Too many leaders depend on the organization's formal processes to recognize people who have given outstanding performance or served beyond duty's call. One superintendent honors superlative staff accomplishments (or endurance of tough circumstances) by designing personalized awards for presentation at board meetings or other public functions. (MLH)

Examined gender differences in adjustment to retirement. Conducted pretest interview with 250 people at time of retirement, posttest interview of 242 retirees 6 months after retirement, and 1-year followup of 222 retirees. Found significant main effect for time for all three adjustment variables (well-being, morale, satisfaction), with well-being…

Criticizes Herbert K. Heger's article in the same issue of the journal. Argues that Heger's analysis and suggestions for solving the serious problem of teacher burnout are inadequate. Proposes changes in workplace environment and administrative support as solutions. (HB)

Describes a lengthy list of excuses used regularly by some teachers to justify the poor results of their own teaching. Criticizes the attitudes of incompetent teachers who are willing to blame anything for their failures except themselves. (HB)

Learning names is vital to the enjoyment and productivity of a group. Presents four games to help campers learn each others' names. Sidebar presents three additional teambuilding activities and ice breakers. (TD)

While the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, President Bush's reauthorization of President Lyndon Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, is not a cause for daily unhappiness, it is still capable of taking its toll on staff morale. Teachers are working harder than they have ever worked in the past, yet even as they see their…

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether Exemplary, Recognized and Acceptable schools differ in their school climates, as measured by the 10 dimensions of the Organizational Health Inventory. Significant differences were found on all 10 dimensions of the Organizational Health Inventory, with Exemplary schools out-performing Acceptable…

Management should recognize and consider both the advantages of early retirement programs and the countervailing forces of financial conditions, individual attitudes, and age discrimination laws. (Available from American Management Associations, Subscription Services, Box 319, Saranac Lake, NY 12983; $15.00 annually) (Author/MLF)

Staff morale is part of all aspects of the camp operation. Six components of camp operation are reviewed in terms of how they affect staff morale. They include: scheduling, training, food, facilities, staffing pattern and program. Each of these aspects is presented in terms of physical needs, or emotional needs, or the subtle, underlying ideas…

School climate improvements rely either on changes in the school's culture or changes in perceptions of the climate held by the school's employees and clients. To maintain and develop a culture that is supportive of school effectiveness, it is important to monitor the influence of the school's climate on student outcomes. The National Association…

The article describes a hike up Slide Mountain (New York) undertaken by the 5th grade class of Phoenicia Elementary School (Woodstock). (KM)

Barriers to change in secondary schools discussed in this article include: an organizational framework appropriate to business, not education; the subtle effect upon teachers of being low in status vis a vis the larger society; and monies for education being a low priority among our state and national decision makers. (JH)

How satisfied is the Australian teacher with his job and how committed is he to teaching? This paper reports the results of an investigation into the morale within the teaching profession. (Author)

A factor analysis of responses from 434 prospective teachers was carried out to test the hypotheses of G. Stern et al. concerning factors related to teacher attitudes and teacher gratification. Factor analysis paralleled some of the logical categories of Stern's Teacher Preference Schedule (TPS). Data indicated that Orderly, Dependent, and…

This study investigates a) the effects of teachers' occupational expectations for their male students, and attitudes toward the necessity of a college education, upon their feelings of job satisfaction; and b) the socioeconomic status and degree of urbanization of the communities in which the teachers work, and the grade level taught, as possible…