There is a time to Laugh at Oneself!

Demonstrating the ability to laugh at oneself is a valuable attribute in the context of impactful teacher mentoring. Research by Leithwood and Jantzi (2000) highlights the significance of positive mentor-mentee relationships in teacher development, making this aspect of mentorship particularly relevant. A mentor who can laugh at oneself and share light-hearted moments with the mentee helps create a comfortable and non-threatening environment. Humor can serve as an effective icebreaker, breaking down barriers and building rapport. By showing that it's okay to make mistakes, mentors encourage mentees to embrace a growth mindset and a willingness to learn from their experiences.

Strong mentors will find practical strategies for infusing humor and humility into their interactions with mentees. This includes sharing personal teaching anecdotes, acknowledging their own past mistakes or challenges, and using humor to diffuse tense situations. It's essential to strike a balance, ensuring that humor is used constructively and respectfully, never at the expense of the mentee's feelings. I had a mentor once tell me, “Never miss an opportunity to make a complete idiot out of yourself!” It makes you relatable and real. Authenticity is so much more important than this need to be “above” everyone. The importance of laughter has been confirmed in countless studies, but one study by Dunbar (2022) stands out. Differences in human and primate behavior were studied and compared. The scientific results confirmed that human laughter both upregulates the brain's endorphin system and increases the sense of bonding between those who laugh together. 

By demonstrating the ability to laugh at oneself, mentors not only foster a more enjoyable mentorship experience but also contribute to mentee confidence and resilience. It communicates that teaching is a journey filled with both triumphs and setbacks, and that both mentors and mentees are lifelong learners. This approach aligns with research that highlights the importance of mentor-mentee relationships characterized by trust, support, and a growth-oriented outlook (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011).

By incorporating humor and humility into their mentorship relationships, mentors help create a positive, supportive, and relatable environment for mentees. Effective use of humor with humility can contribute to confidence, resilience, and professional growth.

Until next time...

Importance of Social Learning

The social learning theory of Bandura (1971) offers an understanding of why a school with a positive culture could potentially care for a students’ needs better than those schools with less than adequate culture. Research has revealed that emotional, social, and academic development in adolescents is impacted by a positive school climate and culture (Bradshaw, Waasdorp, Debnam, & Johnson, 2014). Conversely, schools with negative cultures fail with the support necessary to offer a protective environment which impacts overall achievement (De Pedro et al., 2016). Therefore, a negative school culture would be an obstruction to high expectations.

In support of Bandura’s social learning theory, the study by Oyedeji (2017) found that the learning ability of students was greatly influenced by the climate and culture of the school. To further support the importance of the social environment a study was conducted of 50 public schools from the southeastern United States, in which they discovered valuable insights into quality teaching and relationships. Significant is the idea that quality teaching and relationships are predictors of student learning (Ohlson, Swanson, Adams-Manning, & Byrd, 2016). Bandura’s social learning theory supports learning as a cognitive process that takes place in a social setting. Though this study is focused on school-level data, the data itself is a collective of student behaviors. If students are not encouraged by their teachers or the school provides a setting with which is not conducive to achievement, then there will be a significant impact on student achievement (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016). Social learning theory is easily applied to a school setting because students often do learn by observing their teachers and peers (Bandura, 1971; Firmender, Gavin, & McCoach, 2014). This is important when a school is making a cultural shift to college readiness and high expectations.

The bottom line is we should always be concerned about the culture on our school campus.  A positive culture will lead to positive outcomes.

Until next time...

Family-School Relation and Student Performance

The importance of family-school relations is well documented over the years. Additionally, it was often speculated as to how important that relationship is to student performance. In one research study, a sample of American households were used to examine the relationship between parent involvement in the school and the student performance. This research study sampled 179 households to investigate 3 hypothesis: “(1) the higher the educational status of the mother the greater the degree of parental involvement in school activities; (2) the younger the age of the child the greater the degree of parental involvement; and (3) children of parents who are more involved in school activities do better in school than children with parents who are less involved.”

The data supported all 3 hypotheses. The first regarded the educational status of the mother. Since this is related to overall parent education level, the data showed the parents with a higher level of education are generally more actively involved in the school. Secondly, the younger the student, the more the parents were involved. Lastly, parent involvement in school activities are an indicator of success.

