What is school culture?
Two types of school culture?
Transforming School Culture
Kim Winden - LAI 567
Technical Change...
~ Changes to tools/mechanisms professionals use to do their jobs effectively
~ Changes in structure, policies, or teaching tools
ex: period vs. block schedule, revising curriculum, offering different classes
What kinds of change have you been a part of? Did they have any impact? What kind?
In what ways do you think the varied and diverse human elements brought by stakeholders (students, parents, educators, other staff) impact schools?
"The set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the 'persona' of the school" (Cromwell, 2002, p. 4)
Two types of change
Cultural Change...
~ Can not be gained through force or coercion
~ Takes knowledge of where school has been and agreement about where school should go
~ Must precede technical change
Positive School Culture vs. Toxic School Culture
~ Teacher relations are conflictual
~ Staff doesn't believe in ability of students to succeed
~ Negative attitude
~ Educators believe that student success is based on student's level of
concern, attentiveness, prior knowledge, and willingness to comply
~ Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that
support their belief in the impossibility of universal achievement
~ A set of norms that supports...
- professional development of teachers
- responsibility for student learning
- a positive, caring atmosphere
~ A place where...
- educators believe in the ability of all students to succeed
- educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices
that support that belief
"All children can learn, and all children will learn because of what we do"
What kind of atmosphere have you worked in?...been a student in?...How did it affect your teaching?...your attitude?...your learning?...your student's learning?...Anything else?