Tips for Boosting Staff Morale and Wellness
It’s no secret that it’s been a tough year. Burn out is at an all time high for educators. Instead of assuming what teachers need, I reached out to large groups of educators and social media and asked.
My question…
Educators – What are some practical ways that your school cares for staff (especially during this challenging time)? Does your building have anything in place that serves as a consistent morale booster?
You might have expected them to respond with a culture-changing program or a mass initiative for staff unity. Instead, it turns out that little things are making the biggest difference. Below is a summary of responses and some creative ways to encourage teachers and support staff.
Ideas from Educators
Food
Scheduled Staff Lunches
Catered Meal or Potluck
Co-op Lunches (partner and pre-order from a local restaurant or food truck)
T4: Teams taking turns with treats
Survey on favorite snacks with surprise treats throughout the year.
Sonic slush or shake run
Random Acts of Awesomeness
Weekly Gift Basket Raffles
Random Acts of Kindness Committee
Social & Emotional Learning Team, leading activities such as Thankful Thursdays, love cart with snacks, weekly SEL tips in principals newsletter
Treat Trolly (with snacks and teaching supplies)
Recognition & Appreciation
Shout Outs/A Hoot and a Holler (Intercom Announcements and/or newsletter)
Classroom Positivity Buckets (notes from students/staff read during class time and staff meetings
Jean Days (every day!)
Organized Activities
Weekly wellness tips (for students and staff)
Monthly wellness workshops (beneficial for kids and staff)
Book study of “Onward – Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators”. Highlighting tidbits from the book in weekly staff meetings.
Weekly Good News – a video channel featuring episodes created by both staff and students.