Speed Read (tldr) of The Ultimate Guide for Increasing Staff Retention and Morale
Support and Engagement: Actively listening to staff through feedback mechanisms like Pulse Checks is crucial for understanding their needs and improving satisfaction, which directly impacts retention and morale.
Workload Management: Addressing concerns about teacher workloads and providing adequate planning time are essential strategies to alleviate stress and enhance retention and morale among staff.
Building Trust: Establishing strong relationships between staff and administration through open communication, recognition, and support fosters a positive school culture and helps retention and morale.
Read below for resources, tips, and the why!
Jump to...
- Engaging and Retaining Staff
- Sustaining Strong Schools: Strategies for Teacher and Staff Retention – Event Recap
- Maximizing Planning Time: A Perspective for Teachers and Administrators - Possip
- Dear First-Year Teacher - Possip
- Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends From School Staff
- 6 Ways to Retain and Motivate Staff Over Winter Break
- What You Can Do When Your Staff Gives You Critical Feedback
- Building Trust Between Staff and Admin
As teacher turnover rates are at record levels across the country, it’s more important than ever to support your teachers and staff. Boosting staff retention and morale and ensuring teachers feel supported by their school leaders can help limit staff turnover and vacancies. However, with the daily difficulties of managing schools, students, and parents, it can be tough to identify the best ways to support your staff.
We present The Ultimate Guide for Increasing Staff Retention and Morale, with jump links below to help you navigate quickly to the ideas and strategies you need most. For access to full articles in our membership portal, use promo code WELCOMETOPOSSIP for one month free!
Engaging and Retaining Staff
March 10, 2021
Through staff Pulse Checks we see teachers and staff members have a diverse array of thoughts and feelings about their satisfaction – and about what is being asked of them during this time. Some are excited and ready. Others are struggling with the trials and tribulations of this year – and truthfully, every year. That is what inspired this blog post about engagement, staff retention and morale..
I started to write this blog to help those working with teachers and staff continue and grow their support of teachers and staff. As I penned this post I found myself convicted as a leader of our team. I had to stop to consider all of the needs outside of our work that might be top of mind for my team members. I found myself thinking about some of the things that are top of mind for me: as a human, a mom, an employee.
So as you think about supporting staff and teachers, here are a few ideas…
Sustaining Strong Schools: Strategies for Teacher and Staff Retention – Event Recap
December 8, 2023
Possip’s recent webinar brought together a panel of experts to discuss innovative strategies for enhancing staff retention and morale in schools. The event centered on data collected through school Pulse Checks® and underscored the importance of listening to and valuing staff feedback, a cornerstone of Possip’s mission.
The panel explored the “Top 10 Staff Feedback Trends” and “5 Key Recommendations” aimed at improving teacher and staff satisfaction. Highlights included the significance of peer recognition opportunities, addressing teacher workload, and bolstering internal communication systems.
Maximizing Planning Time: A Perspective for Teachers and Administrators
October 4, 2023
Staff members share through their Pulse Checks that limited teacher prep time and extra meeting time can be exhausting as they try to drive student learning and achievement. Yet administrators are often under significant pressure for student achievement and have paperwork, meetings, and requirements–where teacher input and participation is vital!
With this dynamic, teachers feel at odds with their principals, principals have high stakes deadlines, and two people who share a goal – student achievement – can feel at odds.
So–what can we do about it?
Dear First-Year Teacher
This content was originally published December 2023.
Sarah Besand, a teacher and Possip Reporter, encourages first-year teachers with tips and advice from seasoned educators. As an administrator, use this post to build your empathy for your first year staff members and remember what it was like when you first entered the classroom!
Dear First-Year Teacher,
When I think about my own season as a first-year educator, I wish I could give my past self a big ol’ hug. Every day can feel like you’re learning so much while trying to teach at the same time! From veteran teachers everywhere–we hear you, and we have all been there.
Teachers build up each other. Whether it’s staff members in your building showing you tricks of the trade or teachers in this blog sharing their advice, teachers help teachers. Here’s a collection of tips and advice from veteran teachers who were once in your very same shoes.