This study is significant, because it confirms what educators know to be true about parent involvement. When students first start school, parents are actively involved. They walk them to class and pick them up daily. As children grow, schools begin to see less and less of parents. Once a student reaches High School, parents are rarely seen, unless called for a meeting on campus. This type of meeting is certainly not the best for building community support.

This study simply shows that the data supports parent involvement and the positive impact on student performance at all grade levels. Bottom line is that a great school is one that welcomes parents on campus and finds ways to incorporate them into the fabric. Until next time...

Citation:
Stevenson, D. L., & Baker, D. P. (1987). The family-school relation and the child's school performance. Child development, 1348-1357.

A Compelling Case

With relationships at the core, schools should engage students and provide opportunities for students to be successful by increasing their abilities and stimulating their talents and personality (Wang et al., 2014). Bandura (1971) adds to this understanding by stating that learning is dependent on the interaction between the school environment and the student. The failure or success of the student will be determined by the quality of the interaction and the environment with which they are placed (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The research by Bandura (1971) plainly demonstrates the significance of the social learning context. Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) research adds to the significance of the learning environment and culture. Since the landmark research of Bandura and Bronfenbrenner, studies continue to show the impact a positive environment has on student achievement (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016). When a relationship of trust is present between a student and an adult, the student will rise to the expectations presented (Balkar, 2015). This response, known as the Pygmalion effect, where students will rise to the level of expectation that is placed upon them (Howard et al., 2015) is the practical application of the theories discussed.

A compelling case can be made for the relationship between a teacher and the student as the building blocks of academic achievement. A school culture of high expectation has a strong positive relationship to academic achievement. The school culture of high expectation is made up of the relationships that are built on the school campus. As studies report, relationships have to come before academic rigor. Students will work for their teacher when they know their teacher cares about them and has an authentic belief in them. In contrast, when students feel their teachers do not care, or believe their efforts are futile, their academic achievement is diminished.

Learning occurs more frequently when teachers make the authentic attempt to be actively engaged in the interaction with students and school culture is driven by the relationships that exist on a campus. The bottom line is that when high expectations for student achievement are present, high academic achievement will be the result.

Until next time...

Teacher/staff Collaboration

The process of education is a detailed method of teaching and learning with a variety of contributors. The walls and classrooms are just the shell to house the process that should be focused on collaboration to be successful (Sanders, 2016). According to Stevens (2014), collaboration by teachers and staff members is the most effective method of improving professional practice which will ultimately lead to improved student outcomes. Collaborative groups can be called by several names but they all share a common focus. They are all outcome based and promote professional dialog around student achievement (Stevens, 2014).

Collaboration is extremely important to a school as it is very clear that schools do not operate solely with one person in charge. It takes a team of people working together under the guidance of the governing board and through sound policy to meet defined goals (Guthrie & Schuermann, 2010). The use of this instrument can facilitate team building and communication throughout the process building professional relationships (Malakyan, 2013). Though it is the responsibility of the principal to listen to all stakeholders, the collaborative process can help by giving others an avenue to improvement (Stevens, 2014).

There are multitudes of ways that collaboration can become deep and meaningful in a school setting and every time collaboration takes place there is likelihood that student achievement will improve (O’Brien, 2015). Stevens (2014) also reports that not only student achievement will improve with collaboration, but teacher effectiveness will improve as a result. With the well documented success of collaborative groups, there are five elements that need attention during the implementation process: 1) Staying data centered; 2) Developing trust; 3) Time; 4) Engagement in the process; and 5) Alignment with the District (Stevens, 2014). When collaborative groups are implanted with fidelity, they force a change to standard practice. 

The bottom line that collaboration works and we are stronger together than alone. Until next time...

Carrot or the Stick

Reciprocal interaction is the basis for Bandura's social learning theory and an important component in building a culture of high expectation on a high school campus. Learning occurs from the active interchange between the school environment and the student, not just in responding to a stimulus provided by the teacher (Bandura, 1971). Bandura discovered that past consequences are important motivators for future behavior. Students that have received positive reinforcement will produce behaviors that are more desirable. The motivating positive reinforcement becomes the reason for the learned behavior. This leads to the idea that schools with a positive culture will provide more quality reinforcement for reaching goals (Bandura, 1971). As students reach goals, they feel better about themselves which increases their desire to achieve even higher goals. On the other hand, students attending a school that has a negative school culture will not receive the reinforcement necessary to fulfill their feedback needs.

