September Staff Morale Resources to Boost Motivation

September is usually a busy month for school employees. While many of us around the country go back to school in August, September is usually just as busy! And. . . if you start school in September it is even busier. Help boost motivation and remind teachers and other school employees that they are valued and appreciated with some fun September staff morale resources! 

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Staying on Top of Staff Morale 

Being an administrator comes with many of its own unique duties and responsibilities. One of which usually includes monitoring staff and ensuring the employee climate stays positive. If you are in charge of this task, you know firsthand it can feel a tad overwhelming. But even though it can feel a bit tricky to juggle at times, staying on top of staff morale is SO worth it. When you work hard to focus on boosting motivation and morale in your school, you can look forward to:

• better relationships 
• better work ethic
• more positive staff meetings 
• a sense of community among staff 
• happier students and families and so much more! 

There's no end to the value of taking care of your staff and focusing on team building. This is especially true during busy months like September. So whether you start the school year in August or in September, making staff morale a priority this month will go a long way.  Here are 5 ways you can stay on top of staff morale in September! 

1. Back to School Scratch-Offs 

Have you tried using scratch-offs in your staff meetings yet? If not, you're in for a major treat! The idea behind this staff morale resource is a bit like those lottery tickets you can get at the gas station. You'll pass out cards that are pre-filled with prizes and covered with scratch-off paint or stickers. Then, staff will get to scratch off their ticket to reveal a fun prize. And don't worry, you don't have to spend tons of money on the prizes for them to be fun! 

My Back to School Scratch-Offs feature prizes like class coverage, copies made for the week, an impromptu jeans day, and prime parking. You can pick and choose the prizes that work best for your group and print them off accordingly. I think it's fun to pass out a single ticket to everyone, but you can also use these as a prize for other games and team-building activities you might be using during your meetings. There are also blank tickets that you can fill out yourself for other types of prizes as well. For more fun prize ideas, be sure to read this post next! 

2. September Staff Morale Photo Scavenger Hunt 

Speaking of team-building games for your staff meetings, I've got a really fun one for you to try! This Staff Morale Photo Scavenger Hunt is fun and easy to play at your September meeting and will have everyone eager to participate! To play, you'll choose from a list of 45 different prompts for pictures to search for in phone photo libraries. This resource comes with 3 different categories including Teacher Life, My Work Family, and Work-Life Balance. 

After you select the categories and slides to use, you will display them one at a time on a SmartBoard during your staff meeting. You can also print the cards off to be used like task cards instead of displaying them digitally. Staff will have to search their own personal phone photo library to see if they can find a photo to fit the prompt. If they can, they mark it down on their sheet. If they can't they have to move on to the next prompt. When all the slides are gone through, you'll be able to award prizes to winners who were able to "find" the most photos! This is a fun game to play in teams and really helps your staff get to know each other well. 

3. Breakfast Cart 

Is there anything better than having breakfast prepared or picked up for you? I don't think so, which is why I recommend using a Staff Breakfast Cart in your September staff morale activities! When teachers and other staff members are feeling a bit run-ragged from back-to-school festivities, they will be so happy to see a delicious cart filled with goodies waiting for them! If you don't have a cart, this is a great purchase and you will get a ton of use out of it. Check out this one as it will definitely do the trick! 

At my school, I used the resources in this packet to simplify this process. We used it monthly each year, so I liked to laminate the signs for future use. This resource will last you well beyond September! Inside you'll find sign-up sheets for 9 months. The idea is that every month a different staff team hosts the breakfast cart. This is a great way to show staff appreciation for each other, build a sense of community, and work in some time to socialize with colleagues. 

You may also decide to use Sunshine Committee funds or admin funds to organize it for the first month. This is an especially great idea for September when administrators are looking to show appreciation to staff. Then, every following month, another staff team can host. A monthly breakfast cart will absolutely make staff feel valued and appreciated during the busy month of September and beyond!

4. Sunshine Post-it Notes 

Looking for a simple way to spread a little sunshine during September? Try these post-it
note messages, which are designed to make your staff feel valued and appreciated! This resource includes printing instructions and templates so that you can print off these fun little notes for your staff. Each one has a cute phrase and image. There are 18 total messages to choose from, making this a great option to personalize the messages for specific staff members. 

