Pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership or administration can provide significant advantages that enhance your qualifications and increase your competitiveness in the job market.

Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

One of the most compelling reasons to consider a master’s degree is the opportunity to acquire specialized knowledge and skills essential for effective school administration. Master’s programs focus on key areas such as:

Curriculum and Instruction

You’ll gain a deep understanding of educational theories, best practices, and how to successfully implement and evaluate curricula.

School Law and Policy

Familiarity with laws and regulations governing schools is crucial, and this training ensures you understand the nuances of special education, student rights, and discipline.

Budgeting and Finance

Managing budgets is a critical aspect of administration. A master’s program will equip you with the skills to make informed financial decisions and understand various funding sources.

Human Resources

You will learn about hiring, evaluating, and supervising staff effectively, which is vital for creating a supportive and productive school environment.

Data Analysis and Decision-Making

Mastering the ability to analyze data allows you to identify trends and make strategic decisions based on evidence.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

This enables you to effectively engage with students, parents, staff, and the broader community. Leadership qualities are fostered as well, preparing you to build and guide effective teams in complex educational settings.

Increased Career Opportunities

A master’s degree can significantly expand your career prospects. Administrators with advanced degrees often enjoy higher earning potential compared to their counterparts without them. The range of positions available to those with a master’s degree is also broader, including roles such as:

• Assistant Principal
• Principal
• Director of Special Education
• Curriculum Coordinator
• Superintendent

Moreover, in today’s competitive job market, holding a master’s degree can enhance your job security, making you a more appealing candidate for administrative roles.

Professional Development and Networking

Another vital aspect of pursuing further education is the professional development opportunities it provides. Master’s programs often offer networking opportunities with other aspiring and established administrators, educators, faculty members, and industry professionals. This networking can lead to mentorship possibilities, collaboration, and job opportunities that might not be available otherwise.

Continued learning is a hallmark of pursuing a master’s degree. It nurtures a mindset geared toward lifelong learning, which is critical in the ever-evolving field of education. Participants in these programs are often encouraged to stay up-to-date with the latest educational trends and research, further enhancing their effectiveness as administrators.

Choosing the Right Program

When considering a master’s degree, it’s essential to choose a program that aligns with your career goals and personal aspirations. Key factors to evaluate include:

Accreditation

Ensure the program is recognized by a credible accrediting body.

Curriculum

Look for a program that offers courses relevant to your interests and future aspirations.

Faculty

Research the faculty’s backgrounds and their expertise in the field.

Networking Opportunities

Consider how well the program facilitates connections with peers and professionals in education.

In summary, a master’s degree undoubtedly brings a wealth of benefits. It arms you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to excel in leadership roles within the educational landscape.

The degree can help you make a lasting positive impact on students and schools, guiding educational initiatives that promote student success and community engagement. If you’re serious about advancing your career in school administration, pursuing a master’s degree is a worthwhile investment in your future that can benefit your career path.

Educators never stop learning; check out our available graduate degree programs  to hone your skills and promote lifelong learning and academic excellence.

The post Can a Master’s Degree Help Me Become a School Administrator? appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

The educational system was in a monotonous rut until the COVID-19 pandemic. In a span of two weeks, the entire world’s eyes were on the shutdown that affected our entire country and large parts of our world as a whole. During this time, and the subsequent time that followed from March to July of 2020, students across the country were learning from home, with teachers who had only a handful of days to pivot from traditional brick-and-mortar education to online, distance learning education through a screen.

For a time, during increasing uncertainties and painful statistics of loss and suffering from the global pandemic, there was an overwhelmingly positive perception and incredible support for frontline workers, healthcare workers, and teachers. We were heroes! Parents everywhere had a newfound appreciation for what teachers did daily, and there were countless appreciation posts, support, and other good feelings towards those in education. Fast forward to three years later, and educational leaders everywhere are back dealing with the same challenges as before – navigating the ebb and flow of teacher morale.

What Is Teacher Morale and Why Is It Important?

Teacher morale is simply the overall feeling on a day-to-day basis of faculty and staff within a building. For experienced school leaders, this is often an undercurrent that can sometimes be felt or seen, depending on your location. Great leaders know that the direction of the building is solely based on the teachers’ happiness, and finding ways to support each adult in the building is critical.

In schools with low teacher morale, there is an unfortunate correlation to faculty and staff turnover and general unhappiness. Teacher morale is important because it permeates into each space in which students occupy. Unhappy teachers lead unhappy classrooms, leading to negative student outcomes. Multiple research efforts have shown correlations between positive teaching experiences and positive student academic outcomes. Teacher morale truly matters.

