Teachers Ed with Edward DeShazer

Grown and Recognition for Educators is Key

• Edward DeShazer

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0:00 | 11:25

www.EdwardDeShazer.org

SPEAKER_01:

You can say you're a family, you can say you're a community, but if everyone doesn't actually feel that it doesn't matter. So it's important that each of these pillars, they don't have to be perfect, but they have to be strong because when one pillar is weak, the rest are trying to hold up a culture and it is just not possible.

SPEAKER_00:

If you're an educator that's passionate, but you're tired and you're burnt out and you're wondering what to do next, this is a show for you. We're gonna learn together, we're gonna recharge together, and we're gonna grow together so you can be the best you and serve your students and your community to the best of your ability.

SPEAKER_01:

What's going on, Pod? Welcome back to the Teachers Ed Podcast. I am your host, Edward DeShazer, and today we are continuing our journey through the Building Bridges Blueprint. Uh, this is for those that are new here, a framework built to really help schools create cultures that are not just functional, but healthy, sustainable, and human. And over the last um, geez, I mean, probably eight or nine episodes, we've walked through leadership and communication, collaboration and teamwork, and staff wellness and morale. And today we're stepping into the fourth and final pillar, which is professional growth and recognition. And this pillar is often the quietest one, and not because it's unimportant, because it's easy to overlook when schools are busy just trying to survive. But I want to make sure that I say this clearly right from the beginning. If people don't feel like they're growing, and if they don't feel seen, culture is always gonna struggle. You can have phenomenal systems, you can have great intentions, you can have decent morale, but when growth stalls and recognition begins to fade, engagement is slowly gonna disappear. Excuse me, and today I want to unpack why this pillar matters so much and why it might be the missing link for your school culture. One of the most damaging forces in school culture isn't chaos, it's not even conflict, and it isn't even burnout, even those though those are the things that we most commonly feel like we are focusing on. It is stagnation. Um, stagnation is subtle, it doesn't explode, it erodes. It's when educators start thinking, I'm doing the same thing every single year, or when they start thinking that no one really notices what I bring to the table, or when they just don't feel challenged anymore, and when work and education begins to feel like a job, not a calling. And the part that leaders often miss is that people don't usually quit schools the moment they feel stagnant, they disengage first, they stop offering ideas, they stop volunteering, they stop pushing themselves, they stop believing their growth matters, they're still gonna show up, but they're no longer invested, and the culture begins to feel it. And one of the biggest, and I think I just gotta like kind of go through this again. One of the biggest culture killers in schools isn't burnout, it's people becoming stagnant. It is when educators feel like they're giving everything, but they're not growing, um, people aren't being seen. People don't usually quit right away. They will first disengage, and then if growth and recognition disappears, culture is gonna slowly erode. And when we talk about professional growth, a lot of people immediately think about promotions, new titles, new roles, new positions. But here's the reality: most educators aren't trying to climb a ladder, they're trying to avoid standing still. Growth is less for a lot of people, let me say. Growth is less about position and more about trajectory. People want to know am I getting better at what I do? Am I learning something new? Am I being stretched in a healthy way? Does my leadership believe in my potential? Growth can look like being trusted to lead a small initiative. It can look like mentoring a newer teacher, it can look like uh developing a strength instead of fixing a weakness, having input in school-wide decisions, and even receiving feedback that actually helps you improve. And when educators feel like they're growing, they feel energized. That's just the people thing. When people feel like they're growing, they feel energized. Uh, when they feel stuck, everything starts to feel heavier. Growth in education doesn't have to be flashy, it just has to be intentional. And sometimes recognition is about being seen, not being praised. So let's just take a second and talk about recognition because this is where most schools may miss the mark. Recognition is often treated like it is an event. We have teacher appreciation week, we have end-of-the-year awards, uh, you know, big school shout outs, and those things do matter. But culture isn't built in moments, it is built in the patterns that we have consistently. Recognition that shapes morale is frequent, it is specific, it is genuine. Um, it may sound like I noticed how you handled that student, or telling a staff member, thank you for your consistency, or you know, letting them know that you see the extra effort that they put in. Generic praise feels good in the moment. Specific recognition builds trust over time. And here's what I want the leaders on here. The here's what I want the leaders that are listening today uh to hear. People don't need to be celebrated all the time, they need to feel seen consistently. Recognition doesn't need to be loud, it needs to be consistent. Um, teacher appreciation week is great, but culture is built in everyday moments. Generic praise may feel nice, but specific recognition is what builds trust. People don't need hype, they need to feel seen. And here's the connection that leaders can't afford to miss. Growth and recognition are retention strategies. People don't often leave schools because the work is hard, they leave the profession because the work is hard. They leave schools when they feel invisible, they leave schools when they feel stagnant, they leave schools when they feel undervalued. When educators feel like their growth matters, their strengths are recognized, uh, their efforts acknowledged, they stay even during the harder seasons. But when growth opportunities disappear and recognition fades, morale begins to drop and decline. And when that happens, when morale drops long enough, people start looking elsewhere. Recognition isn't always about perks, it is about belonging. And what does intentional growth and recognition actually look like? It looks like leaders who ask staff what they want to grow in. It looks like aligning opportunities with to people's strengths. Um, it looks like giving feedback that builds skill and not fear. Um, it can look like recogn recognizing effort, not just outcomes. And it can look like celebrating people's progress, not just expecting things to be perfect. Um, growth will say, I believe in you. Recognition says I see you. And together, when used in uniform, they tell educators that you matter here, not just for what you put out and produce with your students, but for who you are. Growth says, I believe in your potential. Recognition says I see your effort. When educators feel both, they tend to stay engaged even when the work is hard. Growth and recognition aren't extras in school culture, they are how you keep great people longer. And as I get ready to close out this, we got we'll have one more episode where I'll go a little bit deeper. I want to leave you with um this final thought. Culture isn't built by systems alone. It is built by how people feel when they walk in your school building. When educators feel like they are growing when they feel seen, when they feel valued, they don't just do their jobs, they invest, they commit, they stay. Growth and recognition don't require some massive budgets or complex programs. They just require attention and intention. And when leaders get this right, schools don't just function, but they can begin to flourish. Leadership and communication, collaboration and teamwork, staff wellness and morale, and personal growth and recognition, together, these four pillars create cultures that last. And the times that I spend in other schools, you know, you can say you're a family, you can say you're a community, but if everyone doesn't actually feel that it doesn't matter. So it's important that each of these pillars, they don't have to be perfect, but they have to be strong because when one pillar is weak, the rest are trying to hold up a culture and it is just not possible. So that's what I got for you for today's episode. If this episode resonated with you, uh share it with a leader, share with a teammate uh that you think it can benefit and and that you can push to build a stronger, healthier school culture. Again, if you have not gotten the survey, uh shoot me an email. I will send it over to you. And if you have been following this series, I truly appreciate you for A, I just appreciate you for being interested in what I gotta say. I'm nobody important. So thank you for uh just locking in. Thank you for knowing that your culture in your school matters, and thank you for walking on this journey with me. So until next time, uh please take care of your students, please take care of your coworkers, and most importantly, please take care of yourselves. I appreciate you all. Uh, thank you for the work that you do, and I'll see you next time on the Teachers Ed podcast.

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Edward DeShazer

Host