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6 Teaching Staff Survey Questions That Reveal Key Insights + Help Engage Your Educators

Teachers and educators are an important part of our children’s lives, making their engagement crucial to do their job right!

A woman standing in front of a chalkboard

By Theresa Bontempo

One of the most important lines of work can also be some of the most difficult. Out of the many blue-collared jobs that consist of manual labor, there is one job that can be difficult for a number of reasons–which is teaching. Teachers and educators are an important part of society as they can help shape a generation of children with learning the necessary information to live a successful life.

Teachers are needed to help teach their young and impressionable students about the essential English, math, science, history, and life skills that can help them live a successful, adult life. Many teachers these days have difficulty staying in the field due to low pay, a heavy workload, and even emotional toll that it can have on them.

Paying attention to your staff at schools designed for students of all ages is crucial, so are asking the right questions. Get familiar with insightful survey questions that can help reveal key insights and engage your educators!

Why Are Teachers and Educators Needed For the Future?

Understand just why teachers and educators can become a major difference in the evolution of the next generation!

Teachers are an important necessity to have when teaching young children and teenagers to set them up for success. Image courtesy of UConn Today.

There is no doubt that teachers are some of the most important people in children’s lives today. Not only do they help make a difference in shaping the lives of the next generation of children, but they also help them develop some of the most crucial skills that are needed throughout our adult lives–such as academic, social, and emotional skills. Teachers are undoubtedly important, but understanding how they can make a difference is essential.

Seen as Role Models and Mentors to Students

Growing up, our parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even older siblings can be role models that we look up to as a kid, but teachers can do just that too. Teachers spend eight hours a day with students and see them five days a week throughout the school year. Good teachers who care about their line of work can become role models and mentors for their students as well as the people closest to them. 

Teachers can demonstrate positive behaviors, are there for guidance and support, and can even be encouraging and inspire their students to achieve their dreams while teaching them the lessons and skills necessary to moving onto the next grade or graduating. 

Teach Necessary Skills Needed For Society

Children learn a number of skills growing up that will help shape them into the adult that they will become. While academic skills are important in order to matriculate to the next grade or graduate, many students can also learn the following from their teachers:

  • Communication and social skills
  • Problem-solving solutions
  • Critical thinking
  • Collaboration and working with a team
  • Leadership qualities
  • Understanding our emotions
  • Time management
  • Organization skills
  • How to make a decision

Life skills are an important concept to learn growing up, and while children can learn them at home with their parents, siblings, and other family members, teachers can also help further enhance these skills.

Help Students Shoot for Academic Success

Education is an important part of achieving your dreams and living a successful, happy adult life. It’s important to be educated in many different subjects and teachers are to thank for that. Without teachers, students wouldn’t be able to learn more about the different important subjects crucial for their success. Teachers can help students develop a love of learning and encourage students through positive reinforcement and recognition to become successful in their future. 

Top Staff Survey Questions That Engage Educators and Help Them Stay Motivated

Teachers and educators are needed for inspiring the youth and these survey questions could help figure out how to resolve any issues!

Teachers are necessary for the impressionable youth and help them advance through childhood into adult life with the necessary skills. Image courtesy of Forbes.

There’s no doubt that teachers can make a difference on the lives of children and teenagers throughout the course of working for the education system. Not only can they provide the necessary academic, social, emotional, and life skills needed throughout growing up, but it’s important to make sure that they are satisfied with their position in the school system as well.

Here are the top staff survey questions that can ensure that teachers and educators stay engaged and fulfilled in their position!

  1. Do You Feel Supported By the School Administration?

There’s no doubt that this is one of the most important questions to ask any of your teachers or other faculty members. Teachers want to ensure that they’re making a positive difference in students’ lives while also being supported and backed by the school system. By engaging with your teachers with this question, you’ll be able to gain insight to their job satisfaction and overall well-being. Showing support to your teachers can boost a more positive work environment while also proving to your staff that you care about their mental well-being and want them to feel fulfilled within their position.

