Chaptor 10 Creating a Positive School Culture

Introduction

School culture matters. This influences to a great extent how well students perform. School culture is a
creation of all the people in school and in the community especially that of the school heads. It can be
positive or negative. It can facilitate or adversely affect learning. A school community must therefore
strive to create a positive culture.

Activity - Let's Read These

Twelve norms of school culture where people and programs improve.

1. Collegiality

2. Experimentation

3. High Expectations

4. Trust and confidence

5. Tangible support

6. Reaching out to the knowledge base

7. Appreciate, recognition

8. Caring, celebration, humor

9. Involvement in decision making

10. Protection of what is important

11. Traditions

12. Honest, open communication

Read the following episodes then identify which norm of school culture is illustrated,

1. When high school students arrive for pre calculus class, they know exactly what to expect. Projected
on the screen are clear instructions for the day’s Success Starter. Everyone is expected to work on them
successfully.
2. You might not reach an answer today. You might not reach an answer tomorrow. Struggle is okay.”
Students know that by the third day, they will be expected to present their understanding and problem-
solving strategy to the class.

3. ‘You have a short memory’, she replies with a kind smile. “You say this every time we tackle a
problem. Remember the last time you struggled and then overcame your confusion? Remember our
norms that we wrote together? One of them was a growth mindset. And remember I am here for you”.

4, I hear some students talking while someone is reciting. I don't think you will like that if you are the
one reciting. Can we agree on a rule? Give me a rule”. Student suggests. Let’s keep quiet and listen
when someone is reciting. Raise your hand if you want to recite.” Teacher asks, “can we keep this rule?

5. Today you are going to compute your scores for class standing -written quizzes, seatwork,
performance test, homework. These were corrected and returned to you. When you are done, compare
your total with mine. Should there be discrepancy, be ready to show your corrected papers.

During first week of school Barb teacher asks her sixth graders two qestions: "What questions do you
have about yourself?" and "What questions do you have about the world?" The students begin
enumerating their questions, "Can they be about silly, little things?" ask one students. "If they're your
questions that you really want answered, they're neither silly not little," replies the teacher. After the
students list their individual questions, teacher organizes the students into small groups where they
share lists and search for question they have in common. After much discussion each group comes up
with a priority list of questions, rank-orderinh the questions about themselves and those about the
world. Back together Ina whole group session, teacher solicits the groups' priorities and works towards
consensus for the class's combined lists of questions. These questions become the basis for guiding the
curriculum in class. One question, "Will I love to be 100 years old?" spawned educational investigation
into genetics, family and oral history, actuarial science, statistics and probability, heart disease, cancer,
and hypertension. The students had the opportunity to Se out information from family members,
friends, experts in vario, fields, on-line computer services, and books, as well as from teacher. She
describes what they had to do as becoming pay ; a “learning community.” According teacher, “We
decide what Ore the most compelling intellectual issues, devise ways to investigate those isuues.

7. The sense of community is strong, even palpable. But this senge didn’t just spring full-blown from
being a group of people occupying the same place at the same time. It was built upon many small ang
specific moments of learning the same verses to songs and sharing traditions, memories of times
together and stories often-told...

Some of our traditions are once a year events; some happen every week or even every day. They give us
ways to greet each other, to learn about each other, to sing and celebrate and say goodbye, These
events mark our comings and our goings and affirm our common interests in the time we spend
together.

8. Because they treasure, health, sanitation and self-discipline, St Bernadette Catholic School includes
the following in their Canteen Policies.

Foods that will not be sold:

• Full fat pastry items

•Chocolate confectionary/lollies/potato chips/cream filled buns

•Soft drinks

•High caffeine drinks - e.g. drinks containing guarana or caffeine

•Deep fried food of any description

CLAYGO —“Clean as you go”.

9. The teacher wrote, “nice job” on my sketch of an orange. I knew very well that my smudged mess of
an orange wasn’t a nice job. Ii wasn’t even a decent representation of any fruit known to man. J would
have benefited by her telling me one thing I could do to maké it better. Maybe something like “We are
learning about perspective Try adding a shadow behind your sketch.” Her “nice job” told mé fittle about
how to improve. Knowing I received undeserved praise lessens the impact or praise when it is truly
earned.

(So rcechtte: /linservice.a cs OFefsix-tes-for-creatine-a -ositive-learninsnvironmen - inour-classroom)

10. Teacher Paz remarks; “I like to attend that CPD seminar. I like to. hone my teaching skills and update
my PCK (pedagogical content knowledge)...

11. Good teaching is honored i in this school. 12. My school head protects my academic time. She keeps
meeting time to the minimum.

