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Tips for recruiting: Teachers Reading Challenge
We collected some ideas from experts in the field on how to boost staff participation in your Teachers Reading Challenge team! Even if you're not part of a school team, check them out below: they might just get your neurons firing about how to inspire reading in your workplace.
- Whether staff are still buzzing around school or not, there are still opportunities to host a book chat afternoon or coffee. You don't have to call it a book club if this might feel a bit too formal, but perhaps create a chance for people to share about what they're reading and hear recommendations from others direct from the horse's mouth. Meet at a local cafe for extra incentive!
- Pair up staff members, or ask them to pair themselves, to complete a 'buddy read' over the summer. It's great to have the external motivation of someone else reading alongside you, especially if you get stuck!
- Emails, emails, emails - amidst the monotony of student queries and more general staff notices, how fun to have an email that's book-based! It's also a great way to reach everyone in the school and allow them to engage at their level. You could include:
- The Challenge assets from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura for a bit of colour
- A recommendation from you or a staff member for others
- Recent reviews from staff members
- An 'if you like this book, try this book' pick
- Links to the school's Challenge page to showcase those who are racking up points
- Harness the spirit of competition that drives inter-house events and staff and students in many areas of school life: use your school team's page as a springboard for a competition between readers within the school! Who's your school's top reader? Who writes the best reviews? Who reads the most New Zealand books? Run your own mini challenge with small prizes.
- Being able to see what other people are reading, their reviews and recommendations is key to inspiration. If it's too late for a reading display in the library or staffroom, why not send out reviews or recommendations via email, Teams, Slack, or your school's staff communication system?
- In some schools, librarians have really gone above and beyond, selecting books for staff members to read over the summer based on their previous reading habits, or collating 'summer reading bags' that are a great grab-and-go option for busy staff members!
- School leadership are also really important champions for reading - in some schools the Assistant Principal has sent out a weekly reading bulletin over the summer
- Incentivise Challenge participation with a morning tea or icecream celebration at the end of the Challenge - this will definitely cause FOMO for those who aren't on board!