Factors That Influence Teacher Morale

Teacher morale is an interesting concept, deeply rooted in intrinsic and extrinsic factors. For school leaders, focusing on the intrinsic factors is a great place to start. For faculty and staff, intrinsic factors that influence teacher morale are things like job security, new curriculum or initiatives, teacher autonomy, or the overall climate and culture of the building. Extrinsic factors, which are the most difficult to address for building level leaders, are “big ticket” items such as increased compensation, district level support, or the general sense of being undervalued by district or central office staff.

Another factor that has been increasingly prevalent in the last six to eight months is the lack of recognition for the incredible job that teachers and support staff do on a daily basis. This is not a perceived slight, but rather a real issue that plagues education today. Mainstream media, political divisiveness, school board elections, and other noticeable struggles continue to pour on to already overworked and tired educators who feel they are shouldering the burden of public education.

How to Identify Signs of Low Teacher Morale

Low teacher morale is, at times, hard to identify. Successful schools can often mask the sense of low teacher morale due to a variety of programs or success in a specific area, but building level leaders know that, at any time, an issue with teacher morale can cause headaches. Evidence of low teacher morale can be strikingly visible:

1. Faculty and staff that have an overall negative demeanor can experience burnout or low morale. These teachers have often been described as “curmudgeons” or “energy vampires.” They typically have a problem for every solution.
2. Low morale can exist with faculty and staff who demonstrate uncooperative behavior, refusing to work with others. In education, collaboration and professional development opportunities are only successful when teams come together.
3. Low teacher morale can take the form of constant complaints from faculty and staff, or the lack of effort given. Those with low morale typically aren’t afraid to express their complaints, while giving minimum effort to complete tasks.
4. Turnover and attendance are examples of low teacher morale.

For a high turnover rate, this is not those who have low morale; rather the faculty and staff members leaving are those who wish to work in a different environment, often away from those who are always negative. In the end, this is a negative form of turnover, one that leaves building-level leaders with the wrong people left behind. Regarding attendance, those with low morale are often the ones always late, absent, or in the parking lot before the students have all left the building.

Strategies for School Leaders to Improve Teacher Morale

Although low teacher morale is a negative, there are ways that school leaders can increase morale! First, establish a way to recognize faculty and staff, both informally and formally. Schools with a positive and supporting culture find ways to recognize their team in fun and unique ways.

In my building, we celebrate our “Viking Spotlight,” where their peers nominate faculty and staff members for going above and beyond the call of duty. This monthly recognition is more special as it is peer-led and peer nominations. Other groups on campus also recognize our teachers, by placing inspiring quotes and notes on their classroom doors as ways to encourage them and thank them for what they do.

Additionally, a no-cost option to increase teacher morale is to create a shared decision-making culture. Teachers will feel more empowered and happier when they know they have input into upcoming initiatives or programs. A culture of respect, empowerment, and support is critical, and is free. Next, supporting their professional growth is a stalwart of the educational profession. Teachers need to be able to conference with their peers, learning and honing new strategies and techniques to improve their classrooms.

As building-level leaders, we must provide opportunities for staff to have choice in their professional development. Also, great schools know that the best professional development is often sitting in the room, in the form of seasoned and experienced teachers, not a hired consultant speaking about theory or innovations that won’t work for that specific building. Additionally, fun events always make the environment more enjoyable!

Fun lunches, duty-free days, small tokens of appreciation, “cheer” carts with drinks and snacks, social media shoutouts, and other items are low-cost budget items that can really go a long way. Not all schools are blessed with ample money or supplements laying around. Building-level leaders don’t have bonus checks laying around for everyone. Strategies to increase morale have to be strategic, intentional, and worth the time. Encouraging free things like spirit dress-up days, exchange days where faculty work longer hours over a few weeks to have teacher workdays off, and other ideas are just a few to affect the climate and culture of the building positively.

Teacher morale is the heartbeat of a school, a concept that has a far-reaching impact on the total school program. When teacher morale is high, teachers have more patience, are happier, and are generally more enthusiastic during the day. Students often take their cues from teachers, meaning there is a causative relationship between happy teachers and successful students. Ultimately, navigating teacher morale is a tough and arduous process, but one that will pay dividends in schools with a high culture of morale for all faculty and staff.

A graduate degree in administration prepares you to lead as a principal, superintendent or other school administrator and help shape the future for generations of students. Check out our available leadership and administration graduate degrees and get started today!

The post Navigating the Ebb and Flow of Teacher Morale: Strategies for School Leaders appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

Back-to-school time is busy for administrators as well. All of the previously mentioned educational stakeholders and many more take their lead from the school administrator. Administrators must be proactive and well-organized for the benefit of everyone involved. With this said, let’s highlight a few areas administrators need to focus on to ensure a smooth school opening.

