What to Do When Your School's in a Bad Mood

Megan Tschannen-Moran and Bob Tschannen-Moran

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"We can think of morale as an organizational mood," the authors write, "and we can view a school with low morale as a school that's in a bad mood." School leaders can improve mood and raise morale by implementing three strategies that promote the kind of good mood that fosters student learning and success. School leaners need to (1) manage their own positive presence and energy, (2) cultivate empathy and offer it to their staff, and (3) focus on strengths rather than on weaknesses and problems. The authors describe how schools can improve morale through the process of appreciative inquiry, which involves sharing stories of experiences that fostered high morale, imagining what a school would look like if it honored the themes and relationships that participants value, and taking action steps to realize this kind of school community.