Please review the information posted below. Read Chapter 5 in The Leader in Me. Read the optional article on school culture (access it through the link at the bottom of this post). Post a comment to this discussion thread which addresses Ethics Standard 5, one of the three questions from Chapter 5, or the linked article on school culture. Please remember to sign in, view blog, and post as a COMMENT not as a New Post.
Code of Ethics Standards
Standard 1: Professional Conduct
Standard 2: Trustworthiness
Standard 3: Unlawful Acts
Standard 4: Teacher/Student Relationship
Standard 5: Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use or Possession
An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol and/or tobacco during the course of professional practice and should never use illegal or unauthorized drugs.
Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Factually representing the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use and abuse to students during the course of professional practice.
Unethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Being under the influence of, possessing, using, or consuming illegal or unauthorized drugs.
• Being on school premises or at a school-related activity involving students while documented as being under the influence of, possessing, or consuming alcoholic beverages or using tobacco. A school-related activity includes, but is not limited to, any activity that is sponsored by a school or a school system or any activity designed to enhance the school curriculum such as club trips, etc., where students are involved.
The Leader in Me—Chapter 5
Stephen R. Covey
“If you don’t know how to execute, the whole of your efforts as a leader will always be less than the sum of its parts.”—Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
Questions to consider for Chapter 5
1. What makes a “world-class” school culture?
2. What are the five factors to consider when exploring school culture?
3. Is your culture more positive or more toxic, and how can you work as a change agent to improve your school culture?
School Culture Article
School Culture Triage Survey
One thing that stands out to me in this chapter is the reminder about the importance of the executive assistants, secretaries, and receptionists in our schools (pg. 102). These people truly are the faces of our schools, and they often set the tone for our interactions with community members and stakeholders. What can we do as leaders to ensure that all members of our school communities always put their best face forward and represent a "world-class" school culture?
ReplyDeleteWe work for the public and we offer a public service. Attitude can make or break the public perception of a school. What we can do as leaders is to lead by example and keep the "bad attitudes" out of our offices and our schools. To sit and talk about community members, students, or other members of the staff can cause damages that are very hard to repair. Mr. Martin once said that parents don't keep the good children at home. I agree, I think what we can do to have a world class school is to make sure that our policy is to treat everyone with respect and professionalism. If we do that and we lead by example that will result in our staffs and our faculty doing the same. It starts at the top... That is our challenge!!
ReplyDeleteWhen people visit HHS, I want them to leave with a feeling of being glad that they came. If they vist the lunchroom, guidance office, atheletic event, classroom, or wherever, I want them to leave saying I'm glad my child goes there or I wish my child attended HHS. That attitude begins with me.
ReplyDeleteFirst impressions are important and at the school the impression that is given in the main office is the one that sets the tone for the public. I agree that the school's culture is not a one person job, but I do beleive that the leader of the school has a lot to do with the way that tone is set. I always try to find a positive in every situation and try to convey that positive to the public. When dealing with students and the community it is important that a good first impression is made. On page 103 of Covey's book a good example of finding and emphisising the positive in a situation. The note is a simple one, but look at the feeling and the trust that is passed on with it. This note will serve as a marker for that teacher and will be passed on to the next grade level and on through the office. It sets the tone for the relationship that the parent will have with the school and the relationship that the school will have with that family. If the teacher, principal and the office staff had been hard to get along with or uncaring in certin matters throughout the school year the note would have been much different and the feelings and relationship would not have been a positive one. That is what makes it a world class culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steve. We are the face of our school. We accepted that responsibility when we chose to work in the public school system. If I want people to think positive thought about my school, I must consistently put a positive foot forward. Creatively a world class culture must begin with each individual on the school staff.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christopher Wagner in "The School Leader's Tool for Assessing and Improving School Culture" when he referred to "school climate, and more specifically school culture as an important but often-overlooked component of school improvement."