12. My school head protects my academic time. She keeps meeting time to the minimum.
Eleven (11) vignettes in the first part of this Chapter give a concrete picture of a positive school culture.

Vignette Norm of School Culture Illustrated

1 High expectation 2 Honest and open communication 3 Tangible support; caring, celebration, humor 4
Involvement in decision making; protection of what is important 5 Trust and confidence traditions ” 6a
Collegiality; honest, open communication 6b Collegiality; experimentation; reaching out to the
knowledge bases; appreciation, recognition 7 Collegiality; traditions 8 Tangible support; protection of
what is important; tradition

10 Reaching out to the knowledge base . 7 appreciation and recognition an 12 Protection of.what is
important

The Meaning of School Culture

School culture is one of the most complex and importa concepts in education (Schein, 1985). It generally
refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes and written ang unwritten rules that shape and
influence every aspect of how , school functions (htt»s: www.ed:lossa .or:. school-culture) However, the
term also encompasses more concrete issues such ag the physical and emotional safety of students, the
orderliness gy classrooms and public spaces or degree to which a school embraces racial, ethnic,
linguistic and cultural diversity.

According to Spacey . htt»: simelicable new school John, Nov. 23, 2017), school culture consists of the
norms and shareq experiences that evolve over school’s history. In fact, Scott and Marzano (2014) state
that “school culture is reinforced by norms, expectations and traditions, including everything from dress
codes to discipline systems to celebrations of achievement. Therefore, it may be described as the
character of a school that gives a school qualities beyond its structures, resources and practices. They
are “built through the everyday business of school life. It is the way business is handled that both forms
and reflects the culture.’ (Sophier, J. 1985)

Culture as a Social Construct

Culture is a social construct not a genetic construct. This means that school culture is, therefore,
something that we do not inherit or pass on through the genes. Rather, it is something that we. create
and shape. Jt is shaped by everything that all people in school see, hear, feel and interact with. It is a
creation of the school head, teachers, parents, non-teaching staff students and community. Sea Slade
(2014) elaborates:

Within a couple of minutes of walking into a school or a classroom, you can tell, define almost taste the
culture that permeates that space. Is it an open, sharing environment? Of is it a rigid, discipline - defined
playing field? It is safe and welcoming, or intimidating and confronting? Does it welcome gil voices, or
does it make you want to shrink? Is it waiting for jnstruction and leadership or is it self-directed with a
common purpose?

School Climate and School Culture

How does school climate differ from culture? These terms frequently used interchangeably but school
climate is more elational; it is illustrated by the attitudes and behaviors of the _cho0! staff and is focused
on the style of the school's organizational gyste™School climate refers to the school's effects on
students, cluding teaching practices, diversity and the relationships among ;iministrators, teachers,
parents and students. School climate is driven by and reflected in daily interactions of staff,
administration, culty, students support staff and the outside community. (https://
qww/slideshare.net/module)

School culture is a deeper level of reflection of shared values, beliefs, and traditions between staff
members. School culture refers » the way teachers and other staff members work together and the set
of beliefs, values and assumptions they share. (www.ascd.org./ research). School culture is a broader
term and so is inclusive of school climate.

The Role of School Culture in Learning

School culture matters. Research confirms the central role of culture to school success. Schoo] culture
can be positive or negative or toxic. A positive school culture fosters improvement, collaborative
decision making, professional development and staff and student learning. A negative culture fosters the
opposite.
Elements of a Positive Culture

As given in the Activity phase of this Lesson a positive school ‘limate ig characterized by the following: .

1. Collegiality - The school atmosphere is friendly. You work in an atmosphere where responsibility and
authority are shared by everyone. You can be yourself. You have not to put your best forward to impress
others. The school head does not throw his/her Weight. He/she does not make his/her authority felt by
his/her colleagues.

2. Experimentation — The atmosphere encourages experimentation and so will welcome mistake as

part of the learning process. No student, no teacher gets punished for a mistake. Mistakes are not
intended. They give a lot of lesson. Reffering to his 10,000 failed attemps then he was experimenting in
the light bulb, Edison said: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000bways that won't work,"

3. High expectations - It has been said one’s level of achieveme, is always lower than one’s level that
aspiration. So set high expectations for high achievement. Two problems arise here Robert J. Marzano
warns us:

First, expectations are subtle and difficult to change. Teachers may be unaware that they have low
expectations for Some students; even when they become aware, they may have difficulty changing their
expectations because their beliefs and biases have developed over the years.

Second, what actually communicates expectations to Students is teacher behavior. If teachers

consciously work to change their biases but don’t change their behavior toward those students from
whom they have tended to expect less, their change of attitude will have little effect on student
achievement.