Communicating With Parents, Teachers, and Community

The key to quality administration is excellent communication. This fact is abundantly true as we head back into school. Parents and the community need to know a plethora of information before that first day of school. The administrator needs to inform all stakeholders what the first school day will be. Additionally, the administrator is the leader in getting out things like bus schedules, what time school starts and ends, what car rider procedures are, how the school will receive/update student demographics, school calendar, and athletic schedules, just to name a few.

This information should be imparted to parents and other stakeholders in as many ways possible in your community. Local newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and all social media outlets the school participates in. By using these outlets, you should saturate your entire community with pertinent information and begin this information flow well before school begins.

Teachers must also be given as much information before their arrival for the first day of professional development as possible. The more information you can provide teachers prior to their first day, the more prepared they will be. Teachers need to be made aware of schedule changes that will have them teaching new to them courses. Teachers should receive their information through the above resources, email attachments, and text messages. Additionally, teachers should be made aware of the upcoming professional days and what that schedule will look like.

Always tell your teachers that you want them to have as much “work in your room time” as you can give them. You must have those meetings but try to limit them pursuant to time. Have teacher’s schedules, student rosters, crisis manuals, classroom materials, teacher handbooks, and any important information ready for them on day one. Be prepared to be excited and upbeat as you welcome your teachers back on that first day.

Creating a Positive School Climate

Creating a positive school climate should begin with and continue through every piece of information you send out into the community and to your teachers. Make sure that all information is positive and shows an evident desire on your part to make this upcoming school year better than any before it. If some of your information is not necessarily positive, try to briefly explain in a positive way why you are doing what you are doing. Always be positive and show a genuine desire in all communication to show progress in all educational needs as they arise.

Managing School Resources

During the summer months is when you should try to do renovations, capital improvements and facelift improvements. Nothing shows progress more than new and fresh around the school. A fresh coat of paint, replacing old worn-out blinds and waxing those floors always puts a positive face on the new school year. Celebrating a new gymnasium or a new educational wing with a dedication ceremony always sets a positive tone.

In managing these resources, ensure you have time to finish a project or plan to work around that area until it is complete before you start a project. Above all, make sure your financial resources are available before starting a project and strive to stay within budget. Nothing shows better fiscal management than coming in “under budget” and celebrating that fact.

Promoting Student Achievement

As those ever-present student achievement scores begin to come in over the summer, have a plan for imparting this information to the stakeholders. Be prepared to celebrate a great achievement. Take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate student achievement. Again, use your community and social media resources to get the word out when success has been achieved.

Also when achievement is not where you hoped it to be, find a positive way to impart this knowledge as well. Make sure all stakeholders are aware that you are open an honest regardless of student achievement outcomes. When the outcomes fall short, be prepared to impart the information and have a plan going forward to reach the intended goals. By being open, honest, and ready to take steps toward improvement, you have a much better chance of gaining community trust and support.

Back-to-school time is busy for everyone. As the administrator, everyone is counting on you to be the “go-to” person for everything school-related. Start early in the summer and stay on top of things. Make sure everything is done as early and as well as possible. Remember, everyone is looking to you as the leader. Be that leader that they can count on. Also, remember the staff you have hired around you are there to help you accomplish these tasks. Entrust your co-workers to do the job you have entrusted them to do. Remember, all of these people are looking to you to lead them. So, finally, put a smile on your face and lead them by being the best you can be every day.

A graduate degree in administration prepares you to lead as a principal, superintendent or other school administrator and help shape the future for generations of students. Check out our available leadership and administration graduate degrees and get started today!

The post Back To School Tips for Administrators appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

An example of this would be driving to work and not being able to remember anything about the drive. Scary, but this happens because we are so used to driving the same trip, that we do not even have to think about when to turn, or how to get to our destination. The following habits, in no particular order, should become involuntary in order to be an effective school administrator.

Mission, Vision, and Values

An effective school administrator lives the school’s shared mission, vision, and values. Whether we inherit the school’s mission, vision, and values or we participate in creating them, an effective administrator must not only be able to recite them, but must consider them when making any decisions that impact student learning.

Staff members can see right through the facade of a leader who does not “walk the walk”. Living the school’s mission, vision and values means cross-referencing them with every aspect of the school community. It means questioning staff members when it appears that a specific policy or procedure does not fit the school’s mission, vision or values. Effective school administrators also commend staff members when they are living the school’s mission, vision and values.

Listening and Communication

An effective school administrator listens and communicates well. One of John Hattie’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is habit five: “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood”. This habit is probably the most important habit an effective school administrator must possess. School administrators wear several different hats throughout the course of the day. School social worker/counselor is one of the hats that builds rapport and trust with students, staff, and families.

