Slogan-ing (08-13-07)

Consider the following phrases: “Think Outside the Bun”, “Always low prices. Always”, “Like a good neighbor”, and “Is it in you?”

What come to mind? If you thought tacos, discount stores, insurance, and sports drinks, then those slogans have done their work.

As we approach the beginning of another school year (can you believe school starts THIS Thursday? Crikey!), I have given some thought to what slogans I would like to use.

When I first began in education, the big thing was to create “Mission Statements.” This statement was dutifully typed up in the school profile, improvement plan, curriculum guide, and even put on posters and hung in classrooms. We were proud of our mission and wanted everyone to see it as much as possible.

Yet, for me, it never stuck. I worked at Wheatland High School for six years, and while I helped write the official mission statement, I now haven’t the faintest idea as to what it might have been.

However, during my first year the district decided to buy all the teachers shirts. On each Columbia blue polo was embroidered the words, “Develop to the Max.”

This slogan was based on the district mission statement, and now that I write, I do remember the Wheatland mission having something to do with us wanting to develop students to their maximum potential. And during my time there, I would ask myself, am I doing all I can to help these kids “develop to the max”?

That’s the power of slogans. They get inside you, they burrow into your psyche, and they help focus our efforts.

At Pleasantview Academy, the charter school where I last worked, I came up with the slogan, “Ready, Willing, and A.B.L.E.” – an acronym for “A Better Learning Experience.” The students who found their way to Pleasantview were, for one reason or another, dissatisfied with the traditional educational experience, and I wanted to promote our school as being a better alternative.

Last August, at HCHS, I almost unconsciously came up with a slogan just seconds before I spoke to the students for the first time. I knew I wanted to use the League Sportsmanship award they had won the previous year (which, incidentally, HCHS also won last year…GO RINGNECKS!) to motivate the students to exhibit positive behavior in ALL aspects of their lives. I wanted to tell them that they should be proud of their award, but they still had to back up the achievement with continued good behavior. They could “Be Proud” but they still had to “Act Proud” and thus the slogan “Be Proud, Act Proud” was born.

Now this year, I have decided on two slogans, one for each school. For the elementary, I plan to use the catch phrase that the teachers came up with for their interdisciplinary unit on geography. This phrase now sits proudly next to a large map in the main hall. “Oh the place we will go…” will be our slogan for this year because it makes the positive presupposition that yes, indeed, we (everyone in the school) WILL all be traveling to wonderful places where we will learn and grow together. I think this phrase will make a good slogan because it leads to many wonderful questions, such as: Are we heading to the right place? Is everyone on board? Where can we go today? And if a student should get into trouble, I can ask, “Is this really where YOU want to go?” The slogan reminds us that education is a journey, not a destination and it invokes all the wonders of the imagination.

At the middle school, I have come up with a simpler slogan: “school Is cool.” This works as both a slogan and an insightful graphic. “school I scool” with the “I” capitalized, I hope will remind everyone that “I am part of my school. I am surrounded by school, and “I” am at the center of school.”

As a slogan, I hope it reminds us that school can be a fun, and inviting place. Also, I hope it reminds both staff and students alike that school is only cool when we keep our cool, when cooler heads prevail, and when we all take a moment to stop, take a deep breath, and cool off before doing or saying things which might hurt others.

I realize, of course, that any slogan (and they all basically preach a similar positive message) is only as good as the product it sells. I am looking forward to creating a climate where cool is the rule while we travel to the amazing places of a meaningful education.