ReplyDeleteCertainly, school reform efforts must include a closer examination of higher curriculum standards, valid and reliable data from assessments, and reasonable and appropriate accountability. However, focusing on such criteria without also including an examination of whether the school's climate/culture supports those improvement efforts is "talking the talk" without "walking the walk".
Although "culture cannot be created by one person" (Covey, "The Leader in Me" p. 91), we as school leaders must set the tone for what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior within our schools. Through our leadership, a healthy school culture will flourish, enhancing the probability that our school improvement efforts will be successful.
What a difference a positive culture would make in all of our environments, but what better place than at school! I know that Covey said that a culture cannot be created by one person, but, as individuals, we can make a difference in each of the cultures we are a part of by being positive and not negative. Just something that we all need to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that works in the school system is being watched and judged by the public. It is a fact! It was true when I was a student and will continue to be a "truth" long after I am gone from this profession. Curiously enough, I still watch educators that have retired to see if they are leading the life that is ethical. What we say and do is under a microscope. As representatives of our school, we must lift each other up and find the positive in everyone that we work with. I feel lucky to work with the wonderful profesionals of Blount County.
ReplyDeleteThe article begins by saying,"When a school has a positive, professional culture, one finds meaningful staff development...,and the effective use of of student performance data." I believe we all want a positive culture in our schools and we know it will lead to positive performance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steve about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. His comments remind me of the point made by Stephen Covey to honor the absent. This is such a good practice, and even though we often times are required to discuss students, faculty and staff with others, we can still communicate these issues or concerns with dignity and respect and maintain the "honor of the absent".
ReplyDeleteI feel a school that has a positive and professional culture is one that is not afraid to open the closet doors and look for the problems that are lurking inside. Educational leaders must be able to find the problems that exist inside of the school if they want their school to move forward. Several administrators choose to overlook small situations or things that seem unimportant. Every school has problems and each school can improve its overall performance. If the administrators become complacent, then so will its stakeholders. Every school is moving either forward or backward. It is up to the instructional leader to guide the direction.
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ReplyDeleteThis chapter reminded me of when I attended Samford University. Each group was assigned a team project. One team decided to conduct an experiment on "First Impressions in Our Schools." They decided to contact each member's school and pose as a family new to the community. When this group called my school, they were stunned at how friendly and helpful our receptionist was on the phone. Our receptionist went on and on about how great our school was and how great it was to work for HES. I was so thankful to be a part of a school that made a great, lasting first impression. Many times, the receptionist is the first face families see. They are so important to our school's culture!
ReplyDeleteTo have a "world class" school culture, the leadership principles have to encompass every aspect of the school. The approach to managing the environment, communication exchanges, professional appearances, and much more all contribute greatly to a "world class" culture. All employees participate in achieving this type of culture. Maybe, we can one day be a school the world can look at as a model.
ReplyDeleteBecause I love the study of school climate and culture, I have worked hard to establish a climate in our school that is not only inviting, but also caring and loving. The teachers at this school do a great job of this, not because I've asked them to do it, but because that's why they went into teaching: they love kids and their families. It is very difficult to change a toxic school culture, with several authors concluding that it's better to tear it down and start over. Although you can measure climate, you cannot measure culture, only feel it. Perhaps we should focus our efforts on making sure that schools never get to that point. We, as leaders, are the key people that set the tone for our buildings and our faculty and staff.
ReplyDeleteCommunication among faculty and staff is imperative in achieving the type of school culture that one desires. Communication among ourselves, parents, students and community members must be established and maintained to acieve our goals and objectives. Students, parents and community members need to feel welcomed by faculty and staff and encouraged to participate within the school culture. How we present ourselves will go along way in establishing what type of participation that we get from all groups involved.
ReplyDeleteSchool culture perceptions are so important. Our perception of the culture along with the community's must be similar to be truly effective. That is why it is so important to make sure the people that are seen the most are on the same page. I agree with all of the above especially that a school culture can become toxic very easy. We need to be constantly checking to see if we are leading in a way to provide a postive school culture.
