THRIVE
It can sometimes be hard to keep your chin up when you’re a teacher. Even those of us who still love our jobs can get discouraged–especially if we don’t feel like our administrators have our backs. Every principal should support teachers when there is a behavior issue or troublesome parents. Hopefully, most principals work to ensure that teachers have the supplies they need. And ideally, every administrator is respectful of her staff’s time and tries not to give teachers too many extra responsibilities. However, some administrators go even further when it comes to appreciating and supporting teachers. We know this because we recently asked our readers to share some amazing things their principals and VPs have done for them. We’ve used their stories to create this handy guide for any administrators looking for ideas–or for any teachers who are willing to slip this article under their principal’s door.
1. Give us a break!
Several readers told us about principals and vice principals who sometimes stop by their classrooms during the day to ask the teacher if she needs a break. Obviously, this is less ideal if the teacher is in the middle of a lesson, but if students are working independently or in groups, most teachers would love the opportunity to run to the restroom, grab another cup of coffee, make some copies, or just sit in silence for few minutes outside of the fray.
2. Set us free!
Some principals have even been known to draw names for a Free Friday Afternoon. The lucky winner each week gets a surprise day off while admin covers her classes.
3. Treat us to a little pampering.
A ten-minute neck massage goes a long way toward relieving stress. That’s what one group of teachers found out when their principals hired a team of massage therapists to set up shop in the teachers’ workroom.
4. Help us over the 2:00 slump.
An effective way principals can show teachers that they know how long the days can be is by ordering everyone’s favorite coffee or soft drinks and having them delivered around 2:00–just when the afternoon slump is hitting.
5. Answer our S.O.S. (before we send it.)
How about gifting each teacher with an “emergency kit” that includes things like chocolate, lip balm, a nice hand cream, or other little pick-me-ups for those extra long days?
6. Believe us when we say we are not okay.
Some teachers told us about times of personal crisis when their administrators stepped in and gave them the time off they needed without expecting a lengthy explanation of the issues–or sub plans.
7. Surprise us (and the kids) with silliness.
Imagine being a kid and as you go through the lunch line, you look up and the principal (in a chef’s hat) is plopping a spoonful of mashed potatoes on your tray.
8. Hide in plain sight.
Or what if you came in from recess, and the scarecrow your teacher had in the corner suddenly started talking–because the vice principal donned some overalls and straw hat and brought your teacher’s decoration to life?
9. Break a few rules.
No running in the halls? Okay, but if the principal challenges one of the kids to a race (inside or out) it is on! When administrators are willing to cut loose, they can bring some much-needed levity to campus.
10. Do our duty.
Lunch duty. Playground duty. Hall duty. Pick-up line duty…it means a lot when an administrator sometimes volunteers to take over a teacher’s duty. What a treat! More importantly, it really sends a message that the principal recognizes how many hats teachers have to wear in a day and makes any teacher feel appreciated.
11. Make us queen or king for the day!
Every royal needs the right outfit and a throne. Once the King or Queen is named (drawn randomly), he or she should have the right to issue a few decrees—like extra recess or a school-wide storytime. What a fun way to make a teacher feel special! And the kids would get a big kick out of it too.
12. Brag on us.
There are plenty of ways to make a teacher feel appreciated that don’t involve props or even a lot of time. One teacher we heard from was deeply moved when her principal took a picture of her teaching and then sent it in a card to all her students’ parents along with a note about what a great teacher she is.
13. Blow us away!
…How about a faculty shopping spree for school supplies?
14. Give us a little distraction.
We heard from one teacher whose principal surprised them during a P.D. day by making it movie day instead. Don’t forget the popcorn!
15. Put some elbow grease into it.
At one school we know of, every teacher got a free carwash–because admin rolled up their sleeves and washed teachers’ cars!
16. Just ask.
Particularly if you have a teacher who you know is going through a difficult time, personally or professionally, ask what you can do to help. Offer to watch her class or alleviate some of her duties, but also listen to what she says she needs. In some cases, just knowing the principal cares goes a long way toward cheering up a discouraged teacher.
These are just some of the things some awesome administrators have actually done to wow their much-appreciated teachers. Of course, principals have a job to do too, and what they can do for teachers depends largely on their budget and their own busy schedules. The important thing is finding ways – big and small – to show teachers how valued and appreciated they are!