To use, simply print them off, add a personal note if desired, and leave them in mailboxes, on desks, or car windows. I know your staff will LOVE beginning or ending their day with a personalized note just for them! Each of these notes has a "sunshine" theme, making them perfect to use all year long!

5. Hop to It Scavenger Hunt 

Alright friend, I've got one more fun September staff morale resource to share with you today! In this Hop to It Scavenger Hunt, staff members will scour the school for small, plastic frogs that have been marked with numbers 1-100 and hidden. At the end of the day, you will all meet up and take stock of which frogs have been found. Then, you'll draw numbers from a hat, and the staff member with the frog with the corresponding number wins a prize! 

This is a fun activity, especially if you get creative with how you hide the frogs throughout your school. I liked to place some in obvious areas, and others in no-so-obvious areas. You can find plastic frogs frequently at the dollar store, or on Amazon. If you choose to incorporate this activity, you'll also want to consider what prizes to include. These can be low-cost items like packs of pens, candies, gum, or scratch-offs, as well as larger items like gift cards. The best part about this game is that it's easily adjustable to your school, and your staff morale budget! 

September Staff Morale BUNDLE

Looking for a way to take some of the stress off your plate when it comes to planning staff morale activities for September and beyond? If so, I know you'll love my resource bundle options! You can find all of the September Staff Morale Resources mentioned here in the September bundle. You get all 5 activities, so you don't have to worry about planning and can instead just print and go! This bundle will make it super simple to ensure you have some fun staff morale activities ready to go in September. 

And if you'd prefer to be prepared for the whole year, I've got good news! I've bundled together 60 different resources perfect for motivating your staff all year long! Each month includes 5 different resources that align with the month, season, and holidays. This huge bundle will remove all of the stress from planning staff motivational activities and put the fun back into showing your staff how much you care! Check out the Full Year Staff Morale Bundle to get ahead on your planning so you can sit back and enjoy these activities with your staff each month. 

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August Staff Morale Resources to Start the Year Off Right

There's no denying that back to school time is one of the busiest seasons for administrators, teachers, and school staff! This crazy time of year is known for zapping the energy right out of us with endless to-do's, organizing, and prep work. If you're ready to welcome staff back to school in a new way this year, I've got your back! Let's talk about my favorite August staff morale resources to start the year off right! 

Why Staff Morale Counts from the Start! 

Working in a school is often a thankless job. This is especially true at the beginning of the school year. The students haven't arrived yet, but there is much to be done in preparation for the new year. There are floors to wax, cafeterias to stock, classrooms to prep, and new students to enroll. There are many moving pieces in a school and even before the year starts your staff is laying the foundation for another great year! Because of this, I think it is SO important to recognize your entire staff's hard work and acknowledge all they are doing.  

By taking some time to plan a few August staff morale activities, you'll be able to show your appreciation, encouragement, and gratitude to your amazing staff members. This, in turn, helps build increased productivity and a sense of community in the workplace. It's a win-win, no matter how you slice it! 

But let's not forget how busy you are! That's why today we are focusing on staff morale activities that you can prep in advance for August or the beginning of the year. These are things you can plan for during the summer and have them ready when everyone returns.

August Staff Morale Resources That Don't Take Hours to Prep 

Now don't worry friends! I'm not suggesting you spend endless summer hours prepping materials and activities. In fact, with some strategic resources, you won't need to spend much time or energy at all! Showing your staff that you notice their hard work and appreciate all they are doing does not have to take a big production or be a costly endeavor. In fact, it's often the small things that staff members appreciate because they come at just the right time.

These August staff morale resources come together easily and will wow your staff during the back to school season! Take a look at these ideas to start planning your own staff morale activities for the new year! 

1. Staff Favorites Booklet 

First off, let's start with a staff favorite... literally! This Staff Favorites Book was always something I looked forward to creating because it was so versatile. The idea behind this is that you will pass out pages with a list of blanks to fill in. The "favorites" on the page include items such as:

• favorite hot & cold drinks
• favorite sweet treat 
• favorite healthy treat 
• favorite store 
• favorite pens, and more!

Everyone will get their own page to fill out, and then turn them back in to be bound into a book. I like to make a few copies before binding. Then, the books get placed in strategic areas throughout the school. The staff lounge, office, and near the copier are all good places! I also make sure to share one with the PTO leadership.