Prioritize Self Care
As I interviewed a pool of educators I admire, I heard a clear emphasis on prioritizing self care again and again. As teachers, we can often feel committed to many projects and tasks throughout the day. However, prioritizing self care on our to-do list ultimately makes us stronger in our field. It’s important to remember that our students prosper when we are healthy, calm, and well-rested.
It’s also important for our students to see relaxed and regulated role models in their life. In our fast-paced world today, self-care can frequently be pushed to the back burner, and our students mimic what they are surrounded by. Consider modeling for students what it looks like to take care of yourself emotionally and physically as an important investment in the next generation.
Self-care can look different for every teacher. I find rejuvenation while hiking, practicing yoga, and journaling. For another teacher it could be making time for a Zumba class or playing with their children. For another it could be weekly therapy. If you find something restful and energizing at the same time, it’s probably a great self-care choice for you. Remember that what serves you best can change over time. Here’s a blog with more ideas!
Sincerely,
Teachers Everywhere
What You Can Do When Your Staff Gives You Critical Feedback
This content was originally published December 2023.
At our Possip event, Sustaining Strong Schools: Strategies for Staff and Teacher Retention, one of our top recommendations for administrators includes giving meaningful feedback and support.
We base this recommendation on data from our Staff Pulse Checks®. Over the 2022-23 school year, staff’s #3 top feedback trend revolved around their leaders and administration. Our data shows that within feedback staff gave about their administration, these sub trends emerged…
Building Trust Between Staff and Admin
This content was originally published November 2023.
A common feeling among school leaders is a desire to connect with their staff and build trust and meaningful relationships.
Virginia Williams, Possip reporter with a background in Elementary Education & Special Education, shares ideas to foster the trust of your staff.
By getting “in the trenches”, assuming the best in others, and creating opportunities to receive and respond to feedback, school leaders can establish and maintain strong relationships with staff which ultimately contributes to a positive staff culture and a thriving school community.
Get in the Trenches
I once heard the CEO of a large organization say that he’d never ask his staff members to do something that he wasn’t also willing to do. This attitude is one of humility and inspires humility in others as well. Step into the uncomfortable, model humility and be willing to make mistakes if you want your staff to do the same. For example, if you’re encouraging staff members to use a certain teaching strategy or classroom management tool, get in a classroom and model it for them!
Assume the Best
When providing feedback to staff, always assume the best. Give the benefit of the doubt and seek to understand. For example, if you notice a staff member looking at her cell phone during instructional time, rather than immediately reprimanding them, assume she is responding to a student’s parent about an urgent matter or perhaps dealing with her own emergency.
Start feedback conversations about such incidents with neutrality and “I notice” statements. For example, “I noticed you had your cell phone out during your lesson today. Was everything okay? Can you tell me about that?” Staff members need to believe that you’re their biggest cheerleader! Assuming the best in them before jumping to conclusions or critiquing behavior will help your staff members feel that you believe in them and are rooting for their success. As a result, they will receive feedback with greater humility and an open mind.
Listen and Respond
Lastly, create opportunities for your staff to give YOU feedback as well. Possip Staff Pulse Checks® are the perfect way to open lines of communication. We have found that staff members are more likely to respond anonymously than families in Pulse Checks. To that end, make sure that you are providing a way for staff members to feel safe to express their honest opinions.
Furthermore, once you receive feedback from your staff, respond to it. Reassure staff that you’ve heard them and will take any necessary action. Demonstrate your willingness to change what you can based on the needs your staff expresses. For more on this topic, check out The Building Block of Successful Schools: Trust. Additionally, here is some information about Possip Staff Pulse Checks as well as some ideas for Bonus Questions you can ask.
Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends From School Staff
This content was originally published September 2022.
Hearing from staff members is so crucial, especially during this time when teacher retention and staff shortages are top of mind for many families and school communities.
We’ve collected back-to-school trends that we heard from staff members through Possip. We’ve heard from over 6,000 staff members this year and over 64% of them are happy with working at their school.
Overall, many of the topics from last year to this year persist, as you’ll see below in the top 10 trends. However, we are seeing that more staff members are feeling stressed and overwhelmed earlier in the year than in the past. They also are advocating more for higher compensation and recognition for all their hard work, which was also a repeated trend from last year. However, the happiness of staff members was higher than last year by 8%, so it looks like intentional efforts may be happening to boost morale and positivity on campuses!
