Wow-Factor Schools: 8 Ways to Build an Awesome School Culture · 1. Live your vision mission · 2. Embrace Social-Emotional Learning for teachers and students · 3. Skiptocontent FacebookpageopensinnewwindowTwitterpageopensinnewwindowLinkedinpageopensinnewwindowYouTubepageopensinnewwindowInstagrampageopensinnewwindow678.878.3144ContactSupportPortalLogin SolutionWeb-BasedSELCurriculumSELCoachingProfessionalDevelopmentSELResourcesSELFundingSupportBestPracticeDownloadsandTakeawaysCoronavirusResourcesforEducatorsSuccessStoriesMorningMindsetsMerchandiseLatestNewsGetInTouchRequestInformationSpeakwithanSELExpertContactSupport Wow-FactorSchools:8WaystoBuildanAwesomeSchoolCulture ThefollowingarticleoriginallyappearedinConcordiaUniversity-Portlandblog ByJenniferGunn• June27,2018 Someschoolshavesuchapositiveschoolculturethatyoucanseeandfeelitassoonasyouenterthebuilding.It’sevidentonthewalls,inthestudentsandstaff,andineveryclassroomyouvisit.Howcanschoolleadersfostersucharichandpositiveschoolclimate?Itstartsbyfirstunderstandingwhatcontributestoaschool’sculture.The NationalSchoolClimateCenter notesthat“empiricalresearchhasshownthatwhenschoolmembersfeelsafe,valued,caredfor,engaged,andrespected,learningmeasurablyincreases,andstaffsatisfactionandretentionareenhanced.”Hereareeightwaystocultivateavibrantschoolculturestartingnow. 1.Liveyourvisionmission Everyschoolcommunityshouldhaveauniquemissionstatementthatspeakstothebeliefs,values,andaimsofthelearningcommunity.Butit’snotenoughforamissiontoliveinafilefolderortositunnoticedonaschoolwebpage.Aschool’smissionshouldberegularlyrevisitedandreflectedupontoensuretheschoolanditsmembersaregenuinelylivingthemission.AccordingtoJohnG.GabrielandPaulC.Farmerintheirbook HowtoHelpYourSchoolThriveWithoutBreakingtheBank, “Avisionisyourschool’sgoal—whereyouhopetoseeitinthefuture.Themissionprovidesanoverviewofthestepsplannedtoachievethatfuture.Avisionisconciseandeasytorecall,whereasamissionislengthierandmoreexplanatoryinnature.”Whenthevisionandmissionareauthenticallyembeddedinaschool’spractice,andwhenstudents,staff,andcommunitymembersstaytruetothesharedmission,aschoolremainsboundtogetherbyacommondriveandisunitedinitssuccess. 2.EmbraceSocial-EmotionalLearningforteachers and students SchoolisnolongersolelyaboutthethreeR’s.Theclassroomhasbecomeaplacethatservestosupportastudent’sholisticgrowth—mind,body, and heart.Whenschoolsembedsocial-emotionallearning(SEL)intotheirclassroomsandcurriculum,studentsandstafflearntobemindfulofemotions,challenges,stresses,andtraumasandmakeroomforacademiclearning.AccordingtoThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityandRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationresearchbrief SocialEmotionalLearninginElementarySchool,“ExtensiveresearchshowsthatSELprogramscanpromoteacademicachievementandpositivesocialbehavior,andreduceconductproblems,substanceabuse,andemotionaldistress.” 3.Fosteracultureofresilience Buildingacultureofresiliencecanbeginintheleadershipoffice.Schoolprincipalsandleadersaremodelsforhowtoreactandcopewithstress,setbacks,anddisputes.Studentsandstafflooktothetopfor howtobounceback,adjustandproceedagainstschoolchallenges. ElleAllisonnotesinherpiece “TheResourcefulSchool”,“Resilienceisoftendescribedasapersonalqualitythatpredisposesindividualstobouncebackinthefaceofloss.Resilientleaders,however,domorethanbounceback—theybounceforward.Withspeedandelegance,resilientleaderstakeactionthatrespondstonewandever-changingrealities,evenastheymaintaintheessentialoperationsoftheorganizationstheylead.”It’seasyfornegativitytobreedwhenthingsgettough.Aresilientleadercanspreadacan-doattitudethatpermeatesthelargerschoolculture. 4.Communicatewell—andoften Whenaschoolleaderensuresthatstudents,staff,andparentsarenotonlyinformedbuthaveanactivevoiceintheirschoolcommunity,theybuildacultureofinclusivity,eliminatingfeelingsofdistrust,uncertainty,andhostility.Inhisbook HowtoSaytheRightThingEveryTime:CommunicatingWellWithStudents,Staff,Parents,andthePublic,RobertD.Ramseysaysthat“When schoolleaderscommunicateeffectively,studentslearn,parentsandcommunitymembersunderstandandsupportwhattheschoolisdoing,andtheprocessofteachingandlearningmovesforward.Butwheneducatorsfailtocommunicatefully,misinformation,misinterpretations,misunderstandings,andmixedmessagescancausethesystem’swheelstospinorcomeoffaltogether.”Honesty,transparency,andtakingadvantageofthemightycollaborativemuscleofaschoolcommunitycontributestothecreationofapowerfulandstrongculture. 