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Improving Teacher Morale and Motivation: Leadership Strategies that Build Success
Posted on: August 29, 2023
AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, LEADER & WORLD RENOWN EDUCATOR BARBARA BLACKBURN
“I think an effective leader is always defined by his or her ability to remove barriers to success for faculty and staff.”- Dr. Barbara Blackburn
Headlines across the world have highlighted the education crisis that plagues our industry from teacher shortages to ongoing low-morale. After a global pandemic and the economical and stress factors that continue to devastate the industry, the morale and motivation of our teachers has never been a more important and topical conversation. The new book "Improving Teacher Morale and Motivation: Leadership Strategies that Build Success" released September 5th by renown authorities - Ronald Williamson and Barbara Blackburn, tackles this important issue providing both conversation and strategies for leaders to help support and encourage the morale and motivation of their teachers in this day and age. Co-author and recognized top ten global guru in education - Dr. Barbara Blackburn, sat down to offer her perspective on the new book and it's voice for our leaders and educators.
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Your new book “Improving Teacher Morale and Motivation (Leadership Strategies that Build Success” will be released this September, what should a leader expect to takeaway once having read this book?”
How as a leader, how you can better understand the aspects of morale and motivation, and the strategies that you can use to improve teachers' morale and motivation. Teacher morale remains an important and vital conversation for today's leaders, and this book highlights not only it's importance but it's impact on both our teachers and student learning. The strategies discussed include examples and are both practical and those that can be implemented immediately.
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In 2023 what do you believe an effective educational leader is defined by?
I think an effective leader is always defined by his or her ability to remove barriers to success for faculty and staff.
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With the new school year upon, us what do you believe are the biggest challenges that an educator will continue to face?
Morale and motivation truly are huge challenges. The pandemic was such a stressor on education, and we are still dealing with the ramifications of that. Additionally, educators (including leaders) face criticisms that seem harsher than in the past. That impacts morale and motivation.
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The new book focuses on “Teacher Morale and Motivation” – in your opinion what are three things that are a difference maker for a leader in supporting teacher motivation?
Recognize and address the outside factors that negatively impact teacher motivation. Build growth mindset and resilience in your faculty. Most importantly, be sure your teachers can trust you.
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As a leader what would be the first piece of advice you would provide a new teacher to your school?
If you aren’t sure about something, ask. You aren’t expected to be an expert from day one—we are all in this together. If teachers took that advice, it would solve a lot of problems before they started—it would have for me during my first year!
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As well as a school leader, you were also a teacher – with that experience, to another teacher having a bad day or struggling – what would you advise them to focus on?
I wish I had focused more on the relationship with my students. When things were rough, I focused on academics. Taking a step back and strengthening my relationship with my students would have helped me be a better teacher.
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Today’s teaching profession faces so many difficulties, teacher frustration, and shortages with those continuing to leave the profession now at crisis mode. Based on your experience how does a leader begin to address these issues within their own school?
That’s why [my co-author] Ron Williamson and I wrote this book now. So much of what is happening now strongly impacts the morale and motivation of teachers. We can’t control everything, but we can do our best to mitigate the negative effects on teachers.
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As an educator with over 30 years of experience – how would you finish this sentence? – “At the end of the day the most rewarding thing about being an educator is…….”