Easy ways to boost staff morale.

[bitofwhatyoufancy]

Hi! I work for a head teacher who is kind hearted, well intentioned and passionate about the kids. Great hey?
Except his people skills are appalling and as a result many people in the school are unhappy and demoralised.
After taking advice he's just told staff that for the last few weeks of term as long as planning is done people can do ppa from anywhere and can swap around days/times as long as everybody is happy. This seems like a great move as people can go shopping or attend their kids school events.
It got me thinking though, setting aside all the big things that make teachers feel low, what small things can head teachers do that helps to boost staff morale?
I will pass on suggestions as he really does want to improve things I think!!
Thanks!

All very true copy!! Sadly true in most schools and morale raising measures are usually a sticking plaster.... Still the way I see it, anything that encourages the HT to understand that A) staff are unhappy and B) it is their role to try to tackle that, has got to be a good thing. Even if we start off small.

Agree about centralised detentions. Have been known to say to kids 'I don't want to give you a lunchtime detention because then I lose my lunchtime too, and I've done nothing wrong'. Makes them think!

Anyway, easy ways: Half termly staff 100% attendance draw to win a free period 5.

I think a brief, handwritten note occasionally, noticing / commenting on something. Also, passing on things a head has been told - we loved the play, great football team, x loves Maths with you etc.

Half termly staff 100% attendance draw to win a free period 5

This rewards the fortunately healthy, those who come in and spread their germs, and discriminates against any carers/bereaved/people whose MH/PH has been fucked up by the school.

At my last UK school, the HT sent congratulatory cards to the 100% attenders, whereupon many of the cards ended up in pieces in the nearest bin for the reasons given above.

In my present school in Au, all staff who do camps, sports, etc. are named and thanked at the Monday morning shout.

When I was having a crap week a while ago, I came into work one morning and there was a mars bar on my desk with a note that said 'keep going, you're doing a great job and I believe in you' from my team leader. Little things like that are what are important, not free cake in the staff room or raffles.

I work in a PRU and knowing management have got your back is so important. I was giving the deputy head a verbal report about an incident and said "if you check the CCTV..." And he said "I don't need to. Your word's enough." That makes a huge difference.

Other than that, on our head's breakfast club duty, he cooked bacon and eggs for the students and staff, and we all sat round together to eat.

He usually buys Starbucks for everyone on CPD days.

Weekly meetings now happen every 2 or 3 weeks.

Just to throw in a curve ball, I hate being 'thanked'. I find it (how British!) very embarrassing and -usually- insincere.

The example above of the chocolate bar on the desk is sincere though and line managers actually buying something nice at Christmas easter etc is always nice . But they honestly need to stop feeding us. I hated my old 2nd in dept and she kept bringing in croissants as if told to. I don't eat breakfast and the whole 'come and eat food' thing just made me crosser! It's different if someone brings it in to be nice.

How do these public shout outs not end up overlooking people and picking out favourites?

To make staff feel better , leaders need to have a long , careful look at the language they use, the smiling thing, definitely, come out of their offices more and just generally look at things like promotion opportunities and giving everyone opportunity to get involved in big decisions. Give staff a genuine voice. Actually evaluate initiatives. Don't just dump them hoping we won't notice...

David Didau's book has an interesting page on this.

Rant over.

bitchy our SLT are obsessive CCTV checkers! And you are absolutely right : that one is about trust. Good leaders work in high trust organisations.

I , personally, would also like out SLT to take their heads out of each others' backsides (sorry!) and look outwards more, and actually they should keep on top of the latest education news and developments so that they actually appear interested in the art of teaching and not just data. They are often threatened by debate which they view as dissent. That is common to a lot of SLTs, I believe and middle managers , too.

leccy this isn't just about academies and MATs, honest.

Another thing!

Headteachers!! How about sending Christmas cards??

Back in the day, heads did this.

Hand signed is nice, but even pre signed ones will do.

About eight years ago our head started lying that he wasgiving to charity instead and for the past three or four years that hasn't even happened.

That really isn't hard.

When I was a HOY, my team wrote one to every tutor group (13 of them ) by hand. It was always lovely to get one or two back.

It's funny, piggy how you don't want to be thanked, but do want a Christmas card. I don't want a Christmas card, in fact when I was clearing my bag out in the summer, I found a squished Christmas card from SLT at the bottom of my bag! I'd rather someone in management occasionally said to me (and not just the team) that I was doing a good job. When you've had a Y8 tell you you're a crap teacher, or a Y9 say the work is boring or you find graffiti on a desk saying 'tick if you hate maths' it can get a bit tiring.

From my SLT that would be an entirely forced and hollow gesture.

I wouldn't necessarily prize the card but I just genuinely think it is a duty encumbent upon a headteacher and if he or she doesn't do it it is a sign of disdain. Or of only caring about building immediate small teams.

I do think some thanking is important: genuine thanks and presents post Ofsted form line managers, SLT and governors are important things. I juts don't like being singled out for slimy thanks! At my school , I am so cynical that I assume the leaders are keeping a note of who they have thanked in order to build evidence of their won leadership!

I have no issue with genuine thanks!

own not won obviously but won works somehow...

To give a good example, the head of DSs school just sent a post Ofsted newsletter. At the end he wrote heartfelt thanks to groups of people. It was a bit cheesy (and I hope he thanked staff to their faces, too!) but his list began with students, and then teachers , followed by parents, SLT and governors (the last three may not have been in that order). Now some may grumble about putting the kids first but I thought it was great that he so openly thanked the teachers,so specifically.

Except his people skills are appalling and as a result many people in the school are unhappy and demoralised.

My advice would be to go on a people skills course, and talk to the people he is managing to find out what makes them tick. And then manage them properly.

Piggy I think that's the problem that I mentioned in my first post. If the big things are a issue and SLT are not rated, then it doesn't matter what little things SLT do, it won't be taken well. If SLT are liked, then the little things are appreciated because they seem genuine, even if they are ticking a box.

You're posting like you've had a bad week, btw, so and if needed!

Recognising loyalty and long service?
Having worked at the same school for 25+ years, it would be nice if someone from the school or LEA thanked me at some point.

When I was having a crap week a while ago, I came into work one morning and there was a mars bar on my desk with a note that said 'keep going, you're doing a great job and I believe in you' from my team leader. Little things like that are what are important, not free cake in the staff room or raffles.

This ^ x 100.
Stuff like sending a Christmas card, or a generic thanks at end of term staff meeting, or the suggestion above of a raffle, isn't nearly as valuable as someone noticing. that means noticing when you've gone the extra distance and noticing when you are struggling. It is definitely about it being personal, for me.

Taking a few lessons / playground duties / detentions so teachers can use the time to plan, write reports or marking etc. That way he's helping out staff and also getting to know the kids better. Everyone benefits.

noble Haven't had a bad week , just a rather frantic one. went on a course so that was jolly and uplifiting!

I have post Ofsted blues !

and SLT could have bought us chocolates and cards

Did your grading go down as you thought it might? Perhaps that's why no chocolates?

It did in one category, yes. it is still a very very good report though and they are enormously pleased with themselves I hear!

That definitely deserves chocolate then. Did they not have a celebration in the staffroom?

Nope. Everything was kept secret until a staff meeting the day before the report went live. Leaves a bit of a sour taste, unfortunately.

That is crap. I think we had fizz in the staffroom when our last report went out. It's such a totally awful and stressful time when the whole school pulls together so that really should be recognised in some way.