When I was a teacher, I dreaded faculty meetings. Sitting in the lecture hall and listening to information that could have been in an email, I often took matters into my own hands and would grade or write my to-do list instead. Despite completing these tasks, I realized: We can do better.
Fast forward several years, and I’m now the one leading those meetings. As a principal, I carry those memories with me. My goal? To ensure our meetings are never wasted but time well spent.
Faculty meetings are one of the most underutilized tools for job-embedded professional learning, professional development that happens during the school day. As Linda Darling-Hammond, Maria E. Hyler, and Madelyn Gardner explain in their 2017 report, “Effective Teacher Professional Development,” to have effective PD, leaders must create opportunities for learning in context, offered in short bursts throughout the school year.
In this biweekly column, principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.
Rather than seeming like an email on repeat, faculty meetings can be opportunities for innovation and growth, whether they are 30 minutes or a full hour. If you’re lucky, a faculty meeting can harness staff’s collective energy and knowledge to build a stronger, more skilled community.
To make the most of this precious time, I’ve experimented with different approaches. Over the past two years, five strategies have consistently led to more engaged, empowered staff and real growth.
A faculty meeting can foster connection, learning, and innovation. As an overarching guideline, administrators must make the learning relevant to teachers’ practice and connected to the school vision.
Thirty minutes, once a month. That’s all it takes to spark growth with these five tried-and-true strategies:
1. Modeling
The meeting facilitator should model best practices for teachers to implement. For example, if teachers need to incorporate more collaborative structures, the facilitator embeds those structures within the faculty meeting. A faculty meeting is a prime time to showcase collaborative teaching strategies, such as a four corners activity, jigsawing, or a simple turn-and-talk.
Additionally, expert teachers can model strategies for their peers to implement. If there are student behavior challenges, an expert teacher or guidance counselor could model how to de-escalate a student.
During this past year’s faculty meetings, I have used a morning meeting structure to model the responsive approaches my district expects in the classroom. This structure consists of four parts.
First, participants form a circle and warmly greet the group, choosing between a fist bump, high-five, or handshake. Next, we work with a partner and share, which could mean reflecting on a quote connected to our work or sharing a recent picture on our phones. Then, we engage in a group activity—such as a group reading of a short text—to build cohesion and collaboration. Finally, I close with a prepared message to prime our minds for the work ahead. Following this structure allows my teachers to be on the learner side and take back strategies to their own classrooms.
With modeling in place, faculty meetings become hands-on opportunities for staff to experience best practices they can immediately apply with students.
2. Team connection
Dedicate time during faculty meetings for connection. Whether it is through an opening activity, the closing, or the entire meeting, bringing people together is a chance to build community. For any team or school to thrive, there must be strong relationships between all individuals, including teachers.
A scavenger hunt, a friendly gingerbread house competition, karaoke, or another game-like activity is a sure way to bring joy, belonging, and connection to staff.
3. Exploration
Use faculty meetings for continual learning by discussing a relevant and engaging article, podcast, or video clip. When staff members explore new ideas or strategies, they have the opportunity to innovate and improve their practice. Inspire growth and progress by finding meaningful texts to explore with staff.
This past year, I led my staff in a yearlong book study, which offered a sustained way to continue growth and learning. And, yes, this exploration can happen in just 30 minutes a month.
4. Brainstorming
There is a ton of brainpower in any given faculty meeting. Teachers can brainstorm and solve problems or share best practices. For example, in a recent meeting at my school, we generated ways to respond to students experiencing behavior challenges, agreeing upon the practices that would serve them best.
Collaboration allows teachers not only to learn from one another but also to build community.
Whether the focus area is behavior interventions, collaborative strategies, or reading strategies, capitalize on the brainpower and various degrees in the room. Then, curate those ideas and disseminate them to staff so growth can continue beyond those 30 minutes.
5. Sharing learning
The final way to flip the script on faculty meetings is to celebrate the learning process and not just the outcome. Maybe a teacher tried a new strategy or learned something at a conference or workshop.
They can share how the strategy worked and what they learned—even if the learning didn’t go as planned. Creating a community where learning from failures and missteps is the norm can lead staff to take more risks and be more innovative.
Faculty meetings don’t have to inspire dread—they can become spaces of shared purpose, joy, and growth.
Now that I am leading faculty meetings, I refuse to make them strictly about sharing information. These precious 30 minutes together allow for learning, growth, and relationship-building across the board.
During these past two years as principal, I have begun to see shifts and receive positive feedback on these transformative strategies. In classrooms, teachers tinker with the strategies modeled in our faculty meetings. Teachers have also recently shared their appreciation for the time we’ve spent forging connections and belonging during our meetings. These small shifts add up.
So, as you plan your next faculty meeting, ask yourself: How will this time help my teachers grow?