ReplyDeleteThe section in Chapter 5 of Covey’s book that discussed the five factors to consider when exploring school culture and looking at those factors as an anthropologist would was so interesting to me. When you consider behaviors, language, artifacts, traditions, and folklore, I think it would be very difficult to remove or change any one of those factors without disrupting the culture of any school or workplace. On the other hand, I think it would be very difficult to change the culture of any environment without changing each of these in some way. A.B. Combs took on the task of evaluating, designing, and refining each of these factors as they took on the “can do” attitude to redesign their culture. As stated in the chapter, this “came about piece by piece, gradually emerging over time.” Creating a culture of leadership and student achievement is something that we should all strive for, but this change should be carefully planned, with buy-in from all stake holders with the understanding that a school’s culture results from the combined behaviors of ALL people involved in that particular school.
ReplyDeleteAccountability in our schools is not limited to assessment, curriculum, discipline, finance and safety issues. Creating the proper culture in the school is critical to the success of the students. Factors that influence the culture include behaviors, language, artifacts, traditions and folklore. These five things are important to use daily in a positive way to influence the environment of the school and community. Correctly utilizing these factors must be done consistently by "Walking the Walk" in creating the culture that we desire for our schools.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in The Leader In Me, "A school cannot change its culture merely by painting the walls or putting up some nice posters. Culture is not a decoration." School culture, as defined by DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker (2008), is "the assumptions, beliefs, values, and habits that constitute the norm for the school and guide the work of the educators within it." I would like to take this one step farther by saying these topics should also guide the work of the students, parents, and community stakeholders.
ReplyDeleteTo be an effective change agent we must assess where we are and determine where we want to go. We can start by determining the positive aspects of our school and use those as a compass for the direction we need to move. In a recent video conference I had the privilege of being involved in, Richard and Rebecca DuFour emphasized the importance of a staff working as one unit as opposed to several isolated individuals. For a school culture to be effective, all staff members must be working toward the same goals and function as a professional learning community. This could be very difficult to accomplish initially because it may require people to do things differently than ever before. Real change can be real hard!
Chapter 5 states that A.B.Combs did not create their culture overnight but over a period of years. Many of the programs in place were the result of years of molding the program to "fit" A.B. Combs. As I reflected on this chapter I thought about how quickly the positive culture can de-rail if we are not vigilent. Staff turn-over, student migration, new programs can all work to get the train off the track and change a positve culture to a negative one. It is important to take the time to review our mission, values, beliefs and goals in order to remain focused.
ReplyDeleteAll school personel should be bonded together like spokes on wheel. When the spokes are securely attached to the wheel it runs smoothly even over rough terrain. But, when a spoke becomes dislodged or broken the wheel is out of sync. A school functions in much the same manner as the wheel. If everyone works together for the good of all facets of school(community relationships, academics, athletics, etc) then school runs smoothly even in difficult situtaions. We must understand that it takes all of us to teach the whole child not just parts.
ReplyDeleteCulture is how people actually behave and treat each other on a consistent day-in and day-out basis. Culture can be seen, felt, and heard. (p.91). We must value one another enough to place others first and do all things in their best interest. Culture is not one dimensional, but very complex. It is a way of life. Leaders always exhibit a particular way of life that is seen, felt, and heard. To create a world class culture leaders must demonstrate a lifestyle that values others and places them first.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 focused on the actual implementation of the leadership development culture. As I read the chapter and discussed it with others, it seemed to me that there were many ideas/practices featured that we are doing in our schools, which raised this question: What are they doing differently with these practices that make such a huge difference? One thing I think is the cohesive focus and effort among all involved. The invidual "things" implemented are all related back to the leadership theme with attention given to how that practice enhances the goal. It appears that common vision and goals make a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer in the statement "attitudes are contagious." When positive attitudes are modeled by the school's administration, a "trickle-down" effect overtakes the faculty and eventually throughout the student body creating a "world class" positve school culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas Sergiovanni who said "The heart and soul of school culture is what people believe, the assumptions they make about how school works." With that said, it appears to me that instead of trying to influence/adjust/change culture directly, we need to direct some time, effort and attention at changing beliefs in this area. I think the culture of a school might be the sum of the beliefs of the teachers, students, parents and leadership. Each of these constituent groups has a part in determining the overall culture of the school.
