Promoting a Culture of Inclusivity: A Story of Recognizing Student Achievement

Rewarding everyone in honour of a student or a group of students is a great culture building strategy. And it all started in myself contained special ed class when my principal came on the loudspeaker and she said, please excuse the following students from the National Honour Society breakfast. And in perfect unison, my kids are like, dork, geek, nerd. Of course, what they were really saying is, we wish we could go too, but because we can’t, let’s make fun of the ones who are. And my paraprofessional looks up at me and she goes, you know, they should just have a breakfast for the entire school in honour of the National Honour Society kids. All our kids want a stinking bagel or a donut to get them from being mean to being nice. Put the honour society kids at a head table, but let our kids come in and say, hello, good to meet you, congratulations. And if you wanna give the winners something extra, do it privately when nobody’s around. Here’s a this, here’s a that. Take it home to your mom, take it home to your grandma. They’re gonna be really proud of you, but we’re not rubbing your success in other people’s faces.