For Erik Lathen, the principal of Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction, Ore., gratitude isn’t something to be celebrated only on Thanksgiving.
During his nine-year tenure as a high school principal, Oregon’s 2025 High School Principal of the Year has spearheaded a tradition in which a theme dominates each month of the school year and draws from core values of respect, excellence, and determination. Aptly, November’s theme is gratitude.
To some, this may sound corny, or trite.
But Lathen practices what he preaches. Throughout the month of November, he personally and publicly expresses gratitude to every one of his 55 staff members—from teachers to cafeteria workers—and he invites students to join in the praise.
He can’t say for sure that the practice is in any way responsible for the low staff turnover last year at Illinois Valley High School—only one staff member didn’t return this year. Last year was his first at the school that, incidentally, he learned was in need of a “cultural overhaul” before he took the job.
Either way, Lathen isn’t about to stop what he sees as an effective morale booster at a time of year when it’s most needed.
“It fits perfectly for the month of November, with Thanksgiving. Plus, it is the beginning of the winter months, and we want to help students and staff beat the doldrums by focusing on the good that they see around them and expressing that with tokens and affirmations of gratitude,” Lathen said.
It appears to be working.
Building new teachers’ confidence
As is the case with many new teachers, Ian Hensley’s confidence in his teaching ability ebbs and flows. So when Lathen surprised him in his classroom this November, expressing his thanks to Hensley for stepping into the challenging position of teaching high school science mid-year last year and telling him how much his students appreciate him, the words moved him.
“As a first-year teacher where you feel like most days you are struggling to keep your head above water, it meant a lot to hear that from him,” Hensley said.
What happened next meant even more to Hensley. Lathen asked Hensley’s students if they’d like to share their thanks for Hensley as a teacher. More than half of the class’s hands went up.
“Most of them talked about how I have made science understandable for them and make them feel welcome and accepted in my class and school,” said Hensley. The comments made him confident in his decision to become a teacher, he added.
Creating a positive feedback loop
Giving students an opportunity to add to staff members’ expressions of gratitude makes the tradition even more meaningful, teachers agree.
Diana Miller, a graduation coach at North Valley High School in Grants Pass, Ore., where Lathen previously served as principal, experienced the November tradition as both a recipient and a facilitator.
“Each time it was emotional as you got to hear what students and your leaders actually thought about your impact on them or the school,” Miller said. But one time stood out from the rest.
“A student in my health class said that I was the reason she came to school the previous year, when she had hit a really rough spot in her life,” Miller recalled.
The tradition is a good reminder of the domino effect that a comment or gesture can have on a school community, she said.
Can expressions of gratitude serve as a retention tool?
It makes sense that when employees feel valued, they’re more likely to stay at a job. So, while retention may not be the main impetus for Lathen to honor the tradition, it could be an extra perk. Research supports this theory.
In a nationally representative survey conducted in 2022 by the EdWeek Research Center, 52% of respondents—educators who had left a job in K-12 education within the past year—said they would have stayed if they’d had a more supportive principal or manager.
“Administrators have an outsized impact on teachers’ satisfaction and their decision to stay in their jobs,” Heather Peske, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, told Education Week in 2023. “We know their leadership is hugely influential as to whether teachers leave or stay, especially for teachers of color and those in more challenging school environments.”
In another EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in 2024, 58% of educators said verbal feedback from their supervisor praising a specific part of their work would be very meaningful to them. Another 48% said the same about verbal praise with a general compliment on their work.
Verbal praise from their supervisor beat out tangible rewards, like gift cards or free food, in terms of what educators ranked as the most meaningful.
Further, in a meta-analysis of more than 70 studies about the effect of perceived organizational support in the general workplace (not school-specific), support from supervisors ranked as a leading factor contributing to employees feeling valued and cared about. The report concluded that employees who felt supported by their supervisors were more likely to remain with the organization.
Lathen believes there’s a correlation between building a positive culture and higher retention among staff.
“It’s human nature that when we feel valued and cared for, we begin to feel like we belong,” he said. “That belonging builds commitment, which breeds passion. Then it becomes more than just a workplace; it becomes a place where we grow together and be part of something special.”