ReplyDeleteIf (big if) that is correct, then we have to push a lot of beliefs in the right direction to positively impact the culture. We can't change all of these beliefs on our on, but I think it is incumbent on us to positively effect what we can. I think we have a moral obligation as school leaders to do that.
Good morning, a persons' perspective of our schools starts with its tradition, culture and many other factors. With our parents, people look for many factors when determining what school they want their children to attend. The first thing I think is important is the academics, then they may look at the extra curricular activities that their chilren can enjoy such as athletics, band, music and drama and many more.
ReplyDeleteTraditions and the culture of the school are important factors in all our lives starting from the administration on down to the students.
Being positive is important to me as an administrator. If I can stay positive then I hope that it trickles down to everyone so it is important that the faculty as well as the students want to attend our school and enjoy. We want our school to be the best that it can be in all areas.
An important saying that I have passed along to my teachers is "Do What You Love and Love What You Do"
The idea of creating a positive, rather than a toxic culture is extremely important. The way the teachers at A. B. Combs greeted students each morning with a positive statement seems so simple, yet it produced great results. I love the idea of building the confidence of students so that they feel they can accomplish their dreams. I like to think we are working toward creating a "culture of confidence." I note many things already in place that promote a positive atmosphere at our school, but I also see areas where we can improve. As leaders, we need to always strive to set the tone for a positive environment.
ReplyDeleteGiven the difficult circumstances that alot of our students are exposed to outside of school, it is crucial that we try to create a positive environment for them at school. Having been in many of our students homes, I am well aware that we as educators may be the only positive influence in their lives.
ReplyDeleteCulture is not just words but in order to improve school culture all stakeholders must "Walk the Walk". As Covey states the first contacts in the schools provide first impressions and relate the culture of the school to the public. Often I have heard people say to new employees that if you want to be accepted then you must get along with the Secretary, Janitor and Lunchroom manager because they are the pulse of the community. Therefore I believe leadership and positive influence begins with all involved in the school culture.
ReplyDeleteThe staff and students in most schools can identify toxic cultures that are present. The challenge is how we change these toxic cultures to a more positive one, especially when they do not necessarily see it as toxic. How does change occur? In my opinion, three things should take place. First, positive behavior should be modeled. Secondly, changes should be implemented in small segments. Thirdly, patience is a key ingredient; it is unrealistic to expect everything to change at once.
ReplyDeleteWhen evaluating culture we make decisions based on our personal perspectives. Our experiences therefore determine our view of the school culture. Certainly, culture is influenced by administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents and local community. Through positive interactions between all stakeholders a positive school culture is established. It is imperative that school culture is carefully evaluated because a positive culture is essential to students achieving to their potential.
ReplyDeleteSchool culture is a vital element. It alone can determine the success of students. We must work diligently to create an environment of leadership & acheivment. Such a culture can only be created through focusing on these principles. The development of such a culture is an ongoing process, it takes time and evalution.
ReplyDeleteI feel very fortunate to work in a school where the administrative staff has worked diligently to create a school climate that is based on positive interactions, high expectations, and a desire by all to achieve. Each person in a school must do his/her part to create this positive climate. This includes all staff members, teachers, administrators, and even the parents. It is a group responsibility that we must constantly be aware of.
ReplyDeleteSchool culture rubs off on everyone, if you are negative in your feelings about your school and your students, these things will show through in your attitude. Our attitudes, and those of our staff, shape what our students expect from the school and in turn affect what our students expect of themselves. The climate of the school must be one of high expectations and positive supports.
