MANY years ago I had a teacher that used the 5 love languages philosophy with her students and it worked like a dream. Her class was OFF THE CHAIN, but once she figured out their love languages they melted at the sound of her voice. The student that gave her the most fits was where she began, but then quickly realized that all students could benefit from this simplistic concept. His love language was acts of service, so each morning he would sharpen all of the students’ pencils and place them on their desks for when they entered the classroom. They would all thank him and it would bring a huge smile to his sweet little face. In the afternoons he would make sure that everyone’s chairs were on their desks so he could sweep the classroom before they left. These small little changes completely changed his confidence, how he treated others, and his overall happiness at school. She quickly started watching other students and figuring out their love languages and tailoring her lessons and routines to the love languages. She would write special notes on their desks for words of affirmations and had special handshakes for her students as well which was a perfect solution for the students' love language was touch. For quality time she would have 30 second one-on-one conferences with students where they could share anything that they wanted with her. Gift giving was an easy one for her. That was her love language, so naturally, she spoiled them with classroom rewards and treats when they achieved their goals.

After I saw the incredible results within her classroom, I started thinking about our staff. Why wouldn’t I do this same activity, or start planning more intentionally, based on their love languages? Why not incorporate all 5? That is how the 5 Love Language staff meeting was developed. Yes, it is easy to tie it to a certain time of year and create a theme for Valentines Day, however these gestures should be something that we consider when we are planning any staff meeting or professional development. It opened my eyes when some teachers would stop into my office to chat…they just really wanted some quality time and guess what? It improved their daily work experience dramatically! That is what we want as strong leaders, right? Educational leadership in 2024 demands that we as leaders create an environment where our people can authentically be themselves so that they are happy and passionate at work. Teaching is hard, and this was a way to really build meaningful connections with my staff. They LOVED it and I continued to intentionally incorporate it into my routine planning from that day forward.
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​Remember the more that you get to know your people on a personal level the more effectively you can lead them. This will help build stronger teams, the ability to communicate more effectively, and how to effectively show appreciation to one another. I hope this little nugget of info will aid in supporting your initiative to build strong and cohesive educational teams throughout the year and in planning professional development or for staff celebrations!

Big Love,

​Leigh