Teaching and parenting is stressful, as is learning for that matter. For this reason, it is important for the effective school leader to listen to the teacher, parent, or student rather than just speaking to them. Actively listening to a staff member, student, or parent when s/he comes with a question, problem, or concern is of utmost importance. Active listening means seeking to understand before being understood.

Multitasking should never take place when listening to a staff member, student, or parent’s concerns. An effective school leader must give the person his/her full attention, ask clarifying questions, and summarize the person’s thoughts at crucial moments in the conversation.

Then, and only then, can the school leader focus on seeking solutions with the person. Telling a parent, student, or staff member that we do not have the answer and need some time to think or research is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. Teachers, students, and parents will gain trust when they know that their school leaders care about them enough to listen, even if they do not have all of the answers.

Empathy

An effective school administrator empathizes. This habit goes hand in hand with listening. Especially in today’s society, people are dealing with a great deal of stress in their home lives. The pandemic has only exasperated the typical family issues that take place in our students’ homes. Teachers sometimes hear about homelessness, poverty, or abuse, but need to compartmentalize this knowledge to be the most effective teachers they can be.

The trauma that teachers see within the students in their classrooms affects them greatly on a daily basis. For this reason, the effective school administrator must put him/herself into the shoes of those s/he is supporting. There is always a reason why a student, staff member, or parent is struggling. Effective leaders do not see things in black or white, but instead thrive in the existence of the grey in between. Zero-tolerance policies are not effective in today’s schools. Instead, empathizing and seeking common ground builds a school culture and climate of support.

Encourages and Empowers

An effective school administrator encourages and empowers his/her staff. Teachers will only feel comfortable trying new strategies within the classroom when they do not fear reprimand from the school administrator. Effective school leaders encourage and empower staff to try new methods of instruction and take on leadership roles, thus creating a school culture and climate that nurtures positive change and growth. After all, academic achievement and growth does not come from the building administrator, it comes from the teachers and staff who work with the students every day.

Advocate

An effective school administrator advocates for all students. This habit goes back to the first one mentioned regarding living the mission, vision, and values. An effective school leader must believe that all students can and will learn at the highest of levels. Unfortunately, many school leaders are complicit with the false idea that certain subgroups will not be as successful as other groups. An effective school administrator must be anti-racist. S/he must advocate for all students, especially those who have been underserved throughout the history of American education.

When an effective leader learns about a policy or procedure that negatively impacts specific groups of students, it is his/her duty to stand up and speak on behalf of those negatively impacted. In order to lead others to advocate for all students, the effective school administrator must live all of the habits mentioned with all of his/her heart and soul. If or when we achieve these habits to the extent that they become automatic, the effective school administrator is ready to change the educational world!

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An administrator’s visibility is the act of being seen by the school’s stakeholders while gauging the temperature of the school’s culture. A school leader must be seen by the students, teachers, and parents. The visibility for a school administrator is a crucial element within their job responsibilities. The level of visibility should be prominent, consistent, and authentic.

Every school leader sets standards for the school’s culture. Prominent daily presence reminds stakeholders of the leader’s expectations, along with developing respect for the leader. A principal’s consistent routine of high visibility provides a feeling among the school stakeholders of reliability from their leader. When a school leader engages authentically with teachers, students, and parents while being visible, the visibility becomes meaningful within the school culture.

To be seen by stakeholders is the easy part of visibility for an administrator. The challenging task is how the visibility is delivered and what the administrator does while being visible. It is easy to stand in the middle of the school lobby or walk in and out of classrooms, but there is more to just being seen.

Why is Administrator Visibility Important?

Visibility is important and vital for an effective school administrator. The amount of visibility and manner in which visibility is used determines the level of importance for a school administrator.

Stakeholders see an administrator’s visibility as vested interest in a school. When school leaders are seen regularly, it creates opportunities to build relationships with all stakeholders, and relationships grow schools and define a positive school culture. Visibility by a school administrator sets the tone for the whole school.

Strategies to Improve Administrator Visibility

At the beginning of each school day, the school’s administrator should be greeting students with a smiling, “Good Morning.” Eventually the daily “Good Morning,” turns into “Are those new shoes?” or “Did you get a haircut?” Simple questions asked while being visible builds relationships with students. Administrators can also share waves with parents as they pass through the morning carpool lines. Visibility in the morning also gives administrators the chance to greet teachers before their day begins.

Visibility begins each day when an administrator walks through their building. As instructional coaches, principals conduct informal observations while walking in and out of classrooms each day. Mental notes are made, witnessing teachers teach from their desks, teachers squatting next to students’ desks guiding instruction, and teachers’ exceptional classroom management skills. These observations can only be noted when an administrator is actively visible in their school building.

