The modern teacher must be smart, flawless, fast on their feet, and equipped to handle any digital device thrown at them.

Teaching has always been tough, but add in the pandemic and the sudden need for teachers in the later stages of a long career suddenly having to negotiate Zoom? That’s been priceless.

To all those teachers out there who are still doing their best to succeed… To all those who are getting up every morning, even though they have five zoom classes and a practical lesson in the afternoon. For all of you still working hard to keep our kids up to date in their educations… you all deserve medals for your commitment to other people’s children. 

Now that the end appears to be cautiously flickering on the horizon, how are we going to handle getting back to business as usual in the classroom? How are we going to show up everyday in the pristine conditions we used to present in, pre-pandemic? Is it even possible?

Let’s review a few ways we can give our teachers a break in the coming months.

Teachers Need a Break

Those of us deemed essential didn’t have any time off during the pandemic… not at all! In fact, duties became laborious as we operated with a global trauma constantly in the back of our minds. Not only has the sector been shocked and stunned with additional workload, but we’ve also had to devise how to reach students that don’t have internet, don’t have laptops, and don’t know how to work any of it.

Teachers need a break. Besides that, though, they also need further training. Education Training issued right now could be the crucial building block to retaining those staff. OK, so we can’t afford to send them on holiday, but we could give them training days… full days of reading a screen and sipping tea in the breakroom. It’s to our benefit to, as education employers. We get the benefits of new skills learned, while Susan the English teacher gets a well-deserved break for a few days.

Asides from breaks and training, boosting staff moral is going to be a key factor for retaining staff loyalty in the coming months. To this end, let’s finish by reviewing the best ways to boost morale and keep those teachers coming back for more…

Boost Teachers’ Moral with These Top Tips

If your teachers are fading under the weight of their duties, try these top tips.

1 – Embrace the Little Things

A box of donuts on a Friday morning, finishing a half hour early on hump day, shared memes, and browser games, even something as simple as asking someone how they are – all of these are painless ways to boost teacher morale.

2 – Encourage Self Care

Get fruit in the staffroom, buy in herbal tea, start spreading an ethos of health and good well-being. Crucial to all of this is your attitude. Working on an open-door policy is the best way to reassure staff.

3 – Grow a Culture

Workplace culture revolves around rituals, making friends with colleagues, and positivity in the office. If you can harness this, you can manage anybody… even a cluck of unruly teachers.