Guide

Try implementing a few of these ideas this upcoming school year to create a sense of belonging for your new teachers and show them that they’re a vital part of the school community. Celebrate them joining the team and ensure they feel welcomed and supported from day one!

Checking in with your staff on a consistent, intentional basis is easier said than done! Regularly asking "How are you doing?" builds trust, provides school leaders with actionable feedback, and boosts teacher morale. Gain real wellbeing insights by trying these staff engagement activities at your next team meeting!

All of us want to celebrate our staff but planning ahead is key! Summer break is the perfect time to create a staff celebration plan that ensures every team member feels recognized and appreciated throughout the entire year - not just during Teacher Appreciation Week!

If you’ve ever gotten the results back from a staff survey and wondered how to actually do anything about the indexes and numbers you see, then you know the frustration or helplessness that can result from traditional surveys. What does it mean if your staff morale is “-13%?” Or if your team is collectively a “3.5 out of 5” when it comes to their wellbeing? Don’t wait for your annual climate survey - try these three ideas for more actionable information, right now.

It’s goal-setting season, and we know teachers have big plans for their year ahead. We asked 1,000+ teachers to tell us about their top goals for the year, and from the data learned that teachers are excited about opportunities for professional growth, from new teaching methods to personal growth strategies.

It’s January, and we know a lot of educators are taking stock of their classrooms and setting professional and personal goals for the year. That's why Alpaca’s theme this month is: Jumpstart Your Year with Great Goals!

With teacher retention as a main objective and focus for his new role, Brian White embraced 1:1’s and used it as a starting point to make the teachers in his district feel heard and valued. “We aligned it with our district strategy, and our superintendent gave us the green light to proceed. Through these one-on-one meetings, we've opened up numerous communication channels, which are vital to the workplace and overall work environment. This has proven to be incredibly helpful and impactful."

How can you celebrate your amazing staff and keep the beginning of the year excitement going? We have some easy ideas for you. 

As educators, you know that it’s important to be consistent during each conference, stay on track, and lead the conversation. But no matter how consistent you are, a new parent coming to your desk every 15 minutes can be stressful! So how do you keep conference stress to a minimum?

If you’ve volunteered (or been “voluntold!”) for your school’s parent group this year, and you’re wondering how to make this year’s meetings productive and fun, you’re not alone. Parent groups are absolutely critical to teacher and school support, and as a group, you have an opportunity to positively impact your teachers’ wellbeing. 

Alpaca can be used to create a fun, inspiring, and joyful experience that improves morale for teachers. From making pack delivery a student incentive to involving parent volunteers in surprising your teachers - our principals have shared some amazing ideas for how to delight teachers with their monthly pack!

If you’re wondering how to help a teacher throughout the year, here’s the list of what we need, and how often we need it, straight from the source!

If you have five minutes today, you have time to support your teacher. And best of all, it’s free.

No mugs, no apples. Why? Because your teachers are so much more than those cute school themes might suggest. Want the real list, from real teachers? Here are the 10 holiday gift ideas that make teachers feel like respected, appreciated professionals. From Alpaca contributing educator Leigh Dunn.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your teacher, we’ve got your back. We survey every teacher we work with to hear about what supplies they love the most, what they don’t need, what they spend their own money on, and what brands they choose!