Here are the top trends from this past month:
#1: Teacher Workloads
We heard staff members use terms like “too much on my plate”, “overworked”, and worries about “getting it all done”. Teachers are taking on extra duties and don’t feel like they have enough help, time, or resources to complete their long to-do lists. Teachers are already advocating for more balance and sustainability for this school year.
#2: Compensation
Staff members are sharing feedback that they don’t feel like the work they are doing is matching the workload. Also, they feel that teaching positions should have more competitive pay overall. Teachers are asking for pay raises, increased benefits, stipends for additional work, and bonuses throughout the year.
#3: Administration Feedback
Teachers feel their administration may not be providing enough support. In addition, they feel they are sharing leadership areas of growth. On the flip side, some teachers feel micromanaged and are getting feedback from leaders unproductively. Teachers also want to feel more listened to, respected, and connected to their administration team. They also want communication, expectations, and presence from leadership to be more consistent and effective. In some of our Possip partner schools, leadership teams have been new and trust has not been built yet.
#4: Student Discipline and Behavior
We also heard that teachers feel a lack of support with disciplinary incidents on campus and requests for more support in certain areas of the building, including hallways and the cafeteria. Teachers are sharing that they are seeing more violent behavior from students and are asking for more ways to build consistent schoolwide classroom expectations and behavior plan implementation. Staff members shared they don’t feel respected on the day-to-day by students and want support from administration that focuses on student accountability of their behaviors.
#5: Professional Development Sessions and Teacher Training
Teachers are asking for more differentiated PD sessions that really increase the effectiveness for all. Similar to the teacher workload trend, teachers want to be able to have the option to opt out if it isn’t essential to them. This way, they can make more time for deadlines or work completion. We also heard requests for filmed asynchronous training that can be done flexibly after deadlines are met. Teachers are also relating training to teacher vacancies. They are asking that teachers don’t have to physically leave during the school day for training so all classes can be covered. Staff members also gave ideas to increase training for new teachers and substitutes to ensure those educators are set up for success.
#6: Staff Shortages and Teacher Vacancies- Upholding Retention and Morale
Teachers were asking questions about hiring timelines and wondering when positions would be filled. We also are still hearing a continuation from last year around a lack of substitutes on campus. This is leading to large class sizes and requests for permanent subs at each school to consistently fill needed teacher vacancies.
#7: Curriculum
There was feedback provided around requesting more support to implement the new curriculum this year. They want more time to get comfortable with the curriculum before teaching it. Also, there are requests to hear teacher voices in curriculum decisions. We also heard that teachers need more time to plan their curriculum, the chosen curriculum is dry and students are not engaged, and it’s not differentiated so it’s either too slow or too fast for students.
#8: Planning Time
Teachers noted that the current planning periods are not productive when used for campus or content-wide planning, they need more time overall in the schedule for planning, and that time is being taken up by too many meetings (ARDs, 504 meetings, parent conferences, etc.). Teachers truly believe planning time is related to retention, and that if teachers have more time to complete their work and have planning periods during the day, it would lead to fewer vacancies and more stable schools.
#9: Facilities and Cleanliness
Teachers need better air conditioning on campus, and better cleaning practices in classrooms and around campus. In addition, there were requests for classroom furniture or to fix things in classrooms. Many of these things are normal for back-to-school time. However, this was also a trend we saw with staff members at the end of last year that has continued.
#10: Communication
Teachers want consistent and effective communication from their administration and district leaders. They shared feedback about slow response time to emails sent to school/district leaders. Also, they reported non-proactive communication and last minute reschedules. Staff members also shared a need for substitutes to have access to all necessary school communication methods. Substitutes want to be successful and “in the know” on campus.
6 Ways to Retain and Motivate Staff Over Winter Break
December 6, 2023
After several years of modified schooling, illnesses, and complex world issues, everyone is ready for a break this winter. As an administrator, you hope your staff prioritizes recharging over the holidays. You want to set up students and staff to come back ready in January. But you might also be worried about teacher motivation and retention during this time of year.
We know we always think broadly about engagement, staff retention and morale. As you enter a lengthy break, there are six things you can consider specifically to ensure staff return in January and are excited about the second semester.
