Burned Out

School Leader Resources for When Staff are Burned Out

Burnout shows up in classrooms and the teacher’s lounge long before anyone names it. School leaders can support teachers through it and ease the weight staff are carrying with help from these resources.

A small cart with a glass jar, plant, pens and notes sits in front of a white wall. A poster above the card says "joy jar." A hand reaches in to drop a note in the jar.
A small cart with a glass jar, plant, pens and notes sits in front of a white wall. A poster above the card says "joy jar." A hand reaches in to drop a note in the jar.

Joy Jar: A Month-Long Staff Wellness Activity for Schools

A month-long activity where staff write down joyful moments and add them to a shared jar.
Ongoing
Four notecards taped to a desk chair. The chair is in front of a white desk with papers and jar of pencils.

Desk Drops & Daily Joy: Small Surprises that Boost Teacher Morale

A toolkit for school leaders to show appreciation, strengthen staff connection, and celebrate the everyday.
Ongoing
A stack of small paper coupons lay in a blue container with a pair of scissors on the side. On a bright green background.

Reward & Recognize: Printable Teacher Award Coupons

Printable recognition your staff will want to cash in.
Ongoing
Someone passes a coupon on to another person in front of a white desk with a plan and pens on it.

Take Ten: A Mental Health Break for Teachers During the School Day

A simple way for school leaders to give teachers and staff a 10–15 minute break during the school day.
10–15 min
Mini bottles of water, drink packets, and a water bottle sits on a wood shelf. A hand reaches in from the right to grab a drink packet.

Hydration Boost: A Month-Long Wellness Challenge for School Staff

A month-long habit challenge that gets staff drinking more water together.
Ongoing
A side view of a piece of paper with a plant vine next to it on a bright green background.

Center & Ground: Mindfulness for Teachers with 4 Practices

Simple grounding exercises for your staff to breathe, reset, and start the day steady.
1 min
A woman sits at a wooden desk with a laptop, plant, and writing supplies on it. She writes on a piece of paper in front of a brick background.

How to Know if You Are Effectively Communicating Expectations to Staff

Key questions for collaboration and follow-up conversations.
10-15 min
A man stands at a whiteboard writing on notecards with peoples' names on them.

Staff Superpowers

One of the easiest teacher recognition ideas for building a proud, connected school culture.
Ongoing
A poster with "welcome back" sits on a wooden table. Next to it is a sticky note pad where someone writes a note with a blue pen. Scattered around are small bags of snacks.

Back to School Bash

A snack cart send-off to welcome your staff back and kick off the year right.
30–45 min
A stack of small bags of chips sits on a table with a sign posted on the wall behind them. A hand reaches in to grab a bag.

All That and a Bag of Chips

A themed snack cart to celebrate your staff as the full package.
30-45 min
Several sheets of paper with large words on them lay on a pink background.

Purpose Paves the Way

A quick team building activity for teachers using a shared staff bulletin board.
5 min
A man stands in front of a bulletin board with photos on it. He writes on a piece of paper.

Guess the Classroom

An activity that works for any group size and gives teams a quick look into each other's classrooms.
Ongoing
Someone stands in front of a cart with pumpkins and orange treats on it.

Trick or Treat Trolley

A candy-filled cart leaders can wheel around to surprise staff with treats.
Ongoing
A man sits at a desk writing. In the background is a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it.

Supporting Teachers Through Challenging Behaviors

A practical guide and printable desk card that gives a clear plan for when they feel unsafe at school.
Ongoing
Several sheets of paper, small notecards, pens, and a roll of tape lay on a light blue background.

A Collection of Little Wins

An activity to notice the people, moments, and memories that make your school special.
15-20 min
A hand-written note sits in a pencil and pen holders on a wooden desk.

Gratitude Notes

A set of free printable thank-you cards leaders can leave for staff throughout the year.
2-3 min
A large calendar lays on a table. A hand reaches in to cross out a date that says "staff meeting."

The "No-Meeting" Staff Meeting

Low-lift ways to keep staff informed and connected without another meeting.
Ongoing

Staff Wellness Challenge

A point-based wellness challenge that supports staff wellbeing through daily habits.
Ongoing
Three women stand in front of a yellow wall with bingo squares on it. They write on the squares.

Staff Lounge Wellbeing Bingo

A printable bingo board for the staff lounge.
Ongoing
A man holding a clipboard stands in front of a woman seated at a desk in a classroom.

Quick Check-In, Real Connection

Ready-to-use one-on-one check-in questions for every moment of the school year.
5 min
A woman sits at a desk writing on a piece of paper. A whiteboard and brick wall are in the background.

Own Your Oops

A low-pressure way to address the small missteps that happen in any school.
5-10 min
A man sits at a desk writing on a sheet of paper. An open laptop sits beside him.

Finding the Joy in the Everyday

An activity to notice bright moments, jot them down, then share and display them.
5-10 min
A hand writes with a pencil on a piece of paper that has a calendar of September on it.

September: National Holidays to Celebrate Your Staff

A month-by-month staff appreciation resource that turns national holidays into ready-made celebration moments.
Varies
A clipboard with a school supply bingo sheet on it, and a jar of pencils lay on a desk with flowers.

School Supply Bingo

A team building activity where you share daily riddles, and staff fill in bingo cards.
5 min per day
Two hands play rock, paper, scissors. In the background is a white peg board with bead necklaces hanging on it.

Bead Battle: Rock, Paper, Scissors Staff Challenge

A low-prep way to add some energy to the school day.
Ongoing
A sheet of paper and blue pen lay on an orange tray on a green background.

Staff Self-Care Bingo

A staff wellbeing bingo board to help teachers and staff build simple self-care habits.
Ongoing
An arm with a white wristwatch reaches in from the left side and a hands points to the watch in front of a white brick background.

Ideas to Give Your Staff More Time

Practical ideas to give teachers extra planning time.
10-60 min
Three hands reach in to clink glasses that have an Italian ice drink in them.

Attendance Adventures: Italian Ice in September

A fun staff appreciation activity that rewards classes with perfect attendance.
5 min

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