Visibility provides the opportunity for an administrator to gather information about student achievement. Daily walk-throughs can allow administrators time to engage in authentic real time moments of student learning and also allows them to notice the students unable to pay attention to the teacher’s instruction, along with the students that are following along without any difficulty. Once again these are simple observations that can be discovered with brief daily visibility by a school administrator.

Other strategies to improve visibility:

• Capitalize on daily walk-throughs by spending extra time to co-teach alongside a teacher. Ask students questions about the assignment, or jump into working with a small group. The value of classroom visibility for an administrator is the engagement of the time spent with teachers and students while visiting their classroom. After spending time in a classroom informally, follow up your visit with a brief note of encouragement or gratitude for the teacher.
• Visit the playground when students are at recess. While students are socializing and playing with classmates, visit with the students during their favorite part of the school day. Ask questions about games, cheer on teams, or jump on a swing or into a hopscotch game.
• Participate in morning and/or afternoon carpool procedures. Wave hello or good-bye to parents traveling through carpool, or take over a teacher’s assigned carpool post. When present at carpool, it expresses your approval of the procedures.
• Greet students as they exit the morning bus. Walk students to their bus location in the afternoon, saying good-bye to students.
• Enjoy lunch in the cafeteria with students. Stop by lunch tables to have conversations with students. Help sell and serve lunch food.
• Attend family events organized for students and their families. Always be aware of the dates of all events hosted by your school’s parent organization.
• Announce daily announcements over the PA system. In schools where students produce and direct a closed circuit broadcast, create a weekly show with other administrators and/or the leadership team. Be creative and vulnerable with students once a week to express your visibility with risk and not perfection.
• Communicate weekly with a school newsletter, update website, and/or add to social media regularly.
• Make introductions at assemblies, greet students, and dismiss students at the end of assemblies.
• Assist others in the school office by answering phone calls, passing out bandages, or changing trash bags.

All stakeholders of a school want the school administrator to be visible and present. Visibility will provide students with feelings of acceptance and security at school each day. Teachers will share their passion for teaching, celebrate student accomplishments, and seek support and advice for teaching difficulties. Parents will feel confident in the leader of the school. The importance of visibility by an administrator is the key to a successful school.

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Remaining Relevant

I’ve often said I’d like to go back and apologize to the first groups of kids I taught as I began my teaching career. As an administrator, I have (thankfully) been exposed to various styles of great teaching and skilled teachers. As a potential administrator, never forget what it’s like being in the classroom. Mindfulness of the needs of your staff is important: plan effective and efficient meetings, culture and climate building activities, and show them you appreciate them, not just when a calendar says you should!

Becoming an administrator does not mean you stop learning; if anything, it opens up countless possibilities to become a life-long learner. Remain relevant by visiting teacher classrooms, offering timely and productive feedback, and never losing touch with your former classroom colleagues. Being given an administrative title should not be your one and only goal. Be great at the role you have been placed in and know that ultimately, effective administrators do whatever it takes to remove any and all barriers from teachers so they can expertly do what they love to do: TEACH!

Understand the Power of Your Words

Teachers know the power of their words in their classroom; as administrators, having an understanding of how important your words are is key. It took all of one conversation with a teacher as a first-year assistant principal to learn this lesson.

Teachers will come to you with problems, ideas, suggestions, and anything they feel you need to know. As an administrator, having a keen understanding of how to navigate these conversations is critical. Faculty and staff want to be heard, and if they come to you, it is for a reason. Don’t be dismissive of their problems because it doesn’t seem like an issue to you as an administrator.

I’ve learned to handle each situation uniquely by being the three Fs: firm, frank, and fair. Teachers appreciate genuine, transparent leadership, so don’t make promises you can’t keep. Do what you say you are going to do.

Impact and Influence on the Total School Program

As a school teacher and coach, I had an influence on a small scale. Throughout my teaching career, I influenced the 100+ students in my classes and students I coached and my colleagues within my department. My first year as an assistant principal, however, I was tasked with serving 850+ students in grades K-8 and a full-time staff of 75+. I was now responsible for the total school program, not just a small portion in my classroom.

As an administrator, you have to be all things to all people. When times get tough, understand and reflect on why you are where you are: remain relevant, understand your words and actions, and harness your influence on your school! Your role as an administrator will be fluid, and like snowflakes, there will not be one day exactly like the other. In my role as Assistant Principal and Principal, I have served as counselor, custodian, substitute, and proctor among a countless number of things you just “do!”

Becoming an Administrator

So are you ready to make the leap? How do you go about it? First, have an understanding of your own skills and talents and identify your areas of weakness regarding administration. Have a plan of what level of administration you see yourself effective in. School administration looks vastly different in the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Middle school presents a whole host of unique challenges which requires administrators to operate differently than their peers in other settings. Additionally, high school administration comes with a second-shift mentality — know that there will be sporting events, academic arts events, and a multitude of things after 3pm which require great time management and support from your family support system.

