As we sat around the conference room as new assistant principals at a 2,400-student Title I school with 95% economically disadvantaged students, there were sometimes that we had some pretty heated philosophical debates. One of those debates revolved around one of the chicken or the egg dialogues relating to education. Which comes first: good instruction or good culture? I remember a long, raised-voice discussion between sometime around 2015, and basically, one side of the table was instruction and the other culture.
This eleven-year administrator sat on the culture side of the table and still does today. There was one day, however, during my time in a principal academy that solidified this stance. Some schools were being analyzed for their organizational health (Organizational Health Index) and the correlation between their culture and their standardized test scores. The correlation was stark and clear. Schools with a higher rated culture by the people in the building scored on average about ten percentage points higher than the schools with a lower perceived morale.
In an 2021 article by Adem Bayar titled, “The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements” one his conclusions state that: “Culture at school has importance on the academic achievement of students in terms of motivation, sense of competition and development in all respects, both social and physical. Students expressed that the above-mentioned factors affect their academic achievements in a positive way.”
He also mentions in his article that three other studies have shown similar results.
I believe I was sitting on the correct side of the table; thus, we must motivate our staff as school administrators and leaders.
It is no secret that education has taken some hits and gone through some changes since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students and teachers have changed, and our communities are still figuring out all of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is just one factor as to why education has gotten harder and harder through my twenty-one years as teacher and school administrator.
With pandemic challenges, library books being challenged, changing demographics, retiring teachers, harder-to-find teacher recruits, and more administrators retiring, it is important to remember why we started in education. We need constant reminders of our “why.”
How to Motivate Staff as a School Admin
Based on education salaries versus the private business world, it is clear that most educators did not get into this career for the money. We have a love for students and people, or just the desire to coach and teach, or instill a passion for something (English, sports, etc.) into students.
With burnout and fatigue, as administrators, we have to remind our staff often of their “why.”
The second point lies in the school culture piece. If teachers and students don’t have a reason to come to the school every day, why would they want to come? If teachers don’t come to the school feeling appreciated and supported, what is the point in coming? Why would students want to come if they don’t have a reason beyond writing essays and completing math problems? This is why motivation across all levels is essential.
I have not recently had a student come to me and tell me how excited they were to write another essay in English class or read another article on the Great Depression. However, their “why” has to do with the welding career they may have, or sport they get to play that day, or the music they get to play in band, or the Future Farmers of America event they have that night, or finally the work they need to complete for their college application.
For teachers, it is more about who they work with and what they get to impact. For students it is about something bigger than just the classroom. Culture in the workplace and the connection for students helps to bring them back every day. We all need a reason come to work every day, whether that work is learning in the classroom or that work is delivering the lesson.
Many studies show that people come to work happily under two main conditions: 1.) They have consistency and know what to expect from their boss and 2.) They like who they work with.
Thus, team building, building connections, potlucks, and making time for teachers to work together is important to build a strong culture in the schoolhouse and are good methods to help motivate staff.
Why It Is Essential to Motivate Your Staff as School Admin
This author hopes that the connection between culture and results is just about as clear as 1 + 1 = 2.
Sense of Safety and Belonging
When teachers and staff are pulling for each other and working well together, this positively affects students. Deep learning cannot take place where there are safety concerns, distrust, discord, and no passion. Students and teachers have to have a sense of safety and belonging.
Positive Student Outcomes
Secondly, we need to motivate our staff because we all want positive student outcomes.
Admittedly on standardized tests (in Texas you have to pass this for graduation), but much more importantly for our students. We didn’t get into education for the paycheck, but we want the results of seeing our students move onto colleges, take jobs in our communities, and contribute positively to our community and society; that is the primary result we want to see.
Finally, in this new educational world that we live in, our motivation can help our staff to remember their “why” and reinforce the positive results we are producing.
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!
