As the end of the school year approaches, many teachers are already thinking about next fall. While some are planning new lessons, others are considering whether they want to return to the classroom at all.
In 2023, an estimated 23% of teachers left the profession. They left for various reasons, but many reported needing better working conditions. Nearly 75% of teachers who leave say there is too much work and not enough teachers to carry the workload. This is one of the many reasons why it’s essential to have systems in place to support and celebrate teachers.
Every year, teachers get some much-deserved recognition during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6–10 in 2024). Parents, administrators and students shower teachers with gifts, food and appreciative notes, which is nice. Still, there’s so much more administrators can do to make teachers feel appreciated throughout the year. Some of these ideas are quick fixes, but others require more thoughtful planning, so administrators can use the summer to plan how to implement them effectively.
1. Listen to (and act on) teachers’ ideas.
Teachers are full of great ideas. A smart way to start a new year is to survey teachers to determine what professional development topics would be of value to them. Then, offer options like eBooks and other flexible options for learning.
Another way to give teachers the opportunity to share their thoughts is to promote and actively use an open-door policy for teachers to share ideas that may benefit students, faculty and the community. To put this into practice, consider planning casual meetups where small groups of teachers can share their insights and suggestions.
Get these dates on the calendar and provide snacks and coffee to make the environment open and friendly. Listen more than you speak and take detailed notes about what teachers want to see implemented in their schools and classrooms. Lastly, make sure that these ideas are given due consideration—otherwise these meetings lose their impact.
2. Give teachers a duty coverage ‘hall pass.’
Teachers work an average of 53 hours per week, with estimates that a quarter of those hours are uncompensated. These uncompensated work hours can include after-hours planning, grading and lengthy meetings. Then there are daily duties that quickly snowball.
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To acknowledge this unpaid work (and give teachers a little break), consider handing out duty coverage “hall passes” that teachers can cash in to have someone else cover supervisory duties such as recess or lunch monitoring. This will require maintaining a shared calendar to ensure administrators, central office employees, school board members or other volunteers can step in. But this can be a great way to give teachers some time back while acknowledging the unseen work they do throughout the year.
3. Get creative with fundraising for supplies.
School budgets are tight but not as tight as teachers’ personal budgets. And yet, 94% of teachers spend at least some of their own money on school supplies for their students, some up to $750. It’s worth finding other ways to raise funds for supplies.
Start by organizing supply lists based on subjects to see which areas have the most need. Get the PTA to drive fundraisers for specific supplies, such as science equipment or e-readers. And of course, ask for input from teachers to make sure fundraising efforts go to the right place.
4. Create a public praise board.
Teachers who feel recognized and valued are more likely to be engaged at work, stay at their school, and have higher satisfaction scores from parents and students. Many administrators know the power of positive feedback, yet few have a praise plan in place. According to a recent Gallup survey, only 25% of teachers strongly agreed that they had received recognition or praise for their work within the last week.
Administrators can change this by creating a praise board where students, staff, and parents can share notes highlighting the fantastic work your teachers are doing. Make it bright, colorful, big, and prominently placed in a high-traffic area, such as the office, teachers’ lounge, or cafeteria. Read from the board before staff meetings to publicly acknowledge your teachers’ great work.
5. Don’t forget the treats.
While teachers will surely appreciate systems and policies that empower them, like everyone, they also love snacks and caffeine. Instead of reserving treats for Teacher Appreciation Week, why not make them a monthly thing?
Ask your PTA to get parent volunteers to roll a trolley full of hot coffee, tea, pastries, fruit and other goodies around to classrooms so teachers can enjoy them between classes. Contact local coffee shops, bakeries and grocery stores for donations. Many would be more than happy to donate treats in exchange for a social media shout-out (and a tax write-off).
6. Get teachers time-saving resources.
Teachers need two main things from administrators: support and time. Fortunately, many tools are available to support all the teachers in your district, helping to minimize costs and maximize opportunities for teachers to learn from each other.
It is well worth the investment for school administrators to provide time-saving and stress-reducing resources that help support teachers in all aspects of their professional development. Teachers also need time to set up their rooms in August and they need planning time all year long. Offering more unencumbered planning time—and protecting this time by canceling meetings when the agenda is light—are gifts that will keep on giving to teachers and students for years to come.
