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5.4.3 Advantages of Hallmarks
Now, another issue is hallmarks. This may sound silly but I promise you that schools with hallmarks do better than schools without hallmarks. Let me tell you about one of my favorite elementary schools. (Link: More information on DOD schools) It is a school that is a Department of Defense dependent school in Berlin. It may not be the same now as it was when I was there but the thing that was really neat about this school was Tarri. Tarri was a black panther, a stuffed black panther, that occupied a huge pedestal in the foyer of the school. This black panther was draped over this and kids would go by and pat him on the head. The kids really enjoyed Tarri and virtually everything in that school was done in the name of Tarri. A memo would come out with Tarri's paw print on it and Tarri would be the source of the memo and you'd find Tarri's paw prints around the school at various times. Tarri did all sorts of interesting things and the kids loved Tarri. Now, did Tarri have anything to do with them learning their times tables? Yes. Because people who are happy and are interested and engaged and motivated learn easier. You see, so hallmarks work. They are part of an effective school environment. I'll bet there are lots of adults running around today that if you said "do you remember Tarri?' they would get a smile on their face. Why? Because they will remember that Tarri was an important part of their years at this elementary school in Berlin. Tarri made it something special. And so hallmarks make things special. This is what major sports mascots are all about. In these days this gets carried to such an absurd extent that sometimes it gets ridiculous. Like for example, in the sports business the colors that you choose and the logos that you have, have a huge impact on the sale of your image related merchandise. Do you know which two teams are the champions in terms of sports merchandise? One is predictable, the Chicago Bulls. They sell more garbage than anyone in terms of things with the logo of the Chicago Bulls on it. The second one is very unexpected. The second most successful merchandiser in terms of sports logos and merchandise is the San Jose Sharks. The San Jose Sharks! They sell more than the Dallas Cowboys. Do you see what I mean? Now around here the San Jose sharks are pretty invisible but I promise you that there are places in the country where the San Jose Sharks are very popular and their merchandise is actually more popular than the team. Because people just like it. You see, the kinds of things about Hallmarks make a difference. A huge difference! And the same is true in schools.
Now, another issue, the final issue that we will deal with in terms of principals is fairness. Fairness is a big deal. And more important than fairness is the image of fairness. If you think someone is trying to be fair you cut them a lot of slack. If you think they're not trying to be fair even when they make the right decision it doesn't feel right. And parents know this all the time.
I mean if your kids think you're trying to be fair ... My oldest son always had the image of being the angel. My second son always had the image of the kid in trouble. Now even though he got dumped on by us many more often times than his share, which he has freely pointed out to us since that time, somehow he knew we were trying. He admired his older brother for being able to get away with so much even though he hated the fact that he always got nailed. But Doug always had the image of being the angel and Denny always had the image of being the trouble maker. And even though we were trying fairness it didn't work so well. But we got away with it better, why? Because the kids thought we were trying to be fair. You see, that goes a long, long way.
With principals you have the image of really working on fairness. Even if they don't succeed, they will be well accepted by their teachers and by the community. But if teachers think that the justice is capricious, no way. See if you have the image that I'm trying to be fair even though you are victimized by some electronic genies now and then or whatever, you'll cut me some slack, right? And you'll cut Simon some slack if you think we're trying to be fair. It makes a huge difference. So when it comes your turn to be teachers please project that image of fairness. It makes a lot of difference.
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Why are hallmarks such an effective part of the school environment? | |
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Mrs. Voyer is
an assistant principal at Kennedy High School. She sees students
everyday that are written up for one reason or another involving
behavior or cutting class, etc. She sees when she walks into the
office that two students are there waiting to see her. The first
one that comes into her office has been written up so many times
that he is only one more step away from failing because of suspensions
causing him to be absent. The other student is a quiet girl that
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