10 Tangible Strategies to Build Collective Efficacy and Reduce Demoralization

Teacher recruitment and retention have become a national focus as the teacher shortage grows due to a decline in those choosing the teaching profession and the great resignation of those currently in the profession. Many districts are focusing on teacher burnout with renewed efforts to promote teacher self-care and reduce exhaustion.

Factors for burnout include:

• Overwhelming expectations in the classroom
• Micromanagement by administration
• Lack of support from administration
• Lack of respect from stakeholders
• Student behavioral issues
• Safety concerns
• Political pressures

Demoralization

While addressing burnout factors can impact teacher happiness, reducing demoralization will have an even greater impact. Demoralization occurs when teachers cannot see the moral rewards of their work and their impact on student success. Ask any teacher why they chose to teach, and you’ll hear comments about helping students succeed and positively influencing their lives. When the public displays lack of respect, when teachers are caught in the political volley of values, and when teachers don’t see a collective effort to fight for the common good, demoralization begins.

What Teachers Need

Using the research on collective efficacy, as Jenni Donohoo defines the term as “a staff’s shared belief that through their collective action, they can positively influence student outcomes.” The focus on educators and communities to solve problems collaboratively builds collective efficacy not only in teachers, but in their administrators as well. This collaborative focus reengages the moral rewards and highlights the efforts in the positive impact of teachers.

Try these 10 tangible strategies to build collective efficacy and reduce demoralization:

1. Focus on celebrating good teaching. Ask the question, “Are teachers engaged in good teaching?” Provide individualized professional development and relevant feedback on instructional practice to keep a focus on the worthwhile work that reinforces teacher aspirations. Ideas include peer observations with feedback and staff shout-outs.

2. Maintain high ethical standards and sense of moral purpose. Howard Gardner talks about the effects of “Good Work and Social Purpose.” Teachers strive to do good work and contribute to the moral imperative of education. They also respect it when those who do not hold the same higher standards receive consequences.

3. Provide administrative support and encouragement. Administrative support is more than just advocating for the teacher with students and parents. New research from the Harvard Business Review shares that the best leaders have contagious positive energy. The positive attitude uplifts and cultivates virtuous actions and reinforces the moral purpose of why teachers teach.

4. Bring teachers to the table. Teachers are great problem solvers and including them in the process is beneficial. Many aren’t interested in making the final decision, but the majority appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the conversation.

5. Provide the necessary resources in an organized manner. Provide an organized system for sharing and managing the resources your teachers need. Teachers spend hours researching and planning each week and get frustrated when they have to go to various places and use multiple login credentials to do their job well.

6. Show gratitude and celebrate teachers. Take time to involve parents and community members with opportunities to recognize positive acts of individuals and groups of teachers. A simple thank you note, or a community-wide gratitude campaign will have a great impact on teacher morale.

7. Protect teachers’ time. Providing teachers with planning time and using creative structures to free up teams with time to collaborate is much appreciated. Staff meetings should be utilized for celebration, problem solving and collaboration. Save announcements for email to make your time spent together more meaningful.

8. Focus time on learning about SEL, trauma support and mental health issues. Teachers feel unprepared to address increasing student mental health issues. Planning professional development on the topics of SEL and Trauma-Informed Classroom strategies will provide the support teachers need to help students beyond academic needs. There is also a need to focus on teacher SEL strategies as well.

9. Ensure trust and autonomy. Treating teachers as professionals and collaborating on problems together builds trust within the teams on campus. Using a “tight – loose” philosophy will establish expectations that are non-negotiable and provide the autonomy to use individual strengths and approaches.

10. Build collaborative teams. The traditional structure of education consisting of individual classrooms and teachers can perpetuate feelings of isolation for teachers. Demoralization and burnout are accelerated when teachers feel alone in their work. The effort to build and support collaborative teams, especially when focused on evidence-based impact, leads to greater satisfaction.

Utilizing these strategies will help you support all educators in fulfilling their moral purpose while reducing the growing demoralization in the teaching ranks. Want happier teachers? Remember that retention is more than addressing burnout. Teachers need to be reminded that their work is worthwhile and that individually and collectively, they positively influence students, families, and communities. Teaching is one of the highest callings and our educators change the lives of students and families every day – let's celebrate their efforts!