Assistant Principal Sheila Dunham and English department teacher Sharon Barnes socialize at the first breakfast social on April 1. The breakfast social, which will now be held on the first Friday of each month, is set to create stronger inter-faculty bonds. “We want to foster the feeling of family so that we can love and support each other so that we are stronger to make a difference in our students’ lives,” Media Specialist Lindy Weaver said. Photo by Julie Alpaugh.
By SOPHIE FERNANDES – Print Photography Editor
On April 1 at 7:45 a.m., Clarke Central High School’s Media Specialists and English department teachers will be hosting a breakfast social for the CCHS staff. Going forward, each department will organize a breakfast for the school’s faculty on the first Friday of every month.
As a means to create relationships between Clarke Central High School’s faculty, the English department teachers and Media Specialists will be providing a breakfast on April 1 at 7:45 a.m. for the CCHS staff in Room 242–the professional learning classroom.
English department co-chair, David Ragsdale was the impetus for this newly formed initiative. Ragsdale acted on his idea by talking to the other department chairs, and then sending out an email to faculty to spread the word.
English teacher Lara Guidry expects this proposal will fix the lack of communication between the overall staff, and will improve their work environment.
“The goal of this breakfast is to encourage communication among faculty at Central. We have a very cohesive English department, but with years of construction and a busy schedule, we do not see each other as much as in the past,” Guidry said. “Teachers in different departments who were once friends have lost connection with each other, and many teachers are new and may not even know all the other teachers.”
Media Specialist Lindy Weaver appreciated this sentiment because she has recently felt more isolated at CCHS.
“The idiom ‘no man is an island’ is true. We must interact and engage with each other to foster a better learning experience for our students. I know that if I didn’t have my colleagues to rely on, I couldn’t make it everyday,” Weaver said.
Guidry shares a similar viewpoint to that of Weaver about how much having friends at work alters the work experience in a positive way.
“I have many great friends at this school, and every year I get to know more and more people. Teaching is a difficult job, very stressful, and knowing you have other adults who want to see you succeed helps greatly. Teachers who have friends in their own content area as well as across departments are more willing to take risks and try out new ideas,” Guidry said. “They also have multiple places to go when they encounter problems or need advice. Feeling validated and supported is a strong indicator of whether or not a teacher will stay at a school, and teacher retention is directly tied to school spirit and student success.”
