Teachers grow and improve. (2016) The only way to know is to ask. When I went through all of my years of teacher training, I didnt learn about students' personalities until my last class during my M.Ed. ThoughtCo. Do students walk into the building with their heads down, trying not to interact with others? These teachers must be trustworthy professionals who will do their job and make positive contributions to the school environment. Challenge students to rise above the bar because you know they can do it. Students and staff look to the top forhow to bounce back, adjust and proceed against school challenges. Its more important than ever as the pandemic and other dynamics have challenged our educational system. It can increase students interest in learning, improve academic outcomes, reduce problematic and risky behavior, limit school suspensions, strengthen student-teacher relationships, and boost attendance rates. Educators should communicate aims clearly and make sure that everyone knows what the school culture is, and why. You might think about the current consequences for inappropriate behaviors and how their connections to the offenses can be strengthened where necessary. Clearing weeds, pruning hedges, planting flowers, and picking up garbage in fields and parking lots are all student-friendly methods to improve the appearance of a school's campus. Leaders who trust understand how to provide support while also getting out of the way. The, Every school community should have a unique mission statement that speaks to the beliefs, values, and aims of the learning community. In the long run, more students will enroll in your campus to have a fruitful academic journey. When they succeed, it helps everyonestudents, teachers, and themselvesbring out the goodness and reduce the muck. In effective schools, especially at the high school level, students have the opportunity to build long lasting relationships among their peers and educators. It can ruin their camaraderie, and the culture of collaborating will be lost. Students spend the largest amount of their time at school in the classroom. In doing so, theyll have open communication with them. The differences in each generation is so great, it can be difficult to get everyone on board with massive changes. This event includes not only school members, but hundreds from the community. For example, instead of creating specific rules about chewing gum, use of water bottles, or electronic devices in the classroom, you could create a classroom rule that states: Be respectful of the people around you.. Having students work to correct their own wrongs helps encourage them to take responsibility for their actions. Every hallway smile and hello that staff and students receive sinks in and builds up their self-efficacy and sense of belonging. Both you and your staff play a huge part in this aspect of your school culture. Without the ability to think and question for themselves, students cannot live up to their full potential. Some schools have such a positive school culture that you can see and feel it as soon as you enter the building. Administrators, teachers, and students are generally happy to be there. If you have built relationships, you have a team you can trust.. A school leader who routinely recognizes that a staff members success is a feather in everyones cap promotes the interconnectedness of the work. School is no longer solely about the three Rs. In a strong culture, there are many, overlapping, and cohesive interactions, so that knowledge about the organizations distinctive character and what it takes to thrive in it is widely spread. Derrick Meador, M.Ed., is the superintendent for Jennings Public Schools in Oklahoma. "Why School Culture Matters and Strategies to Improve It." When students believe that the rules are fair and consistently enforced, it goes a long way toward building trust. By providing my information and clicking the Submit button, I consent to be contacted via telephone (including a cell phone, if provided), email, and text message about the program selected above. However, teachers were positive about the return to in-class instruction, with 80 percent excited to teach and 75 percent believing their students will be more engaged as a result of being on-site. For example,Hollibrook Elementary in Spring Branch, Texas, developed a "Parent University" to get parents more actively involved in the school -- helping build trust and rapport between the school and the families of the students. Over the past few weeks as I have reflected on this, I have come to believe that it may be the single most important factor for school success. Some of the major current debates concern mask mandates (pandemic related), sports policies, teaching critical race theory, and transgender rights. How can school leaders foster such a rich and positive school climate? Furthermore, classrooms that were well organized, displayed student work, and featured flexible arrangements improved student outcomes. Right now, most school districts are trying to develop an effective plan for their returning students in the fall. Developing educational programs for parents can also help involve them in their childrens schooling, and thus build a more positive atmosphere in your school. Collaboration among students is one way of building camaraderie. In his bookHow to Say the Right Thing Every Time: Communicating Well With Students, Staff, Parents, and the Public, Robert D. Ramsey says that Whenschool leaders communicate effectively, students learn, parents and community members understand and support what the school is doing, and the process of teaching and learning moves forward. If thats the case, your students will not have the enthusiasm to attend school. Some of the ideas here might work for your school and some might not. It also includes the involvement of the community in caring for the school; the satisfaction of its learners; respect for each persons beliefs; and community values concerning whats good, whats bad, and whats wrong. Students playing Prodigy a game-based math platform on their tablets. How can school leaders foster such a rich and