ReplyDeleteAmplifying on what Coach Hitt said, one of my mentors was known for confronting teachers that broadcast negative opinions of their students with, "No one ever rose to low expectations." I see now that he was challenging his teachers to reevaluate what they thought of the student. We often speak of self-fulfilling prophecy when working with students, not realizing that we have the exact effect on both our staff and students. We shouldstrive to eliminate the thoughts of "he's doing his best" or "she'll never stop screwing up" and replace them with "how can I help them become more successful."
ReplyDeleteThe five factors to consider are behavior, language, artifacts, traditions, and folklore. I considered Oneonta and examined the matter of artifacts. My classroom is 32 years old and looks very good. The facilities underscore the appreciation for education that we have at Oneonta.
ReplyDeleteWe also use the facilities to help showcase our facilities and commitments. We have just hosted the county basketball tournament and school beauty pageant. We had several thousand through our doors with these. Many of us were proud that we have such quality facilities, to underscore our culture.
We also invite parents and the community to other events such as scholars' bowls meets, academic fairs, PTA programs, the school musical and other activities. These traditions also reveal our school culture.
Visitors sometimes comment on the appearance and polite manners of our students. That behavior shares our culture.
As for folklore, I shared with our new superintendent stories of some students inducting others into our culture. We often praise our students and extend that praise to others when we comment on our students.
I agree with Stoney that the first person that a vistor meets or talks with on the phone is the 'face' of our system. The first contact usually sets the tone for the next staff member in line that must deal with any issue. We should be supportive of those employees and hope that a positive attitude is contageous.
ReplyDeleteI can say from my personal experience that Shelly Vail-Smith does 'walk the walk'. I am fortunate to be a grandparent at her school. The school culture at Hayden Elementary is inviting, caring and loving. I am thankful to be a part of our school system. I like to say: Southern by birth. Blount County by the Grace of God.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many others in that the first person someone talks to in our school system is the voice of that system. We all need to be courteous at all times, even during those trying experiences that we all have when dealing with difficult parents. As leaders in the school system, we need to present that positive attitude to ensure the school culture that people see is positive. This starts with the front office personnel and needs to spread throughout the entire school. Only when this happens can we say we have a positive school culture.
ReplyDeleteIn the Leader in Me, Covey says that a school's culture results from the combined behaviors of the people involved. I think Covey has also said that "you can't talk your way out of something you have behaved your way into." Talking about school culture within a school is a first step but having everyone on the team behaving like a world class organization is the true test.
ReplyDeleteLinda W. reminds us that when we work in a school we are constantly being watched and judged by the public. I agree and this is really a scary thought. I think we do our best to always behave in an honest, ethical, caring manner but when we "slip up" because we are human, we hopefully have a relationship with our colleagues and students that allows us to draw on all the previous positive behaviors that we have "banked." School leaders have to model saying "I'm sorry"
ReplyDeleteI agree that a positive environment is important to our schools today. I also feel its important to remain that wall of discipline that many of our teenagers and parents rely on to shape their lives. Students of Blount County schools are different from one end of the county to other. Teens I experience at Locust Fork are very different than the ones I encountered at Susan Moore. Locust Fork kids are more wordly and have more unsupervised freedoms that teens I befriended at SM. A positve, creative, safe school environment is important for any school's student body, faculty, and parents.
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate what several others have said about creating a positive environment throughout the school. It should be pervasive and contagious. Also, I agree with the comments about setting high expectations. I feel it is so true that people will rise and fall in respect to what they feel is expected of them. The idea of a self-fulfilling prophesy, especailly when working with students, should always be a consideration. Our professional developement this year has centered on culture and climate and many good ideas have been presented. Hopefully, we will continue to evaluate and re-evaluate our school culture and keep finding ways to make it even better.
ReplyDeleteThe culture of a school or other organization is what it is. I think that efforts to change the culture directly will be usually unsuccessful. That is because the culture is dependent on the core beliefs and actions of the members. The only way to change the culture is to change the beliefs and actions of those members.
