"Survey says!!!..." Our staff recently played Family Feud at our faculty Christmas party and I laughed so hard I cried. The tears came for two reasons: 1. Jeremy Phillips playing the host was priceless (he claims he hates speaking in front of people but I would highly disagree after watching his performance that day 2. Watching Annette Harbaugh hurdle over a chair to avoid being the HOUSE member who sat in the "hot seat". The Family Feud theme continued a few days later when Mother and I watched the popular game show after a day of Christmas shopping. It reaffirmed to me what a great "host" Jeremy was with his "Tell me a little about yourself" questions and his "Good answer" statements. Growing up, that was one of two game shows I enjoyed watching every week. No, the other one was not The Newlywed Game or Jeopardy, but the Gong Show. I was glued to the T.V. every week and I remember often feeling sad for the contestants as one of the judges would regularly head to the big, metal, gong and strike it with a mallet to let the contestant know their act was not worthy of continuing. Memories of that show had faded from my mind until I was recently skimming Twitter. Yes, Twitter again. I noticed a principal tweeted a picture of himself and a student, but something else stood out to me in the photo. Right behind them was the cutest, little, desktop gong with a sign taped to it that read, "Good News Gong". The principal apparently had the kids strike it after they received a "Good News" phone call home. I loved that idea because last year I would call parents of kids who had gone above and beyond at school and the kids would then become "slide certified". Since we are still slide certifying this year, I had to think up something else to do with a gong. The wheels began to turn. I knew I had to have one. I just didn't know what I would use it for.
Well...the gong was purchased and I will admit it was a little smaller than I was expecting. I had dreams of it being the size of the one used in the original Gong Show, but what arrived was one about 20" tall. Oh well. It would have to work. What to do with it was the question. This year, I had begun recognizing kids for reading a specific number of words, but recognition meant getting into the treasure box. I realized I had been using a treasure box for 17 years so maybe it was time to change it up a little. The decision was made. I would leave the treasure box behind and move onto the GONG.
Every Monday during our 5 lunch periods, the music comes on (Celebrate Good Times by Kool and the Gang), and one by one the students hear their names bellowed from the microphone as they excitedly run to the GONG where they strike it triumphantly with a mallet. So far we have had 205 students who have struck it and several have hit it more than once. Kindergarten students through fourth grade seem to all enjoy it and one of the best parts for me is watching classmates cheer each other on as their names are called. I wasn't sure if it would catch on and I worried the new would wear off quickly, but so far it's been a huge hit. Kids have begun coming up to me throughout the day to tell me how many words they have read and how close they are to hitting the GONG for the next word count milestone.
For me the GONG symbolizes thinking outside the box. I could have kept the treasure box, but thought something new might bring a renewed enthusiasm, and if the conversations in the hallway with kids are any indicator I was right. If we held our awards assembly right now, 93 students would receive awards for reading 100,000, 250,000, 750,000 or 1,000,000 words and the second half of the year is only beginning. So ask yourself if you're thinking outside the box or are you doing the same thing you've always done. Why? Is there enthusiasm in your workplace? Shouldn't there be? Are you still using your own version of a "treasure box" or is a "GONG" on your mind? When I watch Family Feud from now on, I'll no longer think of Richard Dawson or Steve Harvey. Jeremy Phillips and Annette Harbaugh will now come to mind. And when I hear the words Gong Show the disappointment I felt for those contestants back in the 70s will now be replaced with the enthusiasm I see on our Carver kids' faces as THEY hit the GONG for reading. We like to think of it as The Gong Show...Carver style.
