Whether or not you are an educator, you know that there is so much power in gratitude. Decades of research about positive psychology, optimism and gratitude have shown that practices around mindfulness and gratitude can change our mindset and can help to create a happier, more balanced life. Joshua Brown and Joel Wong, professors of psychology and positive psychology from Indiana share four insights on how gratitude can provide psychological benefits in their article “How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain”. While these insights are part of a body of evidence that support the benefits of living life with an attitude of gratitude, I would like to take it a step further and talk about the importance of celebration as well. Especially as it comes to our staff and teachers.
In my humble opinion, appreciation, celebration and acknowledgment are something that should not be reserved for Teacher Appreciation Week and the other days scattered through out the year for the many roles in the education system. Rather, here are five reasons why celebrating your staff regularly can help build a foundation and culture of care and appreciation in your school, district, or workplace:
“Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace.”
Arianna Huffington
Celebrating our teachers and staff helps to show them how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication. Our teachers work long hours and often go above and beyond to ensure our students are in a safe, caring, rigorous learning environment. Showing gratitude for their efforts is an essential part of boosting morale and creating a positive work environment.
“Recognition is the greatest motivator.“
Gerard C. Eakedale
Recognizing the contributions of our teachers and staff as much as possible needs to be intentional. Be deliberate and thoughtful about it. This doesn’t require a lot of money, time, or effort. Consider creating a SHOUT OUT bulletin board with post it notes and colored pens in your staff room or work room and invite teachers and staff to contribute their own acknowledgements of each other’s efforts. Create a note that says something like, “Caught you being awesome!” and just drop it on their desk with a short note about what you are recognizing. Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our staff helps people feel valued and respected, which can improve overall job satisfaction and motivation. Who doesn’t want that?
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
H.E. Luccock
Acknowledge and celebrate teamwork and collaboration. Working in education is no joke! It can be the most rewarding and incredible career choice, but it can also be challenging, soul engaging, and all consuming. The emotional investment our teachers and staff make daily is best served when it is not done in isolation. We all know about John Hattie’s work around collective efficacy – it’s been a buzz word in education for many years, and the impact of people coming together in collaboration for our students is truly impactful. By intentionally building a positive work environment and recognizing the contributions of our teachers and staff, we can help build a stronger team that works together to achieve common goals.
“Culture is what motivates and retains talented employees.”
Betty Thompson
Celebrating our staff can help improve retention rates. When people feel valued, appreciated and cared about, they are more likely to stay with our schools and districts long-term. Feeling seen and acknowledged for the work that we do, or who we are as people makes us feel connected. Having a shared goal or purpose, and being empowered to have a voice in the creation and accomplishment of that vision makes us feel connected. When we can create an environment where our culture is one of care, concern, gratitude and grace, we create a space where people want to be.
“Morale is a reflection of leadership.”
Dr. Brad Johnson
Ooooo…this one hits me hard. The morale of your staff and teachers is a big weight to carry and is a reflection of what we as leaders bring to our buildings daily. The good news is, leadership can be collective. Our teacher leaders, leaders in our communities, and student leaders are also an integral part of the equation. In my mind, it all comes back to celebrating and acknowledging our people. When people feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions, they are more likely to feel positive about their job and their role within your school, district or work place. This belief and the actions that are shared here can help improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and create a more positive work environment overall.
Celebrating each other, with intentionality and purpose can help not only build cultures of collaboration, validation, positivity and care. It can also empower our staff to find ways to celebrate each other, and our students and families. We lose nothing by building each other up and can perhaps, gain much.
Learning, Leading, Living 