School leaders talk about morale a lot, usually when things feel heavy. The default response is often to try to lift spirits for a moment with treats, theme days, or appreciation events. Those gestures matter, but they do not change how the work actually feels.

In this piece, we look beneath the language of “low morale” to what educators describe as their best and hardest days at work. The throughline is clear: morale is not a feeling to fix, it is a reflection of how well a school functions for the adults inside it. When routines, communication, and collaboration are designed well, good days become possible more often.