Continuing with Bandura’s social learning (1971), there is a connection with regulated consequences and behavior. People generally will not participate in behavior that is not rewarding or that is met with punishment. Rewarded behavior however, has a higher retention level. When rewards and punishments are anticipated, it has strong effects on behavior. Social rewards and behavior incentives have a positive result on learning and social interaction (Bandura, 1971). Applying this concept to schools, students will work hard to earn positive reinforcement from the teacher or their peers and work harder to avoid the negative aspect. This can also help to build a positive culture, as well as a culture of high expectations.

Bottom line is the carrot is much more powerful than the stick.

Until next time...

Social Learning Theory

According to Albert Bandura and his Social Learning Theory, as social creatures, human beings rely on emotional nourishment. Social interaction is a human need and schools provide the setting that can be most influential for teaching social interaction and nourishing the needs of emotional attachment. Teachers help develop interpersonal communication skills with students at a very young age. Additionally, many teachers model behaviors that are positive. Students also witness around the school yard many demonstrations that are not considered appropriate social behavior. In both cases, students are learning how to socially interact with their world. 

Social interactions between teacher and student is, in effect, the fundamental basis for teaching. In order to provide a strong foundation for students it becomes essential to foster the development of strong authentic teacher-student relationships through trust and caring. With that, the connection needs to be perceived as caring by both the student and teacher. As is accepted, what is perceived is reality when relationships are concerned. Though the perception may not be the truth, it is real to the perceiving individual. 

The concept of building robust teacher-student relationship connections is not secluded to the classroom setting. It is equally significant in all teaching, counseling, and administrative situations. In one relationship study of teachers and students it was found that a positive school experience is a contributing factor to student academic success. Moreover, a positive relationship can overcome negativity brought about by a poor environment at home, basically reversing the impact. That should be enough alone for every educator to focus on building authentic relationships. Then impact will make a difference.

Until next time...

Increased Rigor equals Improved Student Achievement

Schools face great needs and challenges on a daily basis. The problems our schools are met with are complex and warrant the attention of all stakeholders to find the answers. It takes all stakeholders to build a school that values the collaborative nature needed to involve parents, students, and employees equally. Relationship building is no longer just the responsibility of the teacher, but now the school administrators have to be equally responsible for establishing, facilitating, and maintaining relationships with parents. Part of this process begins at the top tier of the education personnel operating structure. School boards of education must outline a vision and mission that drives the organization by setting the climate and culture of inclusion. Once set in motion the philosophy of inclusion will be developed and a plan for involvement will follow suit.

The California public school system has gone through an enormous amount of change in recent years and due to this, has been collecting a huge amount of data. This provides an opportunity to utilize the public access database to investigate how certain points correlate with others. As for the State standardized test, the aggregate school scores were released for the first time in 2015. This fact alone stands to reason why empirical research utilizing this data is very rare or simply difficult to find. Additionally, with the importance of multiple measures for schools and high expectations for students, the measure A-G completion percentage is the only data point that is tracked by the State that can be used in empirical studies.

According to the literature reviewed, a school culture is reflective of the community with which they serve. Any issue that impacts the community at large will impact the school. Research states that school culture when placed in context, is related to everything that happens at a school. Relationships, connectedness, expectations, teaching practices, behavior interventions, and external affects such as education policy, technology, and globalization, are all impactful to students and the culture of a school. Though this is the case, studies have found that negative interactions can be moderated with the positive. Therefore, a positive teacher-student relationship can promote an increase in student achievement. When increased rigor is the expectation, student achievement will improve as well.

Teacher/Staff Collaboration

The process of education is a detailed method of teaching and learning with a variety of contributors. The walls and classrooms are just the shell to house the process that should be focused on collaboration to be successful. According to research, collaboration by teachers and staff members is the most effective method of improving professional practice which will ultimately lead to improved student outcomes. Collaborative groups can be called by several names but they all share a common focus. They are all outcome based and promote professional dialog around student achievement.

Collaboration is extremely important to a school as it is very clear that schools do not operate solely with one person in charge. It takes a team of people working together under the guidance of the governing board and through sound policy to meet defined goals. Though it is the responsibility of the principal to listen to all stakeholders, the collaborative process can help by giving others an avenue to improvement.

