Recognition

Great educators don't just teach -- they change lives. All too often we wait until retirement parties to give educators positive feedback for a job well done. Recognition is a vital part of engagement, and it goes far beyond the occasional pat on the back.

Engaging environments are places where employees, educators, and students alike feel safe and encouraged to freely give and receive recognition. Gallup's Education Practice is proud to offer programs and consulting about the concept of recognition, understanding that it is a common challenge, one that when done right is vital to the success of effective schools.

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket

Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., founder of Gallup's Education Practice, pioneered the theory of the dipper and the bucket. This theory is the focus of the New York Times bestseller How Full is Your Bucket? and the backbone of Gallup's position on authentic recognition.

Simply put, everyone has an invisible bucket. When others say or do things to enhance our overall wellbeing -- like giving authentic recognition -- our buckets fill up. When our buckets are full, we feel great. When people do things to make us feel small or sad, our buckets begin to empty. When our buckets are empty, we do not feel emotionally healthy. Every person also has a dipper, which he or she can use to fill or dip from the buckets of others. Here's the catch: When you dip from someone else's bucket, you also dip from your own. And when you do something to fill the bucket of another, your bucket also fills.

Gallup's Education Practice offers seminars, strategies, and consulting about recognition for all audiences in a school district, from students to staff. Contact us to learn more or about our customized approach to recognition.

• How Full Is Your Bucket? Educator's Edition
• How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids
• Bucket-Filling Semester Curriculum and Activities Kits