The power of walking/talking meetings- a thread:
This year, partly due to Covid, I moved induction meetings with new staff out of the office & made them ‘walking/talking’ meetings. We meet at the scheduled time & walk the whole site while we chat about how things are going. (1)

During the walks, staff see the culture in action- it can be a powerful reminder of “the way we do things here”. For an art teacher to see the academy entry/exit routines enforced in maths supports them to do the same. (2)

These meetings provide an opportunity for me to model the expected behaviours of adults. New staff can see/hear how I greet/challenge pupils & see the expected response from pupils. Consistency of language is important to us. (3)

The informal nature of the meeting means staff are more relaxed & honest when discussing what has/has not gone so well. It’s been a great opportunity to get to know the person better & understand their motivations & career aspirations. (4)

Our walks support an open door’ culture of the academy- we welcome colleagues into our room (when/where Covid allows).Seeing me walking the school with colleagues normalises “drop ins”. Staff also see how I behave in someone else’s classroom so they understand the protocols. (5)

I’m now inviting all staff to join me, with the intention of having a walking/talking hour with every member of staff in the academy before Feb half term. Last thought- if you don’t like this & you’re really cross please just keep it to yourself as it’s been a long week! (6)