This document discusses strategies for improving teacher morale. It begins by noting that teacher morale is linked to being treated as leaders and with respect. It then outlines how accountability policies have increased stress on teachers and decreased job satisfaction. The document proposes that school leaders adopt a more collaborative leadership style instead of punitive directives. It recommends focusing on empowering teachers, supporting innovation over compliance, and reconnecting schools with local communities. Specific strategies proposed include recognizing teachers, providing meaningful professional development, keeping class sizes small, organizing social events, and treating teachers with respect. The goal is to replace a tone of accountability with one of creativity and support human elements of teaching.

1. Building Teacher
Morale
in the Age of
Accountability
Happy, Positive,
Enthusiastic
Teachers ROCK!
with Bill Preble, Ed.D.
theCSCL.com - the Center
for

2. PREMISE…
Adult culture in schools and
teacher morale linked are
each critical in achieving
excellent results for children.

3. We know very well how to improve teacher morale:
teacher morale is a by-product of being treated as
leaders and being treated with respect.
Teacher morale is the ”end product of empowering
teachers to make decisions that affect their lives.”
( Dina Strasser, An Open Letter on Teacher Morale, Ed Leadership Feb 2014. p. 13)

4. Teachers and their schools have been under
attack for three decades.
A Nation at Risk, NCLB, Race to the TOP, all
began with the premise that schools, students,
teachers are the ones that are failing.

5. This constant drum beat of blame for America's
problems have taken their toll on teachers, students,
and schools.
• In 2013, 51% if teachers reported feeling under
great stress, that is up 15% since 1985.
• Five years ago, 62% of teachers reported being
"very satisfied" in their profession, today just 39%
of teachers do so, the lowest level in 25 years.

6. Less satisfied teachers are more likely to be in
schools whose budgets have been cut, where
professional development, and time for collaboration
has been cut, and these cuts are being made nearly
everywhere.

7. “Many school leaders believe that NCLB,
employs a leadership style that is punitive and
threatening, and that ignores much of what is
known about how to motivate people in
organizations."
(Brown, F. and,. Hunter, R.C.,(2006) No Child Left Behind and Other Federal Programs for Urban School Districts, Emerald
Publishing Group, p. 162.)

8. Yet at the same time, many school leaders are
themselves using heavy-handed leadership
strategies based on what leadership experts call,
a Directive Leadership style.

9. What is Directive Leadership?
"The primary objective of Directive style is
immediate compliance. This style relies on
"directives" rather than "direction". and uses very
little dialogue. Close monitoring is supported by
negative, corrective feedback with an implied, if
not explicit, threat. Efforts to motivate are focused

10. School reform discussions in the 21st century are
grounded in a management style Theory X that
was discredited and largely rejected in the
corporate world nearly 50 years ago.
(Harvery, James, Getting Beyond the Blame Game, Ed Leadership, Feb,2014, p. 28)

11. No wonder teachers in teachers rooms across the
country sound like Debbie Downer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXmRJ7VrNss&list=PLEQ4qo5ubyw57eaenV7rlJjpy_NKlTXi_

12. This has created a morale crisis in many schools.
Both the problem and the solution can begin to be
better understood when we understand the role of
Mirror Neurons.

13. Cynicism, complaining, depression as well as
enthusiasm, happiness, positive attitudes, and
openness to new ideas really are contagious!

14. Let's use the power of “mirror neurons” in the
brain to change teachers' moods and the climate
and culture in your school…

15. Pain video and magic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl8Tc3qNhCc
Yawning video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqG4G5Z02YQ

16. I promised you 50 strategies...
Let's start with Glasser's 7 Caring Habits

17. Schools need to adopt new norms of teacher
behavior and interaction based on these “caring
habits” to improve respect, communication and
collaboration.

18. Next Strategy: Happy, Smiley, Positive front end
loader

19. Adult Culture Data Activity
20 minutes
MVHS Case Study Activity

20. We propose school leaders work at three levels
to address Adult Culture issues:
1. Interpersonal level
2. Building level
3. Systems level

21. Core Recommendations
and Strategies 4vpart visual

22. Replace a Tone of Accountability with One of
Innovation and Creativity
Schools, especially low-performing schools, often seek
relief from pressure through alignment, adherence and
compliance with a certain program, curriculum, set of
standards, approach to faculty meetings, and so on. While
there is nothing wrong with having standards and expecting
teachers to stick to them, when this is done wrong it can
create a climate of "accountability" and "non-negotiables"
that requires all teachers to prove they are in compliance on

23. "Brand" Content, Classrooms and Teachers -- Not
Districts, Curriculum and Schools
Today, it is generally the district, a selected curriculum or
the school itself that gets the "branding," and is thus what
parents and students discuss. To increase teacher morale,
why not put the content areas (or unique classes based on
those content areas), classrooms and teachers at the
center of attention? This goes against tradition, where
teachers shy away from acclaim and spotlight, but maybe

24. Replace Forced Collaboration with Reasons for
Collaboration
Teacher collaboration, in person or in professional learning
communities and networks online, is a huge catalyst for
teacher improvement. But forcing teachers to collaborate
works about as well as forcing students to learn. Just as
project-based learning works best under the duress of an
authentic need-to-know, teacher collaboration works best
under a similar need-to-collaborate, not through forced and

25. Use Project-Based Learning to Embed within Local
Communities
This would help with the branding mentioned above, but
more importantly, it would put teachers in contact with the
stakeholders they are most accountable to: the local
community.