ReplyDeleteI remember a speaker we had a couple of years ago that said; "students come to school with a big bag of things they did'nt pack". With the economy like it is some of our students bags are over flowing. School for some students is an escape from their own lives of problems at home. It is our job to make sure that School is a great positive experience. We must educate students while at the same time providing needs that are not being provided at home. This sometimes is hard to do because we as educators have lives that have issues in them that we are dealing with and we have to put them aside when we walk thru the school doors. Being an educator is a "fill in the blank test". We try to fill in the blanks for whatever needs students have in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the School Leader's Tool for Assessing and Improving School Culture. At AHS we are working tirelessly right now to change the culture of the school. It seems when you climb to the top of the mountain, if you don't dig your claws in and hang on, it is so easy to slip all the way down to the bottom. I think the first step in getting back to the top is to realize that you are at the bottom. The second would be to admit my part of the responsibility in getting there. Lastly, to purpose that we will get back to the top. It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff and just be complacent. We, as educators, must set the standard for ourselves, our students,and other employees in the building. I would love to have each teacher in our building take the survey to see what results we could come up with. I think it would be interesting to hear what they have to say!
ReplyDeleteLeadership is the change mechanism in formulating a new culture. It takes time, patience and a commitment to principles you want to establish in an educational environment. A school cannot change its culture by painting the walls or putting up some nice bulletin boards. Culture is not decoration, rather it is about behavior. Specifically, in our case, it is about the combined behaviors of the people working in our individual schools. Culture cannot be created by one person but it can be destroyed by one person.
ReplyDeleteI read the article about school culture and was struck by the simplicity and relevance of the section, "Assess the Culture." I agree that the two fundamental questions must be asked, and asked often. The first question is "What aspects of the culture are positive and should be reinforced?" The second question is "What aspects of the culture are negative and harmful and should be changed?"
ReplyDeleteThese questions are always central to the life of the school.
This posting is from Ch. 1. Creating a culture of leaders is so very important. As mentioned, when you visit leadership inspiring schools, you can walk down the hallways and see quotes and murals promoting high standards. Inside classrooms, you can sopt empowered, hardworking teachers. In these schools, all students are assigned leadership roles. Are we creating students that can do more than just memorize facts? Are creating a climate where students can think and thrive?
ReplyDeleteChapter 2 Discovering What Parents, Business Leaders, and teachers Want from a School
ReplyDeleteA new mission was established at AB Combs, “To Develop Leaders One Child at a Time. Leadership was the umbrella term they would use to encompass the many character traits and basic life competencies that parents, business leaders, educators, and students were all voicing in common. This mission came about by everyone in the education and business community working together and buying in to what was expected of their students, and a map on how to get there.
Chapter 3 Crafting a Blueprint for Leadership
ReplyDeleteThis chapter made it clear that a statement would only take on true value and meaning through a viable strategy or blueprint for how they would accomplish their purpose and vision. It also tied the 7 Habits to what parents, businesses, and teachers want for students. To be successful, AB Combs tied everything they did into the 7 Habits, not just added it on. The data notebooks sounded very good in that students recorded personal and academic goals and were not used to compare to compare them to others.
Chapter 4 Aligning for Success
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was aligned around a “Big Arrow” (mission, vision, and strategy) for which all other programs or arrows needed alignment. The quote “teachers must have more than just an owner’s manual, they must have ownership” was very important for true alignment and buy- in to occur.
Ch 5 Unleashing a Culture of Leadership
ReplyDeleteCreating a new school culture did not happen all at once. This process took many years. The attitude that prevailed was a “can do” attitude. The principles found in the 7 Habits and Baldridge tools are taught and reinforced in everything AB Combs does.
Ch 6 Rippling Across the Globe
ReplyDeleteThis chapter focused on many other elementary schools across the US and other parts of the world. The Chestnut Grove story is a little different. A local business leader took the initiative to get the school to buy-in to what is going on at Combs. I liked the phrase at A B Combs, “In years to come, your students may forget what you taught them. But they will always remember how you made them feel”.
