Things I Learned on a Cruise Ship

About a week ago, hubby and I did a short cruise out of Charleston, SC to Freeport and Nassau (Bahamas). If you want to read more about my cruise, you can check them out here. My cruise pictures can be found here. I noticed that a lot of things on a cruise can apply to education too. Here are some things that I learned. They are not listed in any kind of importance but just as they came to mind.

1. People want to get the most bang for their buck. Parents hope that their children get the best education they can for the taxes that they pay.

2. Customer service can make or break and experience. If the education system does not produce positive results, they are giving poor customer service. Included in good customer service should include parent communication as well as meeting the students’ needs.

3. People of different beliefs, customs, cultures, and nationalities can work together successfully. Whether colleagues are extremely different or students are extremely different, all can work towards a common goal.

4. Organization is important or chaos will prevail. It is important that organization exists so that classroom time is not wasted.

5. Evacuation drills are important. Fire drills and tornado drills are important for safety. Other possible drills might help too such as “A Day with a Substitute.”

6. Sometimes the leadership has to make tough decisions and not all employees are happy. Like the captain of a ship, he needs to make decisions that affect the most people in a positive way. Sometimes a principal has to make the same kind of decisions.

7. Everyone in the work place has a specific job to do and if each person does it to the best of their ability, things run a lot smoother. Sometimes teachers need to spend less time whining about what other people are not doing and make sure they are doing what they need to do.

8. Little courtesies are truly appreciated. Being nice to everyone including the janitors, lunch room staff, and office personnel goes a long way when you need help. Being nice to parents goes a long way too! Even students will notice (but not say anything) if you show them respect.

9. Staff and crew like being appreciated too. It is nice when parents tell you how much they appreciate what you do.

10. Manners are important no matter where you are! As a role model, you never know who may be watching and imitating your actions.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).