positive school climate? It is now the second half of 2020, and although we don't have to change everything about education, we have a unique opportunity to look outside of the traditional school walls, and bring in some new ideas that can change the future for the better. Having a healthy relationship with peers and teachers is essential for students overall school experience. Online Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership, Online EdD in Education Policy and Leadership. How? To involve parents in your school culture, give them a platform for feedback on classroom activities or school programs. Following this traditional way of teaching is no fault of educators. Starting a school culture that optimizes student experience requires a lot of planning, just like formulating marketing strategies. Before the pandemic, depression and suicide rates were already exploding. To establish an effective school culture, you must consider every little nuance in a school. Every school community should have a unique mission statement that speaks to the beliefs, values, and aims of the learning community. Innovate with them, and help them to change the world through their ideas. Another example, if a student has athletic potential, encourage him or her to join the schools varsity teams. Aside from enabling them to hone their best skill, prompting them to partake in extracurricular activities will allow them to meet other students outside of their classroom. Success, joy, and accomplishment are all main features of a positive school culture. Institutions should provide social and emotional support immediately to ensure all teachers, staff, and school administrators are getting the help they need during such a stressful timeand this support should always continue regardless of the situation. Keep working patiently at building a school culture that fosters positive action, and your students will be better prepared to learn better and become more successful now and into the future. School principals and leaders are models for how to react and cope with stress, setbacks, and disputes. It is important to let students know they have many choices. Meador, Derrick. However, broadening the range of discipline methods can help encourage a positive school culture. A vision is concise and easy to recall, whereas a mission is lengthier and more explanatory in nature. When the vision and mission are authentically embedded in a schools practice, and when students, staff, and community members stay true to the shared mission, a school remains bound together by a common drive and is united in its success. Culture is shaped by five interwoven elements, each of which principals have the power to influence: Fundamental beliefs and assumptions, or the things that people at your school consider to be true. Education has a tremendous impact on the economy. I recently read a quote by Dr. Joseph Murphy, Associate Dean at Vanderbilts Peabody College of Education, which really spoke to me. The leader is the main role model for an organization. Social and EmotionalBefore anything, we must put Maslow's Theory in practice before Bloom's Taxonomy when students come back to school. Classroom rules communicate your expectations to your students. Boost morale by asking for feedback. They learn and grow together. Focus on CareersFor older students, teach them how to focus on careers with their hearts and their heads. So, too, does open-door policies and a culture where students and staff are encouraged to share their ideas and solutions. Teach kids how to think for themselves and show them its alright to ask questions. With camaraderie and trust among the people they encounter on campus, your school will be an exciting place for them to be in each day. College can be critical especially for certain trained skills and potential future earnings, but it is not the single journey to success today. Acknowledging the excellent academic performance of students is one way to promote a positive culture. But negativity is contagious and seeps into a schools overall culture, soaking into the interactions between all of its members. In his book. Create Work and Business RelationshipsCreate high school and local business partnerships programs. For example, research has shown that when a student is rejected by peers, the rejection is more likely to stop if the teacher models warm and friendly behavior to the isolated student. When in school, your students are learning more than just secular instruction. Educators unfortunately, do not have a significant voice at this table. I could literally see how fast the culture can change just by providing and nurturing a culture that creates change., Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports, or PBIS, is a way for schools to encourage good behavior with a focus on prevention rather than punishment. Remember: this change process starts with you. When we let students know that reading is worthwhile and empower them to experience it joyfully, it creates a . However, this doesnt mean that you need to establish rules for every possible situation. A good culture arises from messages that promote traits like collaboration, honesty, and hard work. While a school culture is heavily influenced by its institutional history, culture also shapes social patterns, habits, and dynamics that influence future behaviors, which could become an obstacle to reform and improvement. Positive behaviors breed a positive culture. The same expectations need to apply in the classroom, the gym and the cafeteria. As a result, knowledge about the organizations distinctive character and what it takes to thrive in it is widely spread and reinforced. So, if you want your students to have that kind of campus life, start devising a business plan to improve your schools culture. Schools must acknowledge, understand, and support students to their best potential. She is a curriculum designer, teaching coach, and high school educator in New York City. Helping your teachers to develop their skills will encourage a positive school culture by giving them the ability to improve their craft. School culture is so much more than academic performance or happiness. How do you want teachers and students to feel when they walk into school every morning? Complimenting a specific behavior (Thanks for showing respect to our visiting guest), on the other hand, reinforces that particular behavior. Over the past few weeks, I have formulated my own definition. Set Appropriate Consequences. Building a positive school culture starts with leadership. This number has nearly doubled since 1974, with rates escalating in the mid-1990s as zero tolerance policies that remove students from school environments were widely adopted. Engage them in their creative side, and show them its okay to fail, get up, and build again. As we mentioned above, starting the process of improving your school culture involves analyzing the current situation of your school. 