Storytelling to Benefit Your School

Storytelling is one of the most important ways you can communicate your school's accomplishments with the outside world. Want people to hear about the fantastic things your teachers are doing and the amazing ways your students are learning? If you don't share these things, who will? Never assume word gets out about the positives occurring inside your school walls. This is especially important as you try to attract more students to attend your schools. So let's consider a few things:

Who are your storytellers? You may think this role is relegated to just leadership or your district's communications officer (if you have one). Nope! Storytellers are every employee you have on staff. Every time a teacher, a custodian, an administrative assistant or a principal comes into contact with a parent or community member is an opportunity for a positive experience and an enduring story. Those events, those conversations, those times where your staff went above and beyond will be remembered and possibly shared with others. They could even make their way to reporters.

But wait--there's more! Storytellers are also be your students. Your students go home and share with their caregivers things they did at school on any given day, right? Any of those stories have the ability to make a positive (or even a negative) impact. Don't ever forget the power your everyday actions and words have on people's opinion of your school. Ears and eyes are always listening and watching!

What programs, awards, successes should you highlight? Any and all of them! Ask yourself the questions: What do we want our school to be known for? In what areas do we excel? Those are the things you want to promote. If your school has won all sorts of STEM awards, for example, you should be touting that on your website, on your social media accounts, with the media and to whomever else will listen. If a new family is moving into town and looking for a school with just such a program, you want them to know about it.

If you are a leader, how do you ensure the smaller stories you may not be aware of are being spotlighted? Make sure you know all staff are welcome to share their success stories. If you are an administrator, there's no way you can be in each classroom or in every building at the same time. So if it's most efficient for everyone, set up a simple form using Google to allow staff to submit their stories. If you're a teacher, pay attention to your colleagues and their achievements; they may not be comfortable tooting their own horn.

Do you incorporate "Show & Tell"? We all remember Show & Tell when we were in grade school, but are we doing this for our schools as adults? If not, it's never too late to start! Invite your legislators, reporters, business leaders and any other supporters into your buildings for tours to witness first-hand some of the big projects, important curriculum and other aspects of your school culture you want them to see. These visits can create relationships that have an impact on your school community for years down the road.

The point is simply this: there is so much goodness happening in our public schools, most of which never gets told. And if you aren't the one to share your wins with those outside your school buildings, they may never be known.