🧡 Teacher Burnout? Not Today!

How One Compliment Can Change the Staffroom (and Maybe Your Day)

Hey there, educators, faculty, and fabulous school staff!

Let’s play a little game—mentally, don’t worry, no need to grab a clipboard.

Would you agree that when you compliment someone, they’re more likely to feel motivated?
Would you also agree that they’re more likely to feel positively toward you?

If you nodded yes (or even tilted your head slightly in agreement), congratulations! You’re already halfway to practicing one of the simplest but most powerful habits in any school community: The Compliment.

🎯 A Micro Goal That Makes a Macro Impact

At our recent in-service day session, I introduced the idea of micro goals—small, intentional actions that take very little time but deliver serious impact. One of those micro goals?
Compliment one colleague when you walk back into school. That’s it.

Not a staff meeting. Not a five-step strategy. Just one, genuine compliment.

Why does it matter?

Because, as 19th-century author Anthony Trollope said:
“A small daily task, if truly done daily, will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve met a few spasmodic Hercules types in education—big energy one day, then totally burned out the next. Micro goals help us avoid that trap by building consistency, kindness, and connection one day at a time.

🧠 The Brain Likes a Compliment Too

When you compliment someone, their brain releases dopamine—the “feel-good” neurotransmitter. But here’s the kicker: so does yours.

• You feel good because you’ve done something meaningful.
• They feel good because someone noticed them.

And in a school setting where stress is high, time is tight, and coffee is occasionally questionable, that kind of interaction can go a long way.

💡 Who Should You Compliment?

Now comes the challenge. Most people, when asked who they’d compliment, immediately think of someone they already get along with.

But here’s where the real magic happens:

• ➡️ What if you chose to compliment someone you don’t always see eye to eye with?
• ➡️ Someone whose company isn’t your favorite in the staffroom?
• ➡️ Or someone who just seems… hard to reach?

That small gesture might shift the energy in a hallway, a classroom, or even a working relationship. It doesn’t have to be poetic. Even a light jab like:
“Hey, your hair doesn’t look nearly as bad as it did yesterday!”
…can crack a smile (use with caution 😉).

📝 Try This on Your Next In-Service Day

Before you head back to class, pick one person—just one.
Make it your mission to deliver a genuine compliment. Nothing forced. Just a moment of connection.

And if you’re thinking, “But Conor, what if I can’t find anyone to compliment?”
Well… maybe it’s not them. Maybe it’s you.

Let’s make your next in-service something worth smiling about.
One compliment at a time.

— IrishmanSpeaks – Conor Cunneen