1 For example, Safe and One way to engage students and develop these types of skills is through social-emotional learning (SEL). This makes teachers the most responsible for creating a positive school culture. Well, our analysis suggests that the different backgrounds of people in a diverse group enable them to generate and combine better ideas. School culture is a mindset that can either be positive or negative. That was a pivotal point for me. His discipline could include having to write a letter of apology to the student he hurt, and then to take a shift as hallway monitor. It affects attitudes toward spending time to improve instruction, motivation to attend workshops, and the [activities] people choose to participate in, Peterson says. The reason for sharing This might be difficult since the United States is short on teachers. Beliefs, values, and actions will spread the farthest and be tightly reinforced when everyone is communicating with everyone else. Behavior is also key, be it the expectations of student and staff behavior or actual student and staff behavior. It offers school leaders a critical understanding of the issues affecting school climate, and empowers them to develop an action plan to . Schools must offer a well-balanced assortment of programs to give every student an opportunity to be involved. PBIS practices can make schools less hostile to students, asking not What are you doing wrong? but What are you doing right?. For example, having a student serve detention for misbehaving on the bus isnt necessarily the best consequence. Collaboration is essential in helping a school truly become a community of learners. Ask them about their hopes or concerns regarding their childrens education. If youve already started efforts to build a positive school culture but arent seeing the results you expected, dont worry. Effective consequences show young people the connection between what they do and what happens as a result of their choices or actions. Jennifer L.M. Building a culture of resilience can begin in the leadership office. The following steps are in part designed to build trust, mainly by giving teachers, staff, and students some say in the processand leaders who guide the process must never miss an opportunity to prove themselves trustworthy and to facilitate trust-building between stakeholders. All rights reserved. A strong school culture can help guard against the negative impacts of social media. Instead, it means building strong emotional and social connections that set students on the path to success. TheNEAsays, PBIS improves the social culture and the behavioral climate of classrooms and schools which ultimately lead to enhanced academic performance. When we shift a schools cultural focus away from punishment for non-compliance to a focus on recognizing and praising positive behaviors and successes, we move away from operating under a deficit model. Do you hear laughter in the hallways when students are coming in? This includes personnel decisions with those unwilling to buy into a change in school culture. That means developing consistent school rules and ways of defining and meeting student behavior. 8 Ways We Can Improve Schools Today For A Better Future Tomorrow More From Forbes Apr 18, 2023,03:00pm EDT Back From The Storm: Britain's Small Firms Optimistic But Scarred After A Hard. End with your request. A Determine the ADVANTAGES of each option. School is no longer solely about the three Rs. TheNational School Climate Centernotes that empirical research has shown that when school members feel safe, valued, cared for, engaged, and respected, learning measurably increases, and staff satisfaction and retention are enhanced. Here are eight ways to cultivate a vibrant school culture starting now. Moreover, embracing diversity gives the impression that the education your school delivers is open for anyone. It starts by first understanding what contributes to a schools culture. I didnt realize how every educator had a significant impact on a student's learning experience when they didnt understand the differences among personalities. Use bullets or numbers. There are many ways you can innovate the learning methods of your school, aside from tablets. Everyone benefits from this type of environment. Elle Allison notes in her pieceThe Resourceful School,Resilience is often described as a personal quality that predisposes individuals to bounce back in the face of loss. Now that we understand the importance of school culture, we must ask how to improve it. This helps teachers to be fully aware of school policies and rules, and gives them specific instruction in how the school uses tech in the classroom. Your school must always advocate good values and proper conduct to its students. December 22, 2022. Here are eight ways for improving school culture based on the Boys Town Education Model, which has helped hundreds of troubled schools turn their school culture around. The Boys Town Education Model uses the SODAS method to teach students the general skill of problem solving. Kids dont care what you know until they know that you care. The TEEN TRUTH: School Culture Workshop is an educator-focused, professional development workshop featuring award-winning content from TEEN TRUTH, powerful speaking performances, and interactive sessions. Visibility is one