Next, talk with your current administrative staff about teacher leadership roles within your building. A great way to gain insight into potential leadership roles is to serve as department chair or participate in various school leadership councils, among others. Serving in these capacities will expose a side of school leadership not seen on a daily basis by classroom teachers. As Principal, I am always looking for the next group of teacher leaders. Ask your Principal about leadership opportunities and volunteer!

Moreover, understand this very important caveat regarding your future: your best resume is your current job. Your work in the classroom should be reflective of the type of administrator you can be. People are always watching!

Ultimately, there is no teacher education or administrative program which will fully prepare you for the work it takes to be a successful administrator. No amount of preparation, readings, or observations can prepare you for the fire of school administration. If you are ready to make the leap, do it! Good Luck!

The post Making the Leap from Classroom Teacher to Administrator appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

Just like any other profession, teachers have been impacted drastically by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time, teachers have experienced something that no one ever learned about in college.

Dealing with the pandemic and how to maneuver the steps of all the restrictions and guidelines is not something anyone could in a textbook or was able to prepare for. Over the last two years, uncertainty has left our teachers feeling anxious, unsure, and in situations that they have never experienced.

One of the most evident and observable impacts that the pandemic has left on our teachers is how they arrange their classrooms and prepare their lessons. A few years ago, students would heavily rely on group work to complete tasks and be paired up with a buddy in younger grades. Social distancing squashed all of that which put our students into spaced-out rows, turning back the clock in education.

This required teachers to rethink their lessons, take a different approach, and completely flip the teaching style that they have been doing for years. This change alone has left teachers uncertain, feeling as if they are lecturing instead of teaching, and has forced teachers into a period of uncomfortableness.

Teachers are often excited to work with community members and have them volunteer in their classrooms. This helps build relationships with the community and offers support for teachers and students in the classroom. The pandemic changed the idea of volunteers coming into schools, which significantly impacts teachers and students.

This can also cause a divider between the school and the community. Community members, including parents of our students, are upset and point fingers at educators as to the restrictions that must be followed. This is not our teachers doing, and it is a time that educators are trying extremely hard to leave politics out of their classrooms. Still, the community members have been upset and took frustrations out on educators.

Something that no one truly wants to think about, but unfortunately impacted teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the baggage and trauma that our students have faced during this time. Teachers have to wear many different hats on a good day in the classroom, and the pandemic has magnified this tremendously as educators see more signs of our students dealing with trauma and learning loss.

Teachers are trying to hold the pieces together and provide the best instruction for our students. Still, the pandemic continues to affect them, leaving a significant impact on them emotionally and pushing them out of their comfort zone. Routinely, social-emotional learning is taking over and replacing academic tasks due to the needs of our students.

How can Empowerment Impact Teacher Satisfaction?

A classroom often feels very much like a teacher’s second home. They have prepared themselves with the most up-to-date research, have set routines, and have defined the teaching style that they genuinely feel benefits their students.

Teachers have empowerment by the number of resources they have available and can provide the educational tools that every student needs. This allows them to think out of the box and be flexible within their classrooms.

While the pandemic has impacted the educational world tremendously, it is still as important as ever that our teachers experience empowerment. When teachers experience empowerment in the workplace, this allows for motivation to increase. When teachers are excited to come to work every day, strive to make a difference, and feel a sense of empowerment, this impacts our students. Ultimately, this is who it is all about, and the students are gaining when their teacher feels empowered.

What Happens When Teachers Don’t Feel Empowerment in the Workplace?

The COVID-19 pandemic may have turned everyone’s world upside down, but teachers are expected to still put a smile on their faces and give it their very best. After two long years of uncertainty, change, and challenges, educators are unsure of how to work through all of this.

Educators are leaving the profession due to burnout and political values carrying over into our public schools. Social media has played a considerable part including the news about teachers, schools, and local decisions made that parents are not happy with.

Teachers have been ridiculed for things that are out of their hands. Feeling beaten, defeated, humiliated, and not valued has left several walking away from the career and a teacher shortage across the United States.

Strategies to Support and Empower Your Teachers

More now than ever, educators feel alone and need to be supported through teacher appreciation. Administration must actively get involved to help support our teachers.

Administration has a lot on their plate, but a good leader will find the time to be sure to empower and support their teachers. This can be done in several ways, and it is so important that is happens.

Be Visible

Leaders must take the time to be a visible part of their school. This includes going into the classroom routinely and being an active listener as well. Letting your staff know you support them and are there for them will go a long way with teacher satisfaction.

Listen

Being a sounding board for our teachers is vital as not many people truly understand what educators are facing. As a school leader, listening to teachers and not being judgmental with their concerns will build a trusting relationship and be something that the teachers will not forget.

