By David Bielik
The school year is well under way. Students have had their first rounds of homework and tests, and the school community has settled into a rhythm. Teachers are deep into their classroom routines, balancing lesson plans, grading, and the daily ebb and flow of student needs. This is a crucial time for school leaders. As an administrator, the way you show up for your teachers now can set the tone for the rest of the year.
The question is: how can you help teachers stay motivated, creative, and supported while also managing your own day-to-day responsibilities?
Here are some practical and sustainable ways to make your support meaningful:
1. Build Relationships With Teachers and Among Teachers
Strong relationships are the foundation of a thriving school culture. Take intentional time to connect with teachers individually. Ask about their wins, their challenges, and their ideas. Facilitate opportunities for teachers to collaborate and learn from one another, perhaps through informal lunch-and-learn sessions or regular grade-level team meetings. When teachers feel connected to one another and to leadership, motivation naturally follows.
Action step: Block out small but consistent chunks of time in your calendar each week to check in with teachers, even 10-minute conversations can make a difference.
2. Be Present in Classrooms
When administrators are visible in classrooms, it communicates support, not surveillance. Walking through classrooms lets you see learning in action, celebrate teacher creativity, and build rapport with students. It also gives you a realistic picture of what teachers are juggling day-to-day, an invaluable perspective when making schoolwide decisions.
Action step: Schedule regular walkthroughs or “learning walks” not tied to evaluations. Leave a quick positive note or email afterward to highlight something you appreciated.
3. Get to Know Students
Administrators who know students’ names, interests, and challenges model for teachers the importance of relationships. It also makes it easier to address issues proactively and to celebrate successes publicly. When teachers see you connecting with students, it reinforces the message that everyone is on the same team.
Action step: Spend time in common spaces (hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds) and interact with students. A few minutes of genuine conversation can ripple outward to improve school climate.
4. Provide Time to Listen to Teachers
Teachers often have ideas for improving school processes but may feel unheard. Providing time during a staff meeting or professional development day to hold informal listening sessions signals that their voices matter and allows you to gather real-time feedback. This not only strengthens trust but can surface creative solutions you might not have considered.
Action step: Try a “coffee with the principal” or “listening lunch” during your next professional development opportunity or teacher workshop day, where teachers can share insights, challenges, and wins.
5. Gather and Use Data to Guide Support
Motivation isn’t just about enthusiasm — it’s about effectiveness. Gathering data (on attendance, student engagement, or teacher satisfaction) gives you a clearer picture of where support is most needed. The key is to use the data not as a blunt instrument but as a way to co-create solutions with teachers.
Action step: Share data transparently with staff and involve them in interpreting it. This creates shared ownership of progress and improvement.
6. Make Support Tangible and Sustainable
Grand gestures are nice, but what teachers value most is consistent, tangible support, and sometimes it’s the small things that up. Reducing unnecessary paperwork, ensuring procedures are clear and consistently applied, encouraging and recognizing hard work and creative solutions are tangible supports that help teachers feel their work is valued.
Action step: Identify one or two policies or routines that create friction for teachers and work with your team to streamline them this semester.
Final Thoughts
When administrators intentionally build relationships, stay visible, and provide sustainable support, teachers are more likely to stay motivated, show up with energy, and continue creating engaging learning opportunities. The direct impact is clear: students benefit academically and emotionally when their teachers feel supported.
By making these efforts consistent and meaningful, you’re not just managing a school — you’re cultivating a thriving community where teachers and students alike can flourish.
The DMC Learning Success Team has over 30 years of combined experience in education, teaching in K-12 settings, and supporting learning success in college/university settings. Drawing from these experiences, DMC is committed to providing resources and tools related to our current work, which involves helping educational partners improve their culture through intentional and scalable solutions.