  1. How Open Do You Feel the School is Towards Criticism and Feedback?

Not everyone will be satisfied with their child’s education or the way a school is run–this is just typical. While it’s important to make sure that every parent, student, and teacher are satisfied regardless of their relation to the school, it’s also important that the school takes these criticisms and feedback seriously. While it could potentially be a criticism that the school doesn’t necessarily agree with, it is something to take into consideration to aim and make everyone satisfied. By holding school board meetings and seeing how issues are handled, this is an incredible question to gain insight from a teacher’s perspective on how things could potentially be handled better. 

  1. How Well Does the School Support Your Long-Term Career Goals?

While we know that it may be none of your employer’s business to be familiar with what your long-term career goals are, this is something that many schools are interested in learning about. According to studies, over 50% of teachers leave the profession before retirement, and this is more common in teachers that have less than seven years under their belt. This could be due to burnout and stress, financial reasons, or even the type of school–where low-income schools show a significantly higher turnover rate. By asking this survey question, teachers are able to be open and honest about their goals and schools can work towards making changes to accommodate them and influence them to stay and see a long-term career with them. 

  1. Do You Feel Supported By the Administration When Dealing With Student
    Behaviors?

Students can be tough to teach and cause an added stress into a teacher’s normal everyday routine. While teachers are not responsible for what goes on at home and what their parents are teaching them, it can be hard to both discipline and teach students. Sometimes matters need to be handled with the principles for proper discipline, but making sure that the teachers are supported while doing so is crucial. Many teachers leave because of their behaviors or students and it can affect their overall decision to stay in the profession, plus cause their stress to heighten and lower their job satisfaction. Making sure that they feel supported with dealing with student behaviors–such as aggression and disrespect–is crucial in order to ensure that the other students aren’t distracted and it will deter them from making the same mistakes as their peers.

  1. What Activities Have You Found to Be Most Engaging for Your Students?

Not only is doing a staff survey important to learn more about your teachers, but also their learning methods. By asking how they keep their students engaged will prevent boredom and becoming tired of the consistent repetition, plus switching up learning methods can be an efficient way to get students to become more excited to learn. From using interactive learning methods, group work and discussions among peers, interactive quizzes and polls, hands-on projects, and even keeping students engaged and supported with a positive and judgment-free environment, schools can take these activities and influence other teachers to start using them to create a better learning experience for students. 

  1. How Can the School Better Engage Teachers and Other Staff Members?

One of the best ways that schools can better engage with their teachers and other staff members is by implementing an employee engagement software system. It’s important to continue to engage your employees by recognizing them for their actions and efforts, elevate connections with them, and even improve employee retention. Many of these systems allow you to host surveys to actively engage your staff, get their feedback, and find out new ways to keep your teachers satisfied within their position. 

Shift is an incredible employee engagement software system that uses digital signage for a flashy, bright, and colorful way of communicating with your staff. Not only can it help your teachers, educators, and other staff members feel more appreciated, but it can lead to better success with the school system, organization, and a positive work environment. 

Use Shift as a Method to Engage Teachers and Collect Survey Data

Staff surveys are a great way to collect information on what needs to be improved within the school system and help teachers out!

Shift is a great platform to sign up for that helps to engage your employees through surveys, recognition, and training. Image courtesy of Shift.

Asking the important survey questions is crucial in order for your school to have actively engaged and passionate teachers who are ready to come to work and teach the youth. Shift is a popular employee engagement software system using digital signage that can help ensure that schools are doing what is needed for not only their students, but staff as well where it’s important to take a further deep dive into it.

What is Shift Exactly?

Having deeper connections with your teachers and educators is essential to make them feel more appreciated in their role–especially with the difficulty and stress it can cause them. By showing your support using digital signage, it can help to recognize them for their successes and going above and beyond.

