But day in and day out educators show up for their students. They still want to be the best they can be in the face of all these issues that make teaching more difficult. We want to offer some tips on what educators can do in their buildings to change morale and bring back some joy on a daily basis.
Below we have listed 10 ways to help increase teacher morale in your building. We hope you begin to implement some of these to bring some joy back into your building.
Music
Who doesn't love a little music to sing or even dance to? If you have a PA system think about pumping some upbeat music at the end of the week on Friday into the hallways and classrooms, or even make it a part of every morning as the students arrive. Music can be so uplifting. This is an easy way to bring some smiles to the staff.Treat Days!
Need we say more. Everyone loves treat day at school! Look at the school calendar and pick a day every other week to have pre-selected staff bring in treats. You can break it down by grade level, content area, or specialists to make it easy. It is a great way to put a smile on a colleague's face. Make it "grab and go" so you are not unmasking and eating together.
Positive Notes
This is something that is so easy to do, but not done enough. Show that you care for your colleagues by leaving a positive note in their mailboxes. It is amazing what a few positive and kind words can do for morale. Give it a try!
After School Socials
A great way to unwind after a long day, or long week at school, is to have some planned social events during the school year. They could be socially distancing around a campfire, a zoom chat, or just facetiming too. Keeping the connection with colleagues intact outside of school will help grow the togetherness inside the building as well.
Inspirational Quotes
Wouldn't it be nice every day to come to school and have an inspirational quote waiting for you? We have created 90 inspirational quotes so far in our growing bundle. You can keep them as a digital file on your computer or print out each day. No matter what you choose to do, a quote a day can really help boost your mood! You can find them by clicking here.
Spirit Days
We know that spirit days are designed for the students, but teachers love to participate on these days too! What a better way to build community then doing Wacky Wednesday or Hat Day? It is a fun way to dress up and have some laughs in the process.
Teacher Gift Tags
Surprise a colleague with a note and a special treat! We created these teacher gift tags as an easy way to spread some joy in your building. You can find 12 different teacher gift tags here.
Exercise Classes
If you have a gym in your building and some motivated colleagues, you could start an exercise class. This could be a fun way to exercise and burn off some steam together. Sometimes districts even offer exercise incentives for staff. Take advantage of those and help build a healthier you.
Would You Rather Cards Teacher Edition
Get ready for some laughs with our "Would You Rather" Teacher Edition cards. These would be great to use at a staff meeting, PLC meeting, in the teacher's lounge, or even at a staff social event. These 30 situation cards will definitely bring a smile to everyone's faces. Click here for this great resource!
Acronym Bingo
Now this game could be a fun way to start off a staff meeting. If your district is like ours, and has tons of initiatives that have acronyms such as PBIS and RtI, you could play acronym bingo! In our district alone we could make a full bingo board. Every time you hear an education acronym, you fill out that spot.
Thank you for all that you do for the children you work with each and every day!
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