March can be a tough month for educators leading to low teacher morale.
As the weather starts to improve, both students and teachers can experience a decrease in focus and an increase in restlessness. The anticipation of Spring Break can make it difficult for students to concentrate on their schoolwork. And, with the end of the school year approaching, teachers may feel pressure to cover all of the required curriculum before the end of the year.
These challenges can contribute to teacher burnout and decreased morale, making it crucial to implement strategies that support and uplift the teaching staff during this challenging time.
This is why it is CRUCIAL that principals and administrators, instructional coaches, Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO's and PTA's) and any one else should pitch in as much as possible to let teachers know how appreciated they are!
The Effect of Teacher Morale
Teacher morale refers to the overall feeling and attitude of teachers towards their jobs. Boosting teacher morale is crucial for several reasons:
- Improved Student Outcomes:
- Increased Engagement: Teachers with high morale are more enthusiastic and passionate in their teaching. This translates to more engaging lessons, which directly impacts student learning and motivation.
- Better Classroom Management: When teachers feel valued and supported, they are better equipped to handle challenging behaviors and create a positive and productive learning environment.
- Enhanced Student-Teacher Relationships: Positive teacher morale fosters stronger relationships between teachers and students, leading to increased trust, respect, and a more supportive learning environment.
- Reduced Teacher Burnout:
- Increased Job Satisfaction: Recognizing and appreciating teachers' hard work significantly boosts their job satisfaction. This helps combat burnout, reduces stress, and encourages teachers to stay in the profession.
- Improved Teacher Retention: High teacher morale contributes to a more positive and supportive work environment, which can help retain talented educators and reduce teacher turnover.
- Positive School Climate:
- Increased Collaboration: When teachers feel valued and respected, they are more likely to collaborate with colleagues, share ideas, and support one another. This fosters a positive and collaborative school culture.
- Improved School Reputation: A school with high teacher morale is more likely to attract and retain high-quality educators, which enhances the school's reputation within the community.
In essence, investing in teacher morale is an investment in the overall well-being of the school and the success of its students.
Who can help improve teacher morale?
School administrators play a vital role in boosting and maintaining teacher morale by providing strong leadership, adequate resources, and genuine support. Teacher appreciation committees, often called “Sunshine Committees,” are dedicated to planning and organizing morale-boosting activities throughout the year.
Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs/PTAs) also actively contribute by offering support, organizing appreciation events, and providing resources for teachers. Even individual teachers can significantly impact morale by showing appreciation through small gestures of kindness, such as offering a helping hand, sharing a positive note, or simply acknowledging their colleagues' hard work.
Teacher Morale Planning Made Easy
This Teacher Morale Boost Bundle simplifies planning by providing a Monthly Morale Calendar as a ready-made framework. It suggests fun and engaging activities for each week of March, taking the guesswork out of what to do.
It comes with a blank March calendar that you can use to plan year after year! I print the calendar and all of our school events for the month. For me, having the structure of the monthly calendar is essential because it helps me ensure that my teachers are shown support and appreciation at the times of the month they need it the most.
The Shopping List eliminates the need for brainstorming and ensures you have all the necessary treats, supplies, and small gifts on hand. Pro Tip: Keep your shopping lists and record how many you bought of each item, then go in and record how much was actually used of each item! This helps you make sure you are buying the right amounts and not wasting money or running out of food! The shopping list is broken down by event (day) but you could easily alter it to create your own categories: (e.g., snacks, drinks, small gifts, decorations).
The 3 March Themed Specialties offer unique and inspiring themes to guide your planning and add a festive touch. Each theme includes a short list of ideas and posters to match! Here’s a closer look:
- Theme 1: March Madness Bracket Challenge
- Set up a fun bracket challenge for teachers where they vote on their favorite foods similar in an NCAA style tournament bracket.
- Foods good for a bracket challenge include Pringles, Oreos or Poptarts (pretty much anything you can get a wide variety of flavors in).
- Decorate with all things basketball!
- Bonus: For added fun, set up a FREE March Madness account on ESPN to keep your teachers connected (and competing) throughout the entire March Madness tournament.
- Theme 2: LUCKY to Have You
- Show teachers how LUCKY you are to have them with a wide arrangement of St. Patrick's Day themed treats!
A rainbow of fruit, green cookies or cupcakes, green M&M’s, Rolos, or even rainbow candy strips.
- Show teachers how LUCKY you are to have them with a wide arrangement of St. Patrick's Day themed treats!
- Decorate with shades of green and add shamrocks, rainbows and pots of gold!
Bonus: Have staff write one things they are lucky to have OR secretly have students write why they are lucky to have their teacher and surprise them with it!
- Theme 3: TEA-riffic Garden Party
- Welcome the Spring with a garden themed tea party! You can have different kinds of flavored tea (hot or cold) and pair it with finger foods such as small sandwiches, charcuterie, fruits and vegetables or small cookies and cakes.
- Decorate with fun Spring themed colors and add tons of flowers!
Finally, the inclusion of National Holiday ideas provides a wealth of inspiration for incorporating unique and meaningful appreciation gestures throughout the month. (And, if we are being honest, it gives you a good reason to celebrate with food during random times of the year!
Here are the National holidays included in the March Morale Planning Kit:
- Mar 1 – National Cold Cuts Day
- Mar 4 – National Pound Cake Day
- Mar 6 – National Oreo Cookie Day
- Mar 7 – National Flapjack Day
- Mar 7 – National Cereal Day
- Mar 14 – National Pi Day
- Mar 14 – National Potato Chip Day
- Mar 19 – National Chocolate Caramel Day
- Mar 23 – National Tamale Day
- Mar 23 – National Chip and Dip Day
This comprehensive bundle streamlines the planning process, saving time and effort while ensuring teachers feel valued and appreciated throughout the challenging month of March.
March Teacher Morale Planning Kit
You don't want to miss these creative and easy-to-implement ideas for boosting teacher morale, from small gestures of appreciation to large scale, themed events. The opportunities are endless!
Inside you'll find:
- A Monthly Morale Calendar: Plan fun and engaging activities for each week in March.
- A Shopping List: Get organized and ready to go with a handy shopping list for treats, supplies, and small gifts.
- 3 March Themed Specialties: Feel Good February, Nothing Bundt Love and Super Bowl Tailgate
- National Holidays: 11 National Holiday ideas to put a fun twist on unique appreciation ideas
This bundle is perfect for:
- School administrators and principals
- Teacher appreciation committees (Sunshine Committees)
- Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs and PTAs)
- Individual teachers who want to show their colleagues some love
More Teacher Appreciation Favorites (Coming Soon)
