The October slump. The pre-spring break blues of March.
Teachers will debate vigorously which months of the school year are hardest, but those two 31-day months tend to be the roughest for many educators. The shine of the new year has worn off by October, just as the workload has become heavier and student behaviors get more challenging. March鈥攕o distant from the refresh of winter break鈥攃an bring a backlog of work and stress about state testing.
Principals, though, can help. For starters, they should anticipate the low points and plan interventions for them, writes S. Kambar Khoshaba, a veteran principal in Lorton, Va. He expects that being proactive will help keep morale higher and burnout lower鈥攊ncluding his own.
In a recent advice column for EdWeek Opinion, Khoshaba highlighted three strategies he is using this year to intervene before teachers鈥� attitudes sour.
1. Know when morale is likely to flag
Depending on the school community and the composition of the staff, the periods when burnout is most likely can vary. That鈥檚 why Khoshaba did this last year:
- He surveyed teachers and staff members to gauge which months the majority say are the hardest. For his team, it was November and March.
2. Be strategic about when to celebrate staff and don鈥檛 limit recognition to one week a year
Everyone appreciates hearing when they鈥檝e done a good job or made a positive contribution, especially when the praise is specific. Teachers are no different. That鈥檚 why Khoshaba is doing this:
- He鈥檚 scheduling staff-recognition days for every Friday during November and March.
鈥淚deas that we typically save for Teacher Appreciation Week鈥攚ritten cards of appreciation from students, treats, and time off from meetings鈥攚ill now be spread out when morale needs a bump,鈥� he writes.
3. Involve students in helping staff stay more upbeat
Khoshaba knows he鈥檚 got some staff members who need help getting fired up for the start of a new school year. He鈥檚 tapping into the student body to help with that and to help build and maintain a broader culture of recognizing all the ways staff contribute. This is what he鈥檚 doing:
- A first-day-of-school pep rally to rev students and staff members
- Regular celebrations of staff and students who contribute to the school鈥檚 goal of a universal sense of belonging. Staff members will nominate students for overcoming a difficult challenge or for showing exceptional character鈥攖he top 5 will have their stories shared at the next faculty meeting. Likewise, students will be able to share stories of how a teacher has inspired them.
