with ninth-year Global Studies led to a Lascaux-like timeline mural of pre-
history and early civilizations displayed outside the history office.
It is common practice to reduce or eliminate arts programs when bud-
gets are reduced or academic requirements increased. While principal,
Mr. Thelen refused to do this. We can all learn from his example, for
a school without the arts loses part of its soul. Students’ talents are not
nurtured, and students are deprived of their chance to shine in nonaca-
demic areas.
Are bulletin boards worthy of the attention of already overstressed
school leaders? Yes. By giving this seemingly minor detail some atten-
tion, the school leader makes his school’s halls and classrooms inviting
and colorful, highlighting the talents and achievements of students and
creating a better ambience for all.
Just as bulletin boards are the first items visitors see, the person who an-
swers the telephone at a school provides the first impression of the school
to a parent, a student, or a district official. At Mr. Pfizer’s middle school,
the school aide who handled the main switchboard was most professional.
She would always greet callers with a “Good morning” or “Good after-
noon,” and follow with “This is Midwest Middle School. How may I help
you?” And then she directed calls to the appropriate office. This will be
true in most schools. However, Mr. Pfizer found that those who answered
the phones in other school offices were often student aides whose manners
were less than perfect and whose message-taking skills were deficient.
Mr. Pfizer provided these student aides with a script to use whenever
he was out of the office. As a department supervisor, Mr. Pfizer used
the following: “Good morning/afternoon. You have reached the Math-
ematics and Science Department. Mr. Pfizer, the chairperson, is not in
his office now. I am his student aide, [name]. May I take a message for
him?” The aides were also provided with a message form to complete (see
figure 12.1).
When he moved up to the principal’s office, Mr. Pfizer expanded this
practice to the entire school. He reminded staff that they are professionals
when responding to telephone calls and that they are also responsible for
training any others who may answer the telephone for them, whether school
aides or student aides. Everyone who calls a school should expect to have a
professional and caring response from those who answer the call.
Mind the Details 161