Teacher Appreciation Week is not only about giving teachers well-deserved kudos. It鈥檚 also an opportunity for principals to forge meaningful connections with their staff.
School leaders can have a profound impact on keeping teachers engaged and excited about their jobs, and new studies have shown that school leaders鈥� actions can play a significant part in helping reduce teachers鈥� stress levels. So it鈥檚 important for school leaders to take stock of these relationships, and assess how they can nurture them to their fullest potential.
Earlier this year, teachers responded to ansharing the best ways their principals show appreciation for their work. We鈥檝e collected four of them for you. Now, put them in action during Teacher Appreciation Week. Some responses have been edited for clarity.
Show respect
鈥淭he BEST way to show appreciation is through respect. Respecting teachers as the highly qualified professionals that they are and making sure their salaries reflect that.鈥�
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Give teachers some time for themselves
鈥淭ime is the best form of appreciation. Turning a scheduled PD/meeting day into a grading day (even better if it鈥檚 from home) is like all the holidays put together!鈥�
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鈥淭oday it was being afforded the guilt-free opportunity of maintaining my commitment to volunteering in my son鈥檚 class even though we were short-staffed.鈥�
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Offer treats or a fortifying breakfast
鈥淥urs brings us treats every first Friday of the month she bought with her own money.鈥�
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鈥淢y principal used to do the breakfast cart twice a year. She鈥檇 buy biscuits and donuts and coffee and juice and bring breakfast to us as we taught. Fun morale booster!!鈥�
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Give a sincere thank-you
鈥淎 personal thank you and a handshake goes a long way.鈥�
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鈥淚 had a principal who always left a note on [my] desk [during] meet the teacher night. She commented on how nice the room looked, the appreciation for the work we did and wished us a wonderful school year.鈥�
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