Then, when someone would like to surprise a co-worker or get them a gift, they can flip through the book and find the perfect option! I love that this idea encourages a sense of community and doing good for others. Plus, the wide variety of "favorites" makes it easy to find something that fits a small budget! 

Print these pages off on summer break and plan to pass them out at the beginning of the year.  Better yet, set aside 5-10 minutes during an in-service meeting and have everyone fill them out at that time.  

2. Staff Birthdays 

Do you celebrate birthdays at your school? If not, you're missing out on a valuable opportunity to share a little recognition to each individual staff member throughout the year! But don't worry friend, this doesn't need to be an all-out production! In my school, I keep things simple with a fun monthly bulletin board display and birthday book to keep track. 

I used the printable pages in this resource to make a bound book with a list of all the birthdays in our school by month. The easiest way to do this is to print off the pages, bind them into a book, and pass it around at the first staff meeting of the year. Everyone will jot down their birthday under the appropriate month. 

Then, using the bulletin board supplies in the resource, create a fun birthday board for the staff lounge. Monthly posters are also included so you can see the list of names and birthdates for that month. I liked to laminate them ahead of time and put them on a binder ring. Then, just use a dry-erase marker to write down the names and birthdays each month. It's super quick and easy to flip the sign each month and fill it out! This simple gesture makes staff feel valued and encourages co-workers to browse the staff favorites book for a special treat for their colleagues.

 

3. Stock the Fridge 

Part of back to school time is spending a couple of weeks getting the classrooms and other areas of the school in order and ready to welcome students. Teachers and other staff members work extra hard during this time, often pulling long hours in the summer heat! Show appreciation by stocking the fridge with some cold beverages while they work! 

This Stock the Fridge resource is one of my favorite staff morale boosters for August because it's super simple and everyone loves it! All you need to do is print off the colorful signs and hang them around the school to notify everyone that cold drinks are available to them in the lounge fridge. Then, stock up the fridge with a variety of fun sodas, juices, and sparkling waters to treat your staff! 

This download includes 8 cute and colorful signs to let staff know that they are more than welcome to grab a cold drink while they get settled for the new school year. This will be a fun tradition that everyone will look forward to and appreciate!

4. Welcome Back Poem 

Looking for a heartfelt way to welcome staff members back to school in August? If so, I know you'll love this Welcome Back Poem! 

Included in this resource is an original poem written by yours truly! It's printed on a colorful, school-themed paper that makes it super simple to print and use. 

I recommend printing one for each staff member over the summer and folding them or rolling them up. If you want to get really fancy, you can use some pretty ribbon to tie the rolled-up poems. 

Then, on the first day, place one in each mailbox to welcome staff back and start the year off right! Your teachers and staff will be delighted to receive this special gift. 

5. Years of Service Award 

Last on my list of August staff morale resources is one that is perfect for recognizing your staff for their hard work and dedication. Years of Service Awards will be a wonderful surprise to your staff as you begin the busy back-to-school season. 

I liked to print these off and use them at our first staff meeting of the year. It's so much fun to pass out the awards and start the year off with a celebration! 

The certificates I use come in both color and black and white options for years 1-40. I liked to print them off on heavy cardstock and use a fancy pen to fill them in. This personal touch really adds to the gift and makes staff feel valued and appreciated. 

You can choose which years you'd like to recognize or make one for every staff member. Either way, this is a fun staff morale-boosting activity to use in August as you begin another year! 

Grab All of the August Staff Morale Resources In One Place!

Love all of these staff morale resources and ideas? Good news! You can find all of them inside the August Staff Morale Bundle! Simplify your planning for the whole month by grabbing the bundle! You'll get all 5 resources at a reduced price in one, easy download. This way, you can prep all of these activities over the summer and return to school in August ready to welcome staff with open arms! I know you'll be glad you did, especially as the busy season begins. 

I know this time of year is notorious for being busier than ever, but keep in mind that with a little bit of summer prep, you can recognize staff and start the year off on such a positive note. Choosing to incorporate some August staff morale resources will make all the difference when it comes to beginning the year on the right foot! 

Looking for More? 

If you know me, you know I love staff morale resources and activities! Here are some more posts to start your year off right! 

• Using Staff BINGO to Boost Morale
• 8 Ways to Boost Staff Morale in Your School This Year
• Create a Staff Morale Hub to Spread a Little Sunshine!

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