{"id":11400,"date":"2025-06-12T12:03:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T12:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=11400"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T12:03:14","slug":"%e2%9c%88%ef%b8%8f-why-teachers-thrive-at-international-schools-9-real-ways-schools-boost-staff-morale-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/%e2%9c%88%ef%b8%8f-why-teachers-thrive-at-international-schools-9-real-ways-schools-boost-staff-morale-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2708\ufe0f Why Teachers Thrive at International Schools: 9 Real Ways Schools Boost Staff Morale (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cA happy teacher is a powerful teacher.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s face it \u2014 schools are vibrant, unpredictable ecosystems. Now imagine stepping into that world with hundreds of children and<\/em> being far from home. That\u2019s international teaching in a nutshell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Cord Allman<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the good news: when schools get staff morale right, the results are game-changing. A positive vibe isn\u2019t just nice to have \u2014 it\u2019s essential for thriving classrooms, collaborative teams, and happy teachers. When you feel supported, seen, and celebrated, you teach better. Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do international schools actually pull this off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We dove deep into the 53,000+ real teacher comments<\/a> on International School Community, and pulled out 9 stand-out ways<\/strong> that schools show appreciation, create connection, and lift spirits \u2014 no gimmicks, just genuine strategies that work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re considering your first post abroad or you\u2019re a seasoned expat teacher, this third part in our morale-boosting series offers a peek into how some schools go above and beyond to make teachers feel at home \u2014 and happy \u2014 on staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udded Curious what makes a school feel like the right<\/em> place to work? Read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.\u00a0<\/strong> Ayeyarwaddy International School<\/a><\/strong><\/a> (Mandalay, Myanmar) – 149 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The school holds an annual end-of-year appreciation event for all staff, which typically includes catered meals and raffle prizes, with notable items such as a scooter. For local staff, the school also organizes a three-day excursion outside Mandalay, covering transportation, hotel accommodations, and meal allowances. Although this year\u2019s trip was initially at risk due to post-earthquake reconstruction efforts, the school continues to provide the excursion to all local faculty and staff despite the high associated costs, as a gesture of appreciation and service particularly after the earthquake. For international teachers, staff well-being is primarily supported through employment benefits such as complimentary cleaning and laundry services, free lunches on school days, and transportation to and from the airport. While these provisions may not fully align with every teacher\u2019s expectations of well-being support, they are more extensive than what is typically offered by other schools in Mandalay….”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.\u00a0Pathways World School<\/a> <\/strong>(New Delhi, India) – 47 Total Comments<\/strong>

“Pathways World School Gurgaon fosters staff well-being and high morale through several initiatives: Health and Wellness Privileges: The school offers exclusive health benefits to its community members, including staff. These privileges encompass discounts on pathology and radiology tests at renowned labs like Dr. Dangs Lab and Lal Path Labs, as well as on services at prominent hospitals such as Max Hospitals and Medanta Hospital. Access to Resources: Faculty and staff have access to various resources through dedicated portals, including Wizemen, Mail services, Library access, PeopleSoft tools, and the Branding Docket. These resources support their professional needs and contribute to a conducive working environment. Leadership Support: The school is led by a diverse leadership team that emphasizes creating a supportive and inclusive environment. This leadership approach fosters collaboration and ensures that staff feel valued and motivated…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by StockSnap<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

7.\u00a0Budapest British International Academy<\/a> <\/strong>(Madrid, Spain) – 106 Total Comments\u00a0<\/strong>

“There are quiz nights, the Christmas party and regular get togethers. If a colleague has an artistic performance outside of school, they will be supported. There is a separation between Primary and Secondary but we all get on…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Rosy \/ Bad Homburg \/ Germany<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


