Principals truly care about their staff. We really do. That is why so many of us regularly read about best practices and strategies that will help maintain a positive morale among staff members. Since weathering the pandemic storm, teacher morale seems to have sunk to unprecedented depths.
Much like teachers reflect the morale of students or parents worry about their saddest child, principals empathize with the staff they supervise and can begin to experience similar feelings. When teachers burn out, principals burn out, too.
How do we establish and maintain a sustained positive morale throughout the year? We know there will be dips into the valley of low morale from time to time, but how do we lessen the depth of those valleys and establish longer periods of positivity?
In this biweekly column, principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.
One theory I have is that if you can predict a trend, then you can influence it. It is similar to when you know there is a certain time of the day when you need to eat or you’ll not feel well. My staff knows that I usually eat lunch at 11:30 a.m. On days when I have meetings at that time, I prepare a snack to avoid being “h-angry” around noon.
The same thing holds true with staff morale. Last year, we surveyed my staff to determine the ebbs and flow of morale: Which months were typically highest? Which months were typically lowest? November and March peaked as our two worst months for burnout.
To prepare for that inevitability, this year, we are planning teacher-recognition days on Fridays during those months to establish a burnout-resistant work setting. Ideas that we typically save for Teacher Appreciation Week—written cards of appreciation from students, treats, and time off from meetings—will now be spread out when morale needs a bump.
Some of our staff members have a hard time getting excited about a new school year. To address this, we are planning a first-day pep rally to get both students and staff revved up with school spirit. Seeing our students happy and excited fills our faculty’s emotional tanks.
This year, one of our main pillars is to focus on creating a sense of belonging for both staff and students. One strategy is to celebrate their contributions to our school community more frequently. We will do this with our new “Stallion Inspiration” awards, which allow staff members to nominate students who have either overcome a significant adversity or displayed exceptional character. After selecting the top five names from the nominated list, we will share their stories at a faculty meeting. In addition, students will then have the opportunity to recognize the teacher who has inspired them at our school.
We don’t have to wait for Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate our staff. Some strategies might be big or formal, while others might involve less planning. The little things add up: Helping teachers build self-efficacy is important, and it goes a long way toward improving staff morale.
The point is that bad morale is like a disease. We do not want to numb it for a temporary relief. We need to get to the heart of the issue and cure it.
The mission to improve the morale of teachers can be frustrating because our staffs are a diverse collection of individuals, and the ways to improve their morale are equally diverse. I encourage you to stay the course by highlighting your staff in unique and genuine ways. If we don’t do this for them, then teachers may not have the same motivation or skills to pass it along to students.
