Morale Boosting Factors According to Teachers

Now more than ever, the decline in teacher morale is a critical issue facing district leaders when evaluating the retention of teachers in our schools.

Recent survey data addressing factors affecting teacher morale provides insight that could impact the working conditions and overall wellbeing of educators who are in the field supporting the success and wellbeing of students every day.

Impact of Teacher Pay

EdWeek Research Center created the Teacher Morale Index (TMI), a year-over-year gauge of how teachers in the field feel about working in the profession. According to EdWeek, survey data for 2024-2025 suggests teachers are beginning to feel more positively about the profession than in past years.

One highlighted factor, teacher pay, was shown again as a significant factor impacting teacher morale in the 2024-2025 survey. In past years, survey data showed that a pay raise was the one change that teachers said would most likely improve their morale. This year’s survey data confirmed the continued desire of teachers for stronger pay, with 10 percent of respondents stating a pay raise was the only thing that would improve morale.

While educational leaders are facing significant budget decisions for 2025-2026, it will be important for districts to balance teacher pay raises with other important factors that lead to job satisfaction for teachers. It is also important to remember that teachers feel valued when district leaders evaluate and improve working conditions alongside strengthening the total rewards package provided by the district.

Survey Highlights

EdWeek asked survey respondents detailed questions that addressed various areas impacting teacher morale to include staffing, scheduling, leadership, and other common concerns. A few of the highlighted areas are summarized below:

• Staffing: Teachers want more staff hired at their schools, specifically more teachers. Large class sizes impact the workload and stress of teachers, in addition to having to supervise large class loads of students. Survey respondents also emphasized the need to hire more support staff to help manage student needs not related to curriculum.
• Leadership: When teachers think about leadership, they want more from their school leaders in managing student discipline issues, advocating for teacher needs, communication, and teacher appreciation. They also want leaders to trust them, and they want to be treated as professionals in their field.
• Student cell phone use: Technology challenges related to cell phone use by students in the classroom has come to light in the past few years, especially in secondary schools. Cell phone use has also become a hot topic for district leaders when implementing campus structures and the student code of conduct. Survey respondents believe stricter discipline and closer monitoring of cell phone use would greatly impact teacher morale.
• Teacher wellness: While teacher pay is a strong factor impacting teacher morale, the benefits offered to teachers, specifically health care and the opportunity to have mental wellness days as part of their leave allowance, are two factors that would greatly boost teacher morale. Many teachers struggle to obtain affordable healthcare options for their family and themselves. Additionally, teachers believe they should be provided mental health days and be encouraged by district leaders to use these days to address burnout and stress.

Addressing Teacher Morale

Teachers are one of the most valuable resources in our schools, and their morale is directly linked to job performance and their impact on students. As the challenges and difficulties facing education continue, educational leaders will need to be intentional about how teacher morale is addressed in their organization and schools.

Low-cost options may include administering an employee engagement survey, conducting stay interviews, or creating advisory committees that include teachers as key stakeholders to improve retention and appreciation efforts in the organization. Acquiring and using feedback is key to demonstrating leader engagement in addressing the concerns and needs of teachers.

The first step to boosting teacher morale is providing a pathway of communication between teachers and their trusted leaders. Then, district leaders can create an actionable plan to show how the organization values its teachers and all the hard work they do each day.

Employee opinion surveys are one of the many consulting options provided by TASB HR Services. More information can be found on the TASB Employee Opinion Surveys webpage. Reach out to hrservices@tasb.org or 1-800-580-7782 with any questions.

More information about the Teacher Morale Index can be found in the EdWeek The State of Teacher article Teachers Say These 5 Factors Could Boost Their Morale.