6.\u00a0<\/a>Fukuoka International School<\/a><\/strong> (Fukuoka, Japan) – 53 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Every Wednesday, staff meetings are accompanied by snacks and weekly raffles, creating a positive and engaging atmosphere…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.<\/strong> <\/a>Branksome Hall Asia<\/a><\/strong> (Jeju-do, South Korea) – 217 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The current Head of School, Blair Lee, strongly encourages a “togetherness” attitude, and he makes a lot of effort to host an all-staff party or two a year at nice locations in Jeju. There is usually a Christmas party and end of the year party hosted at a fancy hotel with a nice dinner…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.<\/strong> International School of Islamabad<\/a><\/strong><\/a> (Islamabad, Pakistan) – 44 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There are a lot of social activities both on and off campus during the week and on the weekends. Our staff has a WhatsApp Social group where people are in constant communication about both activities, advice and questions, in general…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.\u00a0International School of the Hague<\/a><\/strong> (The Hague, Netherlands) – 86 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There are various staff events, such as a Christmas dinner or party and an end-of-year barbecue. Additionally, the staff well-being committee organizes activities some social events…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Manfred Steger<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong>Harrow Haikou<\/a><\/strong><\/a> (Haikou, China) – 57 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Food in the canteen is amazing, with lots of variety, including European cuisine. Special holidays are accompanied by appropriate traditional food…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\u00a0<\/strong>Stamford American International School<\/a><\/strong><\/a> (Singapore) – 335 Total Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There has been strong investment in staff morale over the past few years and there has been overall improvement in the yearly voice of staff survey due to these measures. The new superintendent has also made a strong and noticeable effort to be present across the school and get to know and listen to teachers…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff are generally kind, approachable and professional people who are happy to work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various ways staff are recognized, like the values ceremony twice a year, and various gatherings\/staff parties organized by divisions.s…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to share what your school does to create a high staff morale, log in<\/a> to International School Community and submit your comments. For every 10 submitted comments, you will get one month of free premium membership added to your account!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cA happy teacher is a powerful teacher.\u201d Let\u2019s face it \u2014 schools are vibrant, unpredictable ecosystems. Now imagine stepping into that world with hundreds of children and being far from home. That\u2019s international teaching in a nutshell. But here\u2019s the good news: when schools get staff morale right, the results are game-changing. A positive vibe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1948],"tags":[3167,782,3165,77,2594,1230,3166,3164],"class_list":["post-11400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-10-lists","tag-ayeyarwaddy-international-school","tag-fukuoka-international-school","tag-international-school-of-islamabad","tag-international-school-of-the-hague","tag-morale","tag-pathways-world-school","tag-ranksome-hall-asia","tag-staff-morale"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/woman-9193216_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C853&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-2XS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8605,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/what-can-international-schools-do-to-create-a-harmonious-state-of-well-being-and-high-morale-amongst-its-staff\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":0},"title":"Teacher well-being and high staff morale at int’l schools: How to get there.","author":"ISCommunity","date":"January 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"We all want to work at an international school that is a positive working experience and where there is high staff morale. High staff morale means that you are happy to go to work, all your basic needs are met (e.g. you have good benefits and you get paid well\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comment Topic Highlight"","block_context":{"text":"Comment Topic Highlight","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/comment-topic-highlight\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meeting-1453895_1280.png?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meeting-1453895_1280.png?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meeting-1453895_1280.png?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meeting-1453895_1280.png?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meeting-1453895_1280.png?fit=1200%2C871&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9569,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/nine-reasons-how-international-schools-create-a-high-morale-amongst-its-staff-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":1},"title":"Nine Reasons How International Schools Create a High Morale Amongst its Staff (Part 2)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cMorale and attitude are fundamentals to success.\u201d\u2015 Bud Wilkinson A school can be a complicated place. There aren't many jobs where you surround yourself with hundreds of children every day! But like any other place of \"business\", a school\u00a0needs to think about how they will keep their staff feeling good\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top 10 Lists"","block_context":{"text":"Top 10 Lists","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/top-10-lists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/coffee-break-1177540_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C835&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/coffee-break-1177540_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C835&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/coffee-break-1177540_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C835&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/coffee-break-1177540_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C835&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/coffee-break-1177540_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C835&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5411,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/nine-reasons-how-international-schools-create-a-high-morale-amongst-its-staff\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":2},"title":"Nine Reasons How International Schools Create a High Morale Amongst its Staff","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cMorale and attitude are fundamentals to success.\u201d \u2015 Bud Wilkinson A school can be a complicated place. There aren't many jobs where you surround yourself with hundreds of children every day! But like any other place of \"business\", a school\u00a0needs to have a think about how they will keep their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top 10 Lists"","block_context":{"text":"Top 10 Lists","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/top-10-lists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4882106876_d8a2262314_z.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4882106876_d8a2262314_z.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4882106876_d8a2262314_z.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7526,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/is-it-stressful-working-at-your-international-school\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":3},"title":"Is it stressful working at your international school?","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"You probably had a wonderful, relaxing summer vacation. Weeks of hanging out with your best friends and other seasoned international school teachers around the world can truly be most stressless time of the year. It is exciting and fun to get back to school though and catch up with your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Discussion Topics"","block_context":{"text":"Discussion Topics","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/discussion-topics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/stress-2902537_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/stress-2902537_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/stress-2902537_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/stress-2902537_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/stress-2902537_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9131,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/the-battle-of-the-international-schools-iscs-compare-schools-page\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":4},"title":"The Battle of the International Schools: ISC’s Compare Schools Page","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been a couple of years since we launched this unique ISC premium feature, the Compare Schools page! Our members are always looking to compare one international school to another. Using the 51381+ comments that our ISC Mayors have also helped to submit, we think it is so cool\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Information for Members"","block_context":{"text":"Information for Members","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/information-for-members\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-29-at-11.08.21.png?fit=1200%2C603&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-29-at-11.08.21.png?fit=1200%2C603&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-29-at-11.08.21.png?fit=1200%2C603&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-29-at-11.08.21.png?fit=1200%2C603&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-29-at-11.08.21.png?fit=1200%2C603&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3460,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/new-teacher-orientation-must-haves-international-schools-learning-get-reimbursed-meeting-business-office-staff\/","url_meta":{"origin":11400,"position":5},"title":"New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves at International Schools: Learning how to get reimbursed and meeting the business office staff","author":"ISCommunity","date":"August 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In this blog series we will talk about the ins and outs of an excellent new teacher orientation programme at an international school.\u00a0 A new teacher orientation programme can really play a very important part to the start at your new school, in your new host country.\u00a0 What are all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves"","block_context":{"text":"New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/categories-new-teacher-orientation-must-haves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dsc2574.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dsc2574.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dsc2574.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dsc2574.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dsc2574.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}