4. Trust and confidence - Students, teachers, school heads and parents relate well and work well when
relationships are solidly built on trust and confidence. In fact, honest and open communication (# 12 in
this list ) is possible only when there is trust and confidence in each other in the school community. |
can share my inner thoughts only when I am confident that I do not get ostracized when I do.

5. Tangible support - Everyone in the school community gets concrete support for the good that they do.
Support comes in not just in words but in action. School head sees to it that LCDs in the classrooms are
functioning.
6. Reaching out to the knowledge base ~ Teachers care to grow professionally to update themselves on
content knowledgé and pedagogy, the first domain in the Philippine Profession Standards for Teachers.

7. Appreciation and recognition - Certainly words of appreciation and recognition make classroom
climate highly favorable. A reminder t? teachers: “You are not made less when you praise others.
Instead you become magnanimous. So don’t be stingy with your sincer praise. The problem sometimes
is our eyes are so quick to see thé negative and so we despise them immediately but our eyes af blinded
to the good and so we overlook them and fail to appreciate.

8. Caring, celebration, humor - Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care. They don’t
listen to teacher when teacher doesn’t care. It may be good to remind teachers that many of students,
especially those who struggle, don’t receive nearly enough positive feedback in the classroom or in their
personal lives.

‘When kids are taught with a proactive, praise-heavy approach, tend to do better,” says Erin Green of
Boys Town. But be specific. Generic, overly generalized comments such as “Good job!” don’t really help.
Complimenting a specific behavior (“Thanks for showing respect our visiting guest”), on the other hand,
reinforces | that particular pehavior.

9. Involvement in decision making - Involving others who are concerned with decisions to be made
enhances sense of ownership. They also feel important.

10. Protection of what is important —What schools consider important must form part of their tradition
and so must be protected by all means. In the Activity above, mention was made on School Canteen
Policies that include “no soft drinks, no chocolate etc.” and CLAYGO because the school considers
nutrition and health and cleanliness as important.

11. Traditions — A school must have an intentional culture-based program on shared values, beliefs, and
behaviors. This strengthens sense of community. A truly positive school culture is not characterized
simply by the absence of gangs, violence or discipline problems but also by the presence of a set of
norms and values that focus school community’s attention on what is most important and motivate
them to work hard toward a common purpose.
12. Honest and open communication - No one gets ostracized for speaking up his mind. The atmosphere
is such that everyone is encouraged to speak his mind without fear of being ostracized. The agreement
at every discussion is “agree to disagree.”

Shared Norms: Teacher and Student Norms

Shared norms for both teachers and students contribute to a positive school culture. Boss and Larmer
(2018) share teacher norm and student norms to contribute to a fair and an engaging learning
environment, a characteristic of a positive school culture. They check °n the following norms each week.

Table 6,

Teacher Norms

1. Teach in different ways.

2. Call students by their names.

3. Care about students’ feelings.

a. Understand their situation.

4. Have a good attitude.

a. Stay calm.

b. Use kind words.

C. Have patience.
d. Greet students and say good-bye.

5. Help students understand. a. Work at a reasonable pace. . b. Explain clearly c. Support different
learning styles. d. Expect the best. e. Re-explain if necessary

6. Attend school the majority of the time.

7. Be respectful. a. Give everyone what they need. b. Use proper language. c. Allow space if needed.

Student Norms

1. Have a growth mindset. a. Believe you can improve. b. Fail forward. c. Keep trying. d. Speak positively
about your abilities to learn.

2. Call classmates by their names.

3. Be responsible for your work. a. Have materials ready. b. Advocate for yourself. c. Be a professional. d.
Meet deadlines. e. Participate. f. Be on time to class.

4. Listen...

a. 'to the teacher. b. to your classmates. c. to guests. d. to the directions.

5. Attend school the majority of the time.

d. Use supportive words when explaining.

6. Be a good team player.

a. Provide good, helpful feedback b. Stay calm. c. Encourage others.

d. Stay on topic.

e. Be considerate.

f. Use proper language.

g. Communicate clearly to students and teacher(s).

TAKEAWAYS

School-culture is the character of a school that gives the school

qualities beyond its structure, resources and practices. It is

| created by all the people in the school. It is not inherited and so. | is not passed on through-the genes.

•School culture includes ‘school climate and’ so school culture is broader than -school climate.. School
climate is relational while | ; school culture is a deeper level of reflection of shared values, — beliefs and
traditions.

•Unndoubtedly, school culture affects learning and so schools | must, by all means, build positive not
toxic school culture.