Pick-Me-Ups

Just as our students love little pick-me-ups and incentives, so do our teachers. A snack in the faculty room, a free dress-down day, the opportunity to leave a few minutes early after the students have left, or the acknowledgment of simply a pat on the back goes a very long way to aid in teacher wellness.

Be There

One of the most important strategies that a leader can do to support and empower teachers is to be right alongside them during this crazy time. Leaders should attend meetings with them to show support, and a leader should also do their very best to shield their teachers and staff from the negativity that is glaring at the educational field right now. Shielding teachers from this will allow for them to gain some of their empowerment back and impact them positively so they can give their very best every day.

All in This Together

Lastly, it is essential to remember that we are all in this together. Everyone, including teachers, staff, school boards, students, parents, and community members, wants what is best for our students.

To achieve this, we must work together despite what is happening in the world. The result will be empowered teachers positively impacting their students who need them more now than ever.

Interested in pursuing leadership and assisting in the empowerment of teachers? Check out our available administration and leadership graduate degrees and get started today!

*Updated March 2022

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From Contract to Departure

It is the responsibility of an administrator to ensure that once a teacher is brought on board that they feel it is a journey together with student excellence as the ultimate goal. Administrators must show teachers they support them and they genuinely care about the teachers’ growth and development.

This support process is essential in building trust with those an administrator hires. Teachers should never feel like the “courtship” is over as soon as the contract is signed. From a personal standpoint, I want my teachers to literally feel like they are part of an “educational family” from the day they walk in the door until they depart for other opportunities or retirement. This is also key to ensuring staff morale stays high.

Professionally Personal

Administrators must engage their teachers on a personal level from time to time. How we do that can go a long way in determining how much trust is built. Teachers, like everyone else, have personal lives and sometimes personal situations that demand a response from the administrator. When the situation is dire or traumatic, it is imperative that we show empathy and immediately take measures to help in any way we can.

A caring administrator can and should make sure that they support their teacher through tough times. There is nothing wrong with asking a teacher how a sick child or close family member is doing. Also, it can go a long way toward building trust to attend the funeral of a loved one of a teacher. Likewise, celebrating personal or family accomplishments with a teacher is also a great and easy way to build trust. The main gist of being professionally personal is simply showing that you care.

Empowerment Builds Trust

The administrator that listens to their teachers and empowers them to try new and innovative approaches in the classroom builds trust and confidence. When a teacher comes forward with an idea, we should listen to them and, through collaboration, allow teachers to “go for it”. When an administrator refuses or doesn’t have time to listen to their teachers’ ideas, they are telling them their ideas and desires to enhance student achievement are not important.

On the other hand, when we empower teachers to be innovative in their classrooms, we are telling them we value their opinions and, yes, their ideas. After all, who has a better feel for how to help students achieve than those we have put in charge of their achievement in the classroom?

We must guard ourselves, though, that we don’t “pull the plug” on their new ventures if they hit stumbling blocks along the way. If the idea the teacher had in the beginning was good enough to pursue, it is important to support them as they tweak the idea along the way. No innovative ideas or new accomplishments ever just started on their own. Someone had an idea which they thought through to a concept and ultimately a functioning way to do something productive.

We must allow our teachers to think for themselves and, within the context of our overall vision, seek new and innovative ways to teach. Allowing this kind of freedom will build a spirit of collegiality with you and your individual teachers and hopefully your entire staff.

The Evaluation Process

The evaluation process is probably one of the most dreaded procedures we go through each year with teachers and administrators. Let’s face it, nobody enjoys being evaluated and, ultimately, having their shortcomings brought to the forefront. Through excellent communication between administrator and teacher, the evaluation process can be an excellent teaching tool for truly motivated, inspired teachers.

As we build trust through the other ways we have discussed, proper preparation for evaluation time can actually be a mutually satisfying tool for everyone. We must convince our teachers that evaluations are a tool to help them become better teachers. We must make evaluations positive and meaningful. We must give feedback immediately, and always use any shortcomings as a means for teacher growth. We must strive to never give the impression that the evaluation process is a “gotcha” time to use as justification not to renew a teacher’s contract.

As administrators, we should be sure that teachers know exactly what is expected of them throughout the school year, and then the evaluation process is “just another day at the office”. By using the evaluation process as a way to celebrate great teaching and to help teachers in areas that need improvement, we can build the trust needed to continue growing as a teaching community within our school.

Why We Do What We Do

Finally, we must show that we are all in this thing called education for the same reason. We all want our students to grow and excel and ultimately be productive citizens in their respective communities. Trust building with teachers is best shown when they see we care for the same thing they care about. And what is that? The kids we serve!

