Although the rewards in her school district often come with a humorous twist, there is always an underlying serious message. Take the Golden Plunger Award in which a toilet plunger was spray painted gold and given ceremoniously to a staff member. To reward the risk-taking staff member for plunging into an assignment. Or the Juan Valdez Award, given to a thoughtful staff member who routinely made coffee for others in the office. Or the Bungee Cord Award which was given to a teacher who agreed to be videotaped while teaching so others could learn from her.
Leaders nourish the dream by keeping each person fully aware of an organization's purpose and goals.
Individuals also need to know that, without a doubt, their efforts contribute meaningfully to the purpose and goals. Although researchers have verified the value of celebration in schools, many educators remain reluctant to embrace the ceremonies and awards. It's fair to say that the initial reaction was very cool. The first people probably took the plaques and stuck them in a drawer. By and large, there were people who felt it was okay to give general, generic praise to the faculty.