5.Recognizetheawesomeinyourstaff Everyonewantstodowell.Schoolstaffmembersworkhardtoensurethebestpossibleoutcomesandexperiencesfortheirstudents.Aschoolleaderwhoroutinelyrecognizesthatastaffmember’ssuccessisafeatherineveryone’scappromotestheinterconnectednessofthework.Celebratingpeople’scontributions,efforts,andvictoriesalsomakepeoplefeelappreciatedandseen. Dr.JohnPaulSanchez,whoreceivedhis EdDinAdministrativeLeadership in2017,notesthat“There’sasciencetotherecognitionofyourteachingstaff.[My]professorwasverydirectwithme.Hehelpedmeunderstandthatrecognitionforhardworkcannotonlyberecognizedbytheprincipal.Itmustbepartofacultureofrecognitionbyallinthebuilding.Thatwasapivotalpointforme.Icouldliterallyseehowfasttheculturecanchangejustbyprovidingandnurturingaculturethatcreateschange.” 6.Recognizetheawesomeinyourstudents:positivebehaviorinterventions&supports PositiveBehaviorInterventions&Supports,orPBIS,isawayforschoolstoencouragegoodbehaviorwithafocusonpreventionratherthanpunishment. The NEA says,“PBISimprovesthesocialcultureandthebehavioralclimateofclassroomsandschoolswhichultimatelyleadtoenhancedacademicperformance.”Whenweshiftaschool’sculturalfocusawayfrompunishmentfornon-compliancetoafocusonrecognizingandpraisingpositivebehaviorsandsuccesses,wemoveawayfromoperatingunderadeficitmodel.“Thisiswhyexclusionarydisciplinaryprocedures,specificallyzerotolerancepolicies,actuallyincreasetheprobabilityofyoungpeoplebecomingresentful,hostile,andultimatelyevenincarcerated,”accordingto 7Mindsets,acompanythatconductsresearchandofferstrainingfortheteachingofsocial-emotionalandlifeskillsinschools.PBISpracticescanmakeschoolslesshostiletostudents,askingnot“Whatareyoudoingwrong?”but“Whatareyoudoingright?” 7.Makeyourschool’sbrand+communitymembersvisible Whenpeoplewalkintoyourschool,theyshouldimmediatelysee and feeltheschool’sculture.Thiscanstartwithvisualslikephotographsofstaffandstudents,quotesthatrepresenttheschool’sbeliefsaboutlearning,studentworkonthewalls,orevenamissionstatementclearlydisplayed.Createthesensethatafamilylivesandworksinthespacebymakinghallwayandclassroomspacesvisiblybranded,warm,andengaging. Ina study of3,766studentsandover100classroomsacrosstheUnitedKingdom,researchersfromtheUniversityofSalfordfoundthatlighting,paintcolors,temperature,andfreshairhadtheabilitytopositivelyimpactstudentlearning.Furthermore,classroomsthatwerewellorganized,displayedstudentwork,andfeaturedflexiblearrangementsimprovedstudentoutcomes.Whenstudentsandstaffarriveatschool,theyshouldfeelasenseofpride,ownership,andcommunity. 8.Rememberthateverypositivewordandactionmatters Teacher’sloungeculturehasareputationforbeingtoxicwithnegativity.It’seasytositaroundthecopymachine,ventingaboutthelatestschoolpolicyoracoworker’sfailure—orworse:astudent’sshortcomings.Butnegativityiscontagiousandseepsintoaschool’soverallculture,soakingintotheinteractionsbetweenallofitsmembers.Studentslooktoschoolleadersandteacherstomodelempathy,kindness,andmaturity. Dr.KentD.Peterson,co-authorof ShapingSchoolCulture:TheHeartofLeadership saysthere’s“aninformalnetworkofheroesandheroinesandaninformalgrapevinethatpassesalonginformationaboutwhat’sgoingonintheschool…Inatoxicschoolenvironment,teacherrelationsareoftenconflictual,thestaffdoesn’tbelieveintheabilityofthestudentstosucceed,andagenerallynegativeattitudewins.” Schoolcultureplaysamajorroleinthesuccessanddevelopmentofstaffinaschool.“Itaffectsattitudestowardspendingtimetoimproveinstruction,motivationtoattendworkshops,andthe[activities]peoplechoosetoparticipatein,”Petersonsays.Everyhallwaysmileand“hello”thatstaffandstudentsreceivesinksinandbuildsuptheirself-efficacyandsenseofbelonging.So,too,doesopen-doorpoliciesandaculturewherestudentsandstaffareencouragedtosharetheirideasandsolutions.Concordia’sAssociateProfessorofEducation, JulieOwens, agrees:“Moveawayfromconstantlycomplaining;itisokaytonotlikehowthingsare,butcomplaininggetsyounowhere.Instead,focusonwaystoimprovethesituationandworkwithateamtomoveforward.Ifyouhavebuiltrelationships,youhaveateamyoucantrust.” JenniferL.M.Gunnspent10yearsinnewspaperandmagazinepublishingbeforemovingtopubliceducation.Sheisacurriculumdesigner,teachingcoach,andhighschooleducatorinNewYorkCity.Sheisalsoco-founderoftheannualEDxEDNYCEducationConferenceforteacher-ledinnovation,andregularlypresentsatconferencesonthetopicsofadolescentliteracy,leadership,andeducationinnovation. 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