World Changers and Record Breakers (Part 1)

I spend the majority of my time thinking about how to make school memorable for our students and staff. We do things differently and are constantly thinking of ways that we can make our school the best in the world. Yes, I am the principal, but no, you do not have to be the principal to have big ideas. At our school, we are all World Changers and Record Breakers and we claim this title by breaking world records!

There is very little that kids (and adults) like more than being the first group to ever do something. We have made world-record-breaking attempts to increase our attendance, create excitement, and develop a culture in which there isn’t anything we cannot do. Our theory is that if kids can look forward to school they will show up more often, the more kids show up, the more we learn. It makes sense to me. It’s the same reason why I won’t miss a Friday because I know that Friday mornings are specifically designed for celebrating kids!

Our school currently holds 2 world records (Actively working on our 3rd). We may not be in the record books officially because that takes a lot of money, but I assure you that we have broken these records and it didn’t cost us anything.

Our first World Record was the “Most High-Fives in One Minute”. It was the first time we had done something like this so we were all a little nervous about how the students would behave. The local news showed up which the students loved. They thought it was the coolest thing for them to be on TV that night.

We did not really have a plan besides that all of the students would line up with their hands out and I would run as fast as I could to try to high-five all of them. I didn’t consider that the line would be roughly 300 yards and that it was going to be more challenging than expected.

Right before we started I put my hand in the air which is the signal for active listening at our school. I thought there was no way I would get nearly 400 students to hear what I had to say, especially with so much excitement. The opposite happened. It was almost silent! The students were so engaged that they were hanging on my every word.

When it was time to begin the assistant principal yelled, “GO!” and I darted while the students cheered. The kids laughed and jumped with joy while I was running past them. I thought we would have some pull their hands away, or try and trip me to be funny, but not a single kid did that. They all wanted to be a part of something special. When I watched the video of this event not only did the kids smile and cheer, but the adults were clapping and laughing, and although I was out of breath at the end, I maintained a smile from ear to ear for the duration of the run! 

If you find ways to engage kids and assume competence in them, typically, they will rise to the occasion. We were all prepared for the kids to be chaotic during this, and they were when it was appropriate. As far as increasing attendance, after the world record was broken, our attendance went up for the rest of the Month. This was over a year ago and the kids still talk about breaking the high-five record and they ask me frequently what the next record will be. Keep your students excited and keep them guessing about what amazing thing might happen next and you could see a culture shift and engagement like never before.

Challenge:

Think of a few things that you can do that other teachers don’t. Make your class or your school somewhere that is unlike any other. When the kids graduate, give them something to brag about.

Leave your thoughts, big ideas, or personal stories below. Maybe someone can recreate this and form amazing memories for their students!