There are multitudes of ways that collaboration can become deep and meaningful in a school setting and every time collaboration takes place there is likelihood that student achievement will improve. Studies also report that not only student achievement will improve with collaboration, but teacher effectiveness will improve as a result. With the well documented success of collaborative groups, there are five elements that need attention during the implementation process: 1) Staying data centered; 2) Developing trust; 3) Time; 4) Engagement in the process; and 5) Alignment with the District. When collaborative groups are implanted with fidelity, they force a change to standard practice.

Bottom line is when teacher are working together for a common goal, everyone succeeds. Until next time...

Understanding Professional Relationships

Understanding the characteristics of authentic teacher-student relationships is vital to the success of the relationship. In a research study, seven characteristics of quality teacher-student relationships were identified. These were: academic and personal support, showing interest and concern for the student, motivating and attending to their personal interests, respecting the students, valuing their opinions and feelings, being compassionate, and being accessible. Understanding these basic characteristics, teachers find that they have a basic need to interrelate with the students and find a connection. That realization happens when teachers internalize experiences with students and allow that to guide their emotional responses during interactions with the student. 

These emotional responses, whether positive or not, can become the catalyst for improving or diminishing the self-esteem of teacher and student. Therefore, communication plays a critical role in relationship building. One element within our society today is the onset of smart devices and social media. This factor plays an important role in communication and development of both good and bad relationships. Out-of-class communication is less formal than inside the classroom and may be initiated by the student. It is however important to note that whatever the type of communication, the teacher-student relationship still must exist on a professional level to stay authentic. Another factor that teachers must guard against is the thought that they have good relationships with good students. This is not always the case as some students simply are compliant in classrooms because they want the higher grade and the teacher perceived relationship is not authentic. Students report that trust is an integral part of the developing relationship. With trust, caring, and listening as root elements to building the teacher-student relationship, it would be significant to have both the teacher and the student displaying such characteristics. Authentic professional student-teacher relationships are easily established when the characteristics correlate. When students feel valued and connected to their school and teachers, they are more likely to display positive motivation toward learning.

Bottom line is it is important to build healthy relationships so students trust their teachers and school. Until next time...

Positive Culture: Student Perspective

Though it is important to examine the perceptions of teachers when building school culture, it is much more important to delve into the perception of the student. Though this area is vital to building authentic quality relationships, there is limited information available. According to research, it has been well established that high-quality teacher-student relationships lead to higher student achievement through several avenues such as, greater engagement in work and better work habits. Additionally, students tend to like school more. 

Relationships matter at all levels from pre-school to college. In one study, middle school students were surveyed to assess their perception of how their success was influenced by the relationship with the teacher during their participation in a certain program. The students that had a positive relationship with the teacher felt it was a contributing factor to their success. Furthermore, the stronger the student perceived connection to the teacher was, the more they sensed their level of success was influenced by the relationship. Though different definitions of the teacher-student connection or relationship have been presented throughout years of study, the research is consistent with the finding that there is an association between positive student outcomes and the positive aspects of relationships. 

In an urban middle school study, the research uncovered evidence that perceived teacher caring and support are important elements of the teacher-student relationship and are contributing factors to engagement, which in turn can lead to higher student achievement. Perceived caring and support from the student perspective is positively associated with emotional support and that support leads to better student achievement.

The bottom line is that the students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Until next time...

Building a Positive School Culture

In order to build a positive culture, a teacher must be aware and have an understanding of the connections and relationships that are being built in the classroom. Research describes this relationship as a formalized interpersonal association between a subordinate and an authority figure that have daily interaction. This understanding provides a foundation for further research in the area of perception. Perceptions of the relationship can at times be misleading for the teacher or the student. Teachers can have the perception of a much more positive relationship than what the students believe. In addition, positive relationships can be a determining factor for positive outcomes. Additionally, teachers have the false perception that when a student earns good grades they automatically have a positive connection or relationship. The data however, does not support this supposition. Though grades can at times be a contributing factor in a positive relationship, they are not the factor that makes or breaks the connection.

