Be an Encourager

Every educator gets overwhelmed at times.

Often, teachers joke about their stress, but you can always tell when the pressures of their job, the responsibilities they’ve taken on, and the conduct of the students starts to be too much. Their body language gives it away, or they make comments that they normally wouldn’t.

If teachers stay in this state too long or too often, they may soon be searching for another job, or even another career.

Educators are known for feeling overworked and underpaid. We are helpers, but sometimes we don’t know our own limits. We chose this profession to prepare a better future for our children, and to inspire a love of learning that will enrich students for a lifetime.

Some days, though, it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels.

And sometimes, instead of helping teachers, staff, and students, the leader can be the cause of frustration. School leaders can get so wrapped up in achieving goals or putting out fires that we forget to do the important “people work” that makes leading a successful school possible.

Gone are the days when a donut and coffee breakfast or a yearly catered lunch makes teachers feel appreciated. Instead, many of today’s teachers need personal attention from their leader and their peers to stay on top of their game.

Here are three ways you can be an encourager for your followers.

Praise publicly.

Most educators are achievers. They are happiest when they know they are winning, but sometimes the natural wins come too few and far between. If the defined win is for the students to hit a certain target on the state test, that only comes around once a year.

Find ways to let your teachers feel smaller wins along the way. There’s always something to praise. School leaders are always on the lookout for ways to help teachers improve, but try to give twice as much positive feedback as negative feedback to keep your teachers motivated.

Did the students all perform well on a benchmark or a unit test? Mention it in a meeting, or talk about it in the hallway while students are filing into class. Did one particular student make an exceptionally high score? The teacher surely had a hand in it, so praise the student’s and the teacher’s effort.

When I was an elementary principal, I always made it a point to compliment kindergarten and first grade teachers when their students walked quietly in line in the hall. That’s a real feat–getting twenty-plus students to be orderly in the hallway!

Highlight accomplishments in a weekly email.

Many school leaders send out a weekly email newsletter for their staff giving them a heads up about upcoming events. This newsletter is a perfect place to give shout outs to teachers and staff who go above and beyond each week. Plus the teachers are more likely to read the email when it comes out just to see if their names are on it.

Every week, I send out a Friday Wrap Up email, and I include the “Friday Five.” I highlight five different people and their efforts during the previous week. This practice forces me to be on the lookout for great things happening around campus.

I got this idea from Victor Gilstrap, my mentor and former principal at Lake High School. He included a “Praise Table” in his weekly Google Doc–he inserted a table into the document and called out teacher accomplishments.

Teachers love to see what’s going on in other departments or grade levels, and they will work hard to make sure their names get on the list, too.

Spend time with your teachers.

Face to face communication is so important for teacher morale. Some days school leaders are able to interact with their people all day. Other days, it seems like you can’t get out of your office. For those days, you should still make an effort to find time to spend with teachers.

I like to greet teachers as they come to work each morning. Then, before morning announcements, I try to make a sweep around campus to see what’s going on and to see if anyone needs anything from me. I stop and have short conversations not related to school when I can. I usually find out more about my teachers and their families during this time than any other.

It’s also important to seek people out during their planning periods and have informal conversations. Someone may need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, or there may be a need that only you can meet. You won’t know unless you show up!

Leaders are busy, too, so it helps to signal when you are available to talk. I suggest keeping an open door policy. Whenever your door is open, it is an invitation for anyone to come in. If it’s closed, then you’re unavailable. The key is to strive to keep that door open more often than it is shut.

When morale is low, everyone can feel it. Often what’s needed is just a little personal encouragement.

What is something you do to encourage your people?

Let me know in the comments below!