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Bringing Closure to a Staff Team at the End of the Year
By Tim Johnson,
Director of Housing & Residence Life
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark Campus
It is part of the nature of the work that we do that with the end of each academic year we see students and staff move on whether it be to graduation, other positions on campus, or a new position at a different institution. Although bidding goodbye to the staff team that we have worked to develop over the course of the year may be a difficult experience, it also provides one more opportunity for staff development.
For any staff team the opportunity to bring some sense of closure to the years experience can be very helpful in assisting folks whether they are one of the individuals moving on, or staying for another year. In either experience there may be a sense of loss. I had a teacher once tell me that if it doesn't hurt to leave, it was not worth being there. I think it is natural for us as team leaders to feel that our staff will be sad at the end of the year. It is also valuable for them to understand that change and transition, and yes even saying goodbye is part of all of our lives. In taking the time to reflect on the experience and celebrate it for its high and low moments we aid in this process of understanding.
Bringing closure to a staff team is an essential step in the staff development process, just as much as evaluating a program after it is over.
With those thoughts in mind I would like to share a staff closure exercise that I started using when I was a Resident Director.
END OF YEAR POEM ACTIVITY
Supplies Needed:
- Duo-tang folders (the type that hole-punched papers can be placed in to.) - one for each staff member including yourself.
- Copies of all the poems that you want to put into the book on paper with holes punched in it. Note: using different colored paper for each poem is a nice touch.
- At least one extra blank sheet of paper for each person on the staff for each book. For example if you have ten staff members there should be ten pages of hole punched paper after the poems in each book.
- Staff Picture for each book.
Activity Instructions:
- Using the materials prepare the poem books in advance, you can use a theme for all the poems, add song lyrics, or do pretty much whatever fits you and your staff. I usually would glue or tape a copy of a staff picture on the front of each book and write a staff member's name along with the building name and the year on the front of each book.
- Bring the staff together and allow for probably ninety minutes to two hours to complete the activity.
- Introduce the activity by saying something about the year we had just finished and the relationship we had as a staff. Point out that with some people moving on it is important to have some sense of closure on our staff experience.
- Pass out the poem books.
- Go through the poem book allowing each staff member to read some or all of a poem aloud and if you have included song lyrics you might play the song.
- Ask the staff to pass their book to the person to their right and have that person write a personal note on one of the blank pages in the back of the book. Then have them continue to pass the books until everyone has had the opportunity to write something in everyone's book.
- Allow time for everyone to read his or her own book.
"Closing"
In closing the activity, invite any staff member that wanted to share anything with the group to do so and then end the activity with your own thanks to them as a group.
Ideas for poems and songs that you might use:
The Road
Not Taken by Robert Frost.
Along the Road by Dan Fogelberg.
Pray for Me by Michael W. Smith.
Angel by Sarah McLaughlin.
The Road Goes Ever On by J. R. R. Tolkien.
One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey & Boys 2 Men.
Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Boys 2 Men.
Yesterday by the Beatles