of the most powerful tools in the principal's climate arsenal: Greeting students as they enter the building, being a presence in the hallways, and being available to parents. Students are much more likely to recognize and resolve them appropriately when we teach them how to do so. Most important, rules need to be consistent across the building. When students return, they are going to need more emotional and social support than ever. It is an integral part of sustainability education, of which climate change education (CCE) is seen as a way to improve students . To learn more, check out the infographic below, created by American Universitys School of Education. Open communication enables teachers to know their students on a more intimate level. And if they know their students well enough, they can adopt a personalized teaching method effectively. The novelty, stimulation, and freedom of movement students enjoy in a flexible seating classroom setting positively impacts behavior, according to educational researcher Sheryl Feinsteins bookFrom the Brain to the Classroom. School staff members work hard to ensure the best possible outcomes and experiences for their students. However, if a positive, supporting school culture exists then the sky is the limit for how successful a school can be. This means more than the occasional "good job.". With camaraderie and trust among the people they encounter on campus, your school will be an exciting place for them to be in each day. This includes the administrators, teachers, and students. Improving School Culture for a Better Learning Environment. Behavior should be treated like academics, and students should be taught the skills they need to execute desired behaviors. These behaviors and values include honesty, sensitivity, concern and respect for others, a sense of humor, reliability, and so on. Copyright 2021. Plus, if your school welcomes kids from other demographics, it helps increase your student enrollment rate. But its not enough for a mission to live in a file folder or to sit unnoticed on a school web page. The classroom has become a place that serves to support a students holistic growth mind, body, Building a culture of resilience can begin in the leadership office. Educators can take several steps to establish and reinforce positive school culture. School culture is sometimes referred to as school climate and it includes everyone: students, families, teachers, and support staff. What is your role in creating a positive school culture? Amid the push for tangible outcomes like higher test scores and graduation rates, it can be tempting to think that school culture is just too vague or soft to prioritize. Teachers who feel like their administrators have their backs are generally happy teachers, and they are more likely to operate a productive classroom. All changes have to start from the top. The SW-PBIS, designed to improve school safety and climate, includes having educators "develop a set of behavioral expectations" (p. 83), teach students how to meet those expectations, and acknowledge when those behaviors are being met. Everything a leader does her statements and philosophy, reactions to key events, energy and interaction style influences culture in a powerful way. Plus, it brings them together and strengthens their unity. Everyone should have a voice. Its a complicated, hard-to-define measurement of institutional values, staff training and decision making, and daily behaviors. This is why exclusionary disciplinary procedures, specifically zero tolerance policies, actually increase the probability of young people becoming resentful, hostile, and ultimately even incarcerated, according to7 Mindsets, a company that conducts research and offers training for the teaching of social-emotional and life skills in schools. SODAS is an acronym for the following steps: S Define the SITUATION. But its not enough for a mission to live in a file folder or to sit unnoticed on a school web page. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. School culture matters. This message has stuck with me for the past several weeks as I have reflected on the past school year and look to move forward towards the next. Beautifully Designed, Easily Editable Templates to Get your Work Done Faster & Smarter. A community in which every school member (students, teachers, leaders, and parents) can grow, adapt, connect and navigate life's challenges together because they feel seen, supported and valued. Resilient leaders, however, do more than bounce backthey bounce forward. Generic, overly generalized comments such as Good job! dont really help. Amazing things happen in a positive environment. Are your teachers dreading coming to work in the morning? 8 Strategies to Improve School Culture Having a healthy relationship with peers and teachers is essential for students' overall school experience. And they dont need to address every possible problem. Put students in the driver's seat and work with them as a listener, learner, and guide. Building strong relationships needs to be a whole school priority. However, it will be worth the wait. It is important for teachers feel supported. Creating appropriate times to have fun and laugh breaks up the day and gives students a chance to relax in between learning. School culture is a mindset that can either be positive or negative. Such unacceptable action can spark unwanted conflicts among students. Administrators must surround themselves with like-minded teachers who fit the mission and vision the team has in place for establishing an effective school culture. A toxic school culture has been described as a place where staffs are extremely fragmented, where the purpose of serving students has been lost to the goal of serving the adults, where negative values and hopelessness reign. (Realizing a Positive School Culture, 1998), Anthony Muhammad -- a high school principal and theauthor of Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff-- describes a toxic school culture asan environment where schoolstaff "fails to figure out what's needed to cultivate the characteristics necessary for student growth and learning.".