Top four reasons for TS and NT
Just put together this quick list of the reasons the leaders (not the kids) wear identical tee-shirts and name-tags at Hillsong Kids.
Inspired and mostly blatantly ripped off from Scott Ginsberg (who wears a name-tag 24-7).
4 Reasons for TS and NT
- It’s pure, human and friendly. And most importantly, it’s simple. Not to mention, you’re immediately on a first name basis … with everyone!
- Inspires confidence in parents. A parent walking into a room filled with leaders wearing tee-shirts and name-tags gives an immediate sense of safety and assurance.
- It’s self-disclosing. Having your name encourages an exchange of personal information and builds an instant connection. Name-tags instantly and constantly reveal your personal information to everyone around you. This foregoes your anonymity. Which creates instant accountability for your actions.
- Helps to create a sense of authority with children. A teacher can give detentions, a policeman can arrest, a Hillsong Kids leader does not have that luxury (no matter how much you want to). Establishing a sense of authority in your leadership is helped by name-tags and tee-shirts.
Your reasons are great. I’ve found a high tech reason too.
If you design the tag right, so it looks like a special security clearance and has a bar code, it adds a “Cool” effect that the kids like as well as being able to keep a dynamic attendance list of whose in the room as they scan in and out.
In case something noteworthy happens you have a record of everyone on the room, including adult staff!
The program my brother and I designed is available open source at http://badgeentry.sourceforge.net/