August - The habit that continues to pop into my mind is "Begin with the end in mind". I found over the summer and into the fall that keeping this in mind helps to focus more on the goal. It has also assisted in ensuring all efforts are aligned. In addition, it supports personal continued efforts at being a more influential leader.
ReplyDeleteNovember - Creating a blueprint for leadership encompasses input and buy-in from all constituents. The greatest impact from this chapter comes from the building of a "culture of caring". Students, teachers, leaders and everyone being treated with respect and as contributing members to the success of the organization.
ReplyDeleteDecember - A challenge facing the district lies in aligning programs for greatest success for students, teachers and leaders. The organization of the District Improvement Team in Blount County has greatly assisted us in aligning programs. This progressed through the development of a Pyramid of Interventions with current steps and next steps. This is an ongoing process. As at A.B. Coombs, the process includes align, realign and realign again.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 - How refreshing it would be for all of our students to live in and go to school in a 100% "can do" atmosphere? With the many challenges facing families, schools and each one of us, we must all remember to not just "talk the talk, we must walk the walk". Without a positive, supporting school culture, districts and schools will not be successful to their fullest potential.
ReplyDeleteHow do you promote a positive school culture, especially with so many different attitudes that exist on your faculty. I don't think you can change the few sour attitudes you will have in a month or even a year. You must start somewhere, though. The trickle-down affect surely exists here. Administration must be the start. You will always have a number of faculty who will be willing. Start with those. Count on them to help. Soon, the bad apples will stand out even more putting pressure on them to adapt. If a school looks and sounds like a positive place, it is a positive place. Messages on walls, clean facilities, order, and quiet and mostly deserted hallways are a few things that scream the climate/culture of a school. Start there. Stay positive.
ReplyDeleteAugust -- I commented in June that I wanted to work toward Quadrant II. Unfortunately, nothing has really changed. It seems there is a since of urgency to everything I do. I also have a real problem in determining what is truly important. This is mainly because my wife and I sometime see what is and isn't a priority very differently. My next major issue is Sharpening the Saw especially in the physical aspect. I am going to drop my gym membership (since I never go) and buy a couple of basic pieces of exercise equipment for home. We'll see how that works out!!!
ReplyDeleteSeptember -- I feel my position on the District Improvement Team lends itself to encouraging and supporting colleagues. It also affords me many opportunities to collaborate with the Leadership Teams at my schools. I usually think of trying to be a good role model for kids, but you can do the same for colleages. I'm certainly not saying I do a good job in this area, but it is something that I strive to improve at. It is especially important when dealing with my testing responsibilities that I practice what we preach concerning test security.
ReplyDeleteOctober -- Trust is so important in our position. Colleagues trust us to give them the correct advise and answers. This can be very difficult in certain areas of my position since I do not always trust myself. I just have to be as open as I can and hope they respect my honesty. I have also found that if your peers trust you, it is easier to get things done. They realize you're on the same side and want to help as opposed to questioning why. Many times decisions involve directives from the state and federal level. We may not have all the "whys", we just know it has to be done.
ReplyDeleteNovember -- This standard reminds me a lot of a person who is trying to witness to someone about their religion. If that person doesn't "walk the walk", then they are going to be perceived as being a hypocrite. Teachers have to be good role models. It has become our job to teach good morals and character. If students find that you are not living the life you're trying to tell them they need to live, they may lose respect for you. If this happens, you can look for the effectiveness of your teaching to decline.
ReplyDeleteDecember -- I see alignment as being one of the main functions of the District Improvement Team. We have made great strides in this area since its inception. The system has a focus or goal and the schools align their Continous Improvement Plans with the system. The DIT, of course, tries to insure that the system is aligned with state and federal guidelines. The Quality Assurance Review Team that visited us was very impressed with how well we were doing with this process.
ReplyDelete