26. Replace Teacher of the Year with a Teacher Awards
Ceremony
Teacher of the Year ceremonies celebrate teaching by
celebrating one teacher.
Why not celebrate all teachers -- and do so in some merit-
based way rather than the "everybody gets a ribbon"
model?

27. Replace "Non-Negotiables" with Evidence of Success
There's a clear need for school districts to document those
rules and regulations that are "non-negotiable." Autonomy
is one thing, but teachers doing whatever they want
whenever they want is a pathway to failure. So what if we
replaced the goals of said rules (academic success in most
cases) with something else? Let's try evidence of success
with a focus on the persistent visibility of student work, and
let's train those who do "walk-throughs" to more efficiently

28. The Way Forward – 4 part model visual
• Rebranding teachers as passionate mediators of exciting
content
• Reconnecting with local communities in substantive
ways
• Seeking -- and supporting -- innovation rather than
compliance from teachers
• Rediscovering the human elements of teaching and
learning is among the most powerful pathways forward.

29. Thank you!

30. References

31. Next Step Resources are available at
www.theCSCl.com.

32. 50 Strategies for
Improving Teacher
Morale
by Derrick Meador
http://teaching.about.com/od/admin/a/Fif
ty-Ways-For-Administrators-To-Boost-
Teacher-Morale.htm?r=et
Enthusiasm is contagious!
Teachers who are enthusiastic
and genuinely enjoy their job will
typically see better academic
results when compared to
teachers who do not exhibit those
characteristics. Every
administrator should want a
building full of happy teachers. It
is critical that administrators
recognize the value in keeping
teacher morale high. They should
have several strategies in place
designed to boost teacher morale
throughout the year.
It will take more than one
approach to boost teacher
morale. A strategy that works well
at one school may not work well
for another. Here, we examine
fifty different strategies for
administrators to boost teacher
morale. It is not feasible for an
administrator to try to implement
every strategy on this list.
Support your teachers when parents complain about them - Put a treat in their mailbox with
a short appreciation note - Allow teachers in the district to eat lunch and breakfast for free -
Implement a casual Friday dress code for teachers - Organize some volunteers to cover
teacher duties a couple of times a month to provide teachers with an extra break - Back the
teachers 100% when it comes to a student discipline referral - Offer continuous feedback,
support, and guidance for teacher improvement - Initiate a pot luck luncheon for teachers
one time per month - Email words of encouragement or wisdom on a daily basis - Spread
out extra duties evenly. Don’t put too much on a single teacher - Buy their dinner when they
have to stay late for parent/teacher conferences - Brag about your teachers anytime the
opportunity presents itself - Organize an over the top Teacher Appreciation Week full of
goodies and surprises for the teachers - Provide them bonuses at Christmas - Provide
meaningful professional development that is not a waste of their time - Follow through on
any promises that you make - Provide them with the best resources and teaching tools that
are available - Keep their technology up-to-date and working at all times - Keep class sizes
as small as possible - Organize a night out for teachers with activities such as dinner and a
movie - Provide them with a terrific teacher’s lounge/workroom with lots of extra comforts -
Fill instructional material requests through any means if the teacher believes it will benefit
their students - Provide teachers with matching 401K accounts - Encourage creativity and
embrace teachers who think outside the box - Conduct team building exercises such as
going to a ropes course - Do not dismiss any concern that a teacher may have. Follow
through with checking into it and always let them know how you handled it - Offer to mediate
any conflicts a teacher may have with another teacher - Go out of your way to offer
encouragement when you know a teacher is struggling either personally or professionally -
Give teachers decision making opportunities in the school by allowing them sit on
committees for hiring new teachers, writing new policy, adopting curriculum, etc - Work with
the teachers, not against them - Host a celebration BBQ at the end of the school year -
Have an open door policy. Encourage teachers to bring their ideas and suggestions to you.
Implement the suggestions you believe will benefit the school - Solicit donations of prizes
from local businesses and have BINGO night just for the teachers - Provide your Teacher of
the Year a meaningful prize such as a $500 bonus stipend - Organize a Christmas party for
teachers with delicious food and a gift exchange - Keep drinks (soda, water, juice) and
snacks (fruit, candy, chips) in stock in the teacher lounge or workroom - Coordinate a
teacher vs. parent basketball or softball game - Treat each teacher with respect. Never talk
down to them. Never question their authority in front of a parent, student, or another teacher
- Take an interest in their personal lives learning about their spouse, kids, and interests
outside of school - Have random teacher appreciation drawings with magnificent prizes - Let
teachers be individuals. Embrace differences - Host a karaoke night for the teachers -