Shift can help schools shine light on these employees by using the following features with their program:

  • Boost employee engagement through recognition and appreciation
  • Celebrate staff birthdays, work anniversaries, and other achievements
  • Show training videos and keep track of which ones staff members have completed
  • Employee spotlights
  • Interactive polls for staff to anonymously complete
  • Expands internal communications 
  • Shows company logistics
  • Improves and expands new hire training
  • Allows staff to retrain and re-skill in key trainings
  • Helps managers learn more about staff
  • Encourages employees to do work harder

By having Shift’s digital signage in the staff break room, it can help teachers feel as if the schools care and leave them feeling satisfied with their job. Shift can help keep teachers up-to-date on the proper training needed for their role as an educator, help them feel appreciated through celebrating work anniversaries or birthdays, and this is a great method to host company surveys to gain insight into how teachers are feeling about their role and position within the school.

It’s important for teachers to feel appreciated and heard when they’re doing their best to teach students everything that they need to know for their future. Making sure the higher-ups also pay attention to their staff is crucial–where Shift and digital signage can be a positive influence on the company work culture making it more positive and it helps teachers feel heard about any issues or concerns they may have.

Consider adding Shift to your school today and ask the important survey questions for every teacher to answer to reveal key insights into their work satisfaction!

Trusted by industry-leading enterprises
An Invaluable Tool
"At Wingstop, we're always looking for innovative ways to meet our Team Members where they are. The integration between Schoox and Shift has truly elevated how we engage our restaurant teams. By embedding our Flavor Lab LMS into the Shift platform, we've made it easier than ever to spotlight training completions, share key updates, and celebrate performance—right in the flow of their day. Training is now more visible, more accessible, and even a bit competitive—and that's exactly the kind of energy that drives results at Wingstop."
Izzy Martinez

Manager, Operations Integration
Wingstop Corporate

Easy to use!
“We have been using QR campaigns to gether submissions from employees... so we can showcase what's going on at each facility. This has dramatically increased our company-wide culture & communication. The platform is easy to use with branded templates that allow quick announcements. We're really happy with [Shift] - nothing but positive feedback from facilities too!"
Spencer Trefzger

Director of Marketing Avamere Living

Foster a friendly, competitive environment
“The affordability of [Shift®] is incredible, and the sky is the limit for the effect it’s having on our culture... I feel really confident our work environment improves for our team members when they feel as though they’re being highlighted and appreciated. You can hear it as you walk through one of our stores. There’s somebody being wished a ‘Happy Birthday,’ or somebody saying, ‘I didn’t know that about you.’”
Jason Zieman

Owner/Operator

An Invaluable Tool
“Since we began using the Shift platform, we’ve seen a significant boost in team engagement across all our locations. The ability to connect with our teams through contests, goal-setting, and localized opportunities has been truly impactful. What stands out even more are the personal engagement features—like shoutouts and the ever-popular pet photo posts—which have created a fun, inclusive environment that keeps our team coming back to the platform. These features have helped build a strong sense of community and excitement around our internal communications. Shift has become an invaluable tool for enhancing our team culture, and we’re thrilled with the positive response from our staff. It’s more than just a platform—it’s become a part of our daily routine.’”
Sara Kokx

Senior Manager of Training and Development, Patton Wings, Buffalo Wild Wings

More effective suggestive sellers
"[Shift] enables our cashiers to be more effective ‘suggestive sellers,’ with sales leaderboards on our back-of-house TVs. Our cashiers naturally want to be at the top of the leaderboard to be recognized and rewarded, which results in them selling more than they typically would.”
Russ Lo Bello, COO

Burger King Franchisee, COO Phoenix Organization

It's a very powerful tool
"It's a very powerful tool. It can work either for a single restaurant owner or for a multi-unit owner and also for a restaurant group... I see it as a more modern, contemporary tool to communicate with your employees. Our Gen Z and Millenial employees especially love to interact with our [Shift platform]."
Jose Vazquez Barquet, VP

Subway

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