Recognition: It isn’t just an Award Ceremony Thing

By:  Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team

If you’re like most teachers you can’t believe that we’re already underway with the second half of the year.  Before you know it, the end of the year will be creeping up and many of you will be planning end of the year recognition ceremonies and events.

While these events are great, we need to take time out to recognize those that help our organization throughout the year.  Parents, administrators, faculty, staff, and members all play a vital role in the success of the organization and should be recognized more than just once.  Here are a few ideas for recognizing individuals throughout the year:

1     Piggy-back on important holidays to show appreciation to staff, faculty, and administration by offering goodie bags put together by your members.  Or even, go simpler and celebrate the first day back from a snow-day with hot chocolate mixes and a note that says “FCCLA hopes you stay warm today!  Thanks for always being there for your students”

2    Writing a thank-you note to the parents who help your students is always valuable but what about writing a thank you note to their boss?  Consider writing a note thanking their employer for allowing them to take time off and to help with FCCLA activities.  Be sure to let them know what FCCLA does and how that individual makes the organization possible with their contributions.  Chances are your parent will not only be recognized but will appreciate the extra mile you went in recognizing them.

3     All across America, seniors will be graduating soon and the yearbook of another year will be ending.  One of those common rites of passage is the voting of “Most Likely To.”  Now while these awards are often for fun, they still have a way to recognize many different individuals with different talents and futures.  We all know what every member is valuable so why not make them feel that way.  Have some fun awards for your members as well.  Examples could include, “Best Packer,” “Most Energetic,” “Most Likely to Return as an Excellent Member,” or “Best Professional Dress.”  Keep it light and fun but include EVERY member.

Hopefully, you've gotten a few more ideas on how you can recognize these vital components of your chapters.  Best wishes and don't wait too long - we will be ushering in summer vacation in the blink of an eye.