Indian Proverb Think back over your years of sitting in classrooms. What are the moments that you most remember? The odds are that your memorable moments have to do with stories - not theories or definitions or dates, but an unfolding narrative, complete with suspense, drama, or humor, or perhaps a personal anecdote shared by a favorite teacher. Of course, a classroom narrative may be linked to a major discovery, study, or figure in psychology, but it is not always the importance of the discovery alone that allows it to stay fresh over the years. Rather, the means of presenting the information can make it exciting and unforgettable. The power of stories has been recognized for centuries, and even today, in Hollywood and beyond, storytelling is a multi-million dollar business. Stories are a natural mode of thinking; before our formal education begins, we are already learning from Aesop's fables, fairy tales, or family history. Indeed, some researchers have even claimed that all knowledge comes in the form of stories |
Ensure that it is your voice telling your story - don't trust anyone else to tell your story for you!
Create and share stories ...
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Collegial teachers support each other
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What staff can do to spread the good news
and support each other · Demonstrate loyalty and pride · Celebrate · Know your strengths · Stop feeding the beast · Be knowledgeable about your profession · Strengthen your communication skills |
Step up and be the Champion your school needs
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Use Champions to lead the good news stories and get your educational community excited.
Equip staff with skills and motivation to be the ambassadors that every school needs to link with its wider community. Assist networked parents to be advocates to spread accurate information and passionfor what is happening in your classrooms. |
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School ambassadors connect with parents
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Great teachers keep parents involved and informed. The best education outcomes for any child are achieved when both the teacher and the parents work in partnership with each other.
Build personal relationships and provide the type of information parents really care about. Parents value clear information and respectful relationships with their child's teacher. |
School ambassadors brand themselves
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Brand yourself as a caring, competent and confident teacher
Statement of Positive Intent Every encounter you have with a group of students or with a parent will have an outcome that you can determine beforehand. Imagine a lesson where each student finished the class with the concept or knowledge that you wanted to impart. Imagine a meeting with parents where the parents left with a positive and accurate view of what you wanted from the meeting. By determining a Statement of Positive Intent before you meet with anyone in a meeting situation can influence the way you impart knowledge and the body language you use to deliver the message. By developing Statements of Positive Intent before classes or meetings you greatly enhance the chances of a positive outcome. |
