Leading Brisbane-based educator, Steve Francis, implemented the strategy to boost staff morale in schools and start to reinstate the status of teaching. Francis has encouraged school principals to personally recognise their staff using a strategy he used as a principal.
“I’m encouraging principals to send a personal, handwritten note through the post to each of their teachers, at their home. The prevalence of email has led to us rarely receiving anything but bills through the post,” Francis said.
“Receiving a hand written message, at home, shows that the principal has gone to an effort to appreciate their staff. This has an even greater impact than simply receiving the postcard in their pigeon hole at school.”
Francis added one of the factors contributing to a shortage of quality teachers in Australia is that teaching is demanding.
“Engaging, managing and motivating today’s students requires high levels of skill, energy and intellect,” he said.
“As a result of growing up in a digital age, many of today’s students have shorter attention spans, expect all the ‘bells and whistles’ of a television program or video game and demand immediate, personalised attention. That’s not easy.”
Francis said that intelligent, passionate and energetic teachers are needed for Australia’s prosperity.
“It’s vital that we attract our brightest to want to become teachers,” he said.
“It would be great to encourage parents to also write a note of appreciation to their child’s teachers. It is essential that families and schools work together, in partnership for the benefit of students.”
Through his Happy School program Francis started the postcard initiative in 2012 with 9550 teachers across Australia receiving handwritten postcards from their principal. The response has grown each year.
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