Fun Fact Frenzy
A quick, no-prep staff meeting icebreaker where staff write surprising facts about themselves and the group guesses whose it whose.
2 min
Establish Your Team Values
A collaborative staff activity that gets everyone on the same page from day one.
Alissa Christensen
Shared values give a team a common language. This collaborative activity helps your staff define what matters most, together, so everyone starts the year pointed in the same direction.
Why try it
When a team shares the same values, everything gets a little easier. Decisions, conflicts, conversations, and culture all have a common reference point. This activity gives your staff a voice in shaping what your school stands for, which builds ownership and investment in the work ahead.
It's also a strong team-building move. Getting people talking early in the year, across grade levels and departments, creates the kind of connection that holds a school together when things get hard.
What's included
Browse the printables included with this resource.
Things you'll need
Sticky notes or printed response cards
Markers or pens
Large poster board or butcher paper
Printed team value examples for reference
Instructions
1
Set the stage
Kick off this activity at the start of a beginning-of-year staff meeting. Share the value examples and have staff talk about which ones are important to them this year. They can do this at their tables or on their own. Encourage them to think about questions such as:
- What makes a team successful?
- What behaviors do we want to see from one another?
- What kind of environment do we want to create for staff and students?
- What values will help us achieve our goals this year?
2
Brainstorm top values
Hand out the response card printables included in this resource and ask each staff member to use the examples as inspiration and fill out what they think their team's top values should be. They can do this in small groups at their tables or on their own.
3
Sort and cluster
Collect the response cards and share them back with the group. Look for emerging themes and patterns. What words or ideas are showing up again and again?
4
Discuss and refine
Talk through the themes together and narrow the list down to 3–5 values that feel true to the group as a whole. It's okay to combine or reword until something clicks.
5
Make it official
Once the final values are decided, use the included bulletin board printable to display them somewhere visible, like the office or staff lounge. You can also take a photo to reference and share throughout the year.
Activity variations
Adapt to fit your school's vibe, budget, and setting.
Small team version
Having each grade-level team or department identify their own values is a great way to set the tone for how they'll work together. Run a shorter version of this activity during a team meeting or PLC and let each group land on 2–3 values that feel specific to them.
Classroom extension
Invite teachers to run a version of this activity with their students. Schools where both staff and students have shared values tend to feel more cohesive at every level.
Go deeper
Additional tips for running this resource.
Leader Tip #1
Name the themes out loud
As you sort sticky notes, narrate what you're seeing. "I'm noticing a lot of words around trust and safety" helps people feel heard even before the final list is set.
Leader Tip #2
Keep the list short
Three to five values is enough. A list of twelve is a list nobody remembers.
Leader Tip #3
Leave room for quiet voices
Not everyone shares easily in a group. The individual brainstorm step matters. Honor what comes in on paper, not just what gets said aloud.
Leader Tip #4
Keep them visible all year
Bring the values back at each staff meeting as a reminder of what your team decided together. A quick reference at the start of a meeting goes a long way toward keeping them alive beyond August.
Built by Educators, for School Leaders
This resource was created in collaboration with passionate educators and school leaders who believe in the power of intentional connection.
Alissa Christensen
Head of Customer Success
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