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Morale can be defined as “the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time”. School staff who have a positive demeanor and morale are more likely to promote success for their students. In my experience in dealing with staff morale, staff who are happy are more likely to work harder to promote student success. The research on this topic proves that there is something to morale as it pertains to school climate and school success.

School climate can be affected by staff “morale”, or the enthusiasm and desire to want to come to work. Teachers and staff who feel good about their workplace are more likely to work to make sure that their students feel the same way. I believe that students know and can sense when their teachers feel safe, comfortable, and respected. If developing positive relationships with students is a key source of their success, those who work in school leadership should also be concerned with the well being of their employees. Three areas to note that are critical to the success of a school impacted largely by positive staff morale are: safety, relationships, and academic focus.

Safety

School staff who feel safe at school are more likely to have positive demeanor and productive work ethic. This should be the number one focus of all schools. Staff members should feel safe entering and working in the building during the school day. Processes for managing visitors, running safety drills, and daily and weekly safety checks, as well as proper protocols for dealing with the community, are all essential. Doing regular safety checks and being transparent with staff about all safety related-processes is essential for morale.

Relationships

School staff who build relationships with each other and with their students will also experience positive morale. When students relate well to their teachers, they tend to want to comply with them. Think about the teachers you remember from your days in school. Were they positive, upbeat, energetic, and caring? Did they go out of their way to help you when you had difficulty?

In my experience, staff members who respect themselves and their colleagues are more likely to show that same respect for their students. They also work hard to make their class content fun and exciting while making sure they cover the curriculum.

Academic Focus

I believe that teachers who work in a school with a positive climate are more likely to focus on learning and academic objectives. If their overall demeanor is happy, I believe they will focus on learning objectives for their students and take more pride in their work. We have had students comment on the local climate survey with remarks like, “Mrs. S loves what she does”, or “Mr. R enjoys teaching his class”. Sometimes the most qualified candidate for the job isn’t the instructor with the most years of experience, it’s the teacher who builds a positive and caring relationship with their students.

Challenges Created by COVID-19

When Covid-19 hit the U.S. in February of 2020, schools began to shut down or move from in-person instruction to remote learning. Over the course of the last calendar year, the pandemic created major issues for school morale and the overall climate of a great percentage of American classrooms. Educators were affected in physical, mental, and emotional ways just as their students and school communities were.

In a 2021 research survey, nearly three-quarters of teachers surveyed felt that morale is lower than pre-pandemic level, with 85% of the group surveyed feeling that overall morale is lower at their individual school. There are so many challenges for school staff created by Covid-19; two of which are balancing remote instruction simultaneously with in-person learning, and overall student engagement.

The pandemic caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus forced our classroom instructors to teach students remotely. Many of our teachers had never held virtual meetings using formats like Zoom, Google Meet, or Go-to-Meeting resources. Teachers and school staff had to quickly learn and adapt their instruction to formats like these so that they could present information to their students while working from home.

Then as the 2020-2021 school year started, many school districts developed hybrid models for school so that smaller groups of students attended school in-person to allow for social distancing of students (6ft distance), while others continued teaching and learning with classrooms that were 100% remote.

A second challenge that is partly a result of being forced to have remote and hybrid school is student engagement. The challenge is daily, as many teachers often struggle to get students to complete assignments on learning platforms like Canvas or participate in classroom Zoom lessons. Teachers sometimes feel they have failed their students if they aren’t engaged in the lesson, and often times they aren’t sure.

Ideas to Boost Staff Morale

School leaders who are “solutions” focused should constantly think of ways to improve school staff morale. There are many ways to help create positive morale in your school building. I will briefly focus on four ideas including: positive notes/messages, using timesaving strategies, using shared-decision making, and physical rewards and incentives. I believe these examples can be used for both in-person as well as remote teaching situations and can apply to all school staff.

Taking a few minutes each day to write a positive note or email to staff can be a great boost for staff (in-person or virtual). They appreciate the time you take to notice the great things they do for students. Using agendas for meetings with a set and planned meeting format are strategies that save time. Including teachers in school-level decision-making (ie. SIT, Interviews) makes them feel valued and an important part of the whole school team. Seeking their input in decisions can boost their confidence and make them feel more accepted.

Teachers also appreciate physical rewards, meals, or sweet treats. One of the most fun ways to do this is to fill a rolling cart with coffee and treats and go to their classrooms. For virtual teachers, this could be a mailed coupon or gift card. Teachers will often say they appreciate the notes and the gift of time more than food. Improving staff morale is not always easy; but with effort, it can be improved and should be a focus for all school leaders.

Resources
Miller, William C. “Staff Morale, School Climate and Educational Productivity” Educational Leadership, 1981.

*Updated March 2021

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