Why Teacher Morale Matters
“Morale is self-esteem in action”
Make Your School Awesome Staff
November 13, 2021
Why Teacher Morale Matters!
Many educational leaders and experts continuously use the phrase - "We are here for the students, and we are in it for the children." Of course, this is all true and spoken from the heart, but what do we as leaders for our teachers? How do we as building leaders provide for our teachers to ensure they have a healthy working climate? Do we consider building morale an important factor in creating a productive and conducive learning environment?
In reality, teachers are directly connected to our students by providing supports and services, so their well-being would ultimately support student achievement and growth. Our teachers are our frontline workers now, working with our students on a daily basis sometimes around the click with our strengthened technology access. By supporting our teachers, we are indirectly and ultimately helping all of our students at a deeper level.
Keep in mind, happy teachers are productive teachers! Many schools celebrate teachers, especially during teacher appreciation week! However, you shouldn’t need a Hallmark Holiday to recognize your staff! Schools need to establish a daily culture of gratitude. Employees need to feel special and must be acknowledged for their efforts. All staff members need to feel valued, supported, and motivated each day. Strong morale amongst staff does not happen by coincidence or by accident. Building teacher morale must be an intentional effort from the administration and must be worked on every day.
Administrators must value and acknowledge the importance of having high teacher morale in the building and recognize its positive effect on overall student achievement. Multiple studies have proven that teachers working within a healthy, happy, and supportive environment contributes to a positive climate with higher teacher morale which correlates to higher student achievement scores.
Top three ways to increase teacher morale
1. Regularly celebrate your teacher’s successes and achievements. Make sure you
express your appreciation of a job well done. Use faculty meeting time to highlight
classroom success stories!
2. Trust your teachers! It is the foundation of every healthy school culture. You must
trust that the teachers are the true professionals and respect their knowledge and input.
3. Build a dedicated team. Value your teachers by encouraging them to take part in
decision-making and develop initiatives within your building. Don’t be a facilitator of top-
down initiatives but yet build them from the ground up together with your building
family.
Teacher giveaways and raffles are a great way to start off a staff meeting or professional development session, so why not have a little fun. Here are some creative teacher incentive voucher ideas that cost nothing.
Free Class Coverage
One Week VIP Parking (park in the principal’s spot)
Sleeping Beauty: Allow Staff to Enter the Building 30 Minutes Later than Normal Reporting Time
Get Out of Lunch Duty Pass
Skip a Faculty Meeting Pass
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Important teacher takeaways!
Do educators and staff members who feel appreciated, supported, and valued exhibit higher productivity rates than their under-appreciated counterparts? Absolutely! Mix things up, appreciate your staff, and value their expertise. Invest in your building’s climate and focus on building that morale.
TEACH, SHARE, INSPIRE
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