Several studies report that when students develop conflicted teacher-student relationships they are at a higher risk for academic challenges. The perspective on relationships presented by the teacher is much more focused on the development of school culture through behavior management and high-quality instruction. The perceptions of what makes an authentic relationship also varies with teachers in differing subject areas or involvement. Teachers of the core and elective areas have shown a difference in their perception of the relationship development when looking at the extracurricular involvement of the student. As extracurricular activities contribute to the school culture and the experience of a student, the perception of the teacher is that the connection to school is validated by the involvement however, a positive school culture is a contributing factor in developing the connections and building the relationships. In other words, a positive school culture will encourage and validate extracurricular participation by the student.

The bottom line is that building a positive school culture depends on the people building quality positive professional relationships which in turn further builds a positive school culture. Until next time...

Caring School Community Impact

It is undeniably essential to have a parent involvement plan integrated into the school processes and is the responsibility of the leader to employ such a program. Planning on a school campus should involve faculty, staff, and especially parents and caregivers. This is not only professionally the correct thing to do, it is a requirement for many accreditation programs such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) which is the accrediting body in California. It is also one of the requirements of the new Federal Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). According to the accreditation programs and the California Department of Education, school planning and development is the responsibility of all stakeholders.

As is the requirement, the research also reports schools are more successful when all stakeholders are involved. Culture shifts happen to the positive when people have ownership of their school. Teachers report that there are three areas that can improve the connectedness of a school community: embracing the role of technology as an outreach to the community; providing time for teachers to develop the social and emotional well-being of their students; and creating a common language centered on the professional best practices. Everyone can be contributing members of the team because it is not only teachers that makes a difference. Before anyone speaks to the teacher, they enter the office and should be met with a team of people that are all working toward the same goal, which is the success of the students.

There are many California community organizations that have outreach programs to get community members involved. Two of them that have a focus on family engagement are the County Office of Education in California and the County Health Department. Other organizations that provide family supports, other than schools, include: Preschool programs, family resource centers, home visiting programs, local behavioral health programs, city recreation departments, and organizational health programs.

The bottom line is that “It takes a Village” is more than just a saying. Until next time...

Diversity in the Classroom

Diversity in the classroom is not only indicated by race or ethnicity. Diversity can involve preferences, interests, socio-economic class, cultural backgrounds, religion, gender, sexual orientation as well as learning styles and special needs. With each of these forms of difference, students come to the classroom with hosts of experiences, world views, cultural contexts, and sets of experiences that make teaching even more demanding.

In the classroom, teachers need to develop best practices to address diversity. By being aware of the cultures presented and the diverse needs of all students, the teacher will be better suited to serve their needs. When the teacher can embrace diversity, the students will develop a better understanding of cultures and other differences. According to research, teachers that are culturally responsive share five characteristics: 1) They develop a culturally diverse base; 2) They design lessons that are relevant; 3) They demonstrate a caring attitude toward cultural diversity; 4) They develop cross-cultural communication techniques; and 5) They utilize culturally respectful instruction. 

Today, the need for teachers to design lessons that embrace diversity is greater than in the past. Teachers that not only embrace diversity in the classroom but work to incorporate it positively into their curriculum are more successful educators. Students not only have diverse needs and come from diverse backgrounds, but they have diverse ways of learning. Some learn through visual means, others by auditory measures, and some learn kinesthetically. These differences increase the challenges in developing lessons. Teachers need to develop ways to adapt the curricular content and delivery to meet the needs of the students’ individual and cultural differences. 

The bottom line is that by reaching out to the students in an effort to understand them, teachers can bridge the cultural gap, make a better connection to the students, ultimately having a positive influence on their future.

Until next time...

Student Engagement.

It is clear in all the research that when a student is engaged, learning happens. Engagement therefore becomes a critical goal when attempting to understand what drives the learner. For us, the engagement level of the student is an important factor to consider when speaking about a culture of high expectations.

Research reports engagement is tied more closely to the relationship with the teacher than with the subject matter. When the teacher makes the student feel acknowledged, the student will work harder for the teacher leading to improved student achievement. Several research studies show the best settings that were discovered for reaching students were during discussions where the teachers and the students developed relationships and understood the talents of each other. In all the studies reported that a healthy learning environment involves a community of learners and everyone should feel they are welcome. 

When a student fails to feel connected to the classroom, disruptions may occur. It is only natural for all of us to have the desire to feel connected to others. The concept of the human touch is a motivating factor for some. This basic need can be satisfied when a teacher values and respects the student as a genuine member of the group. This approach to accepting all students is the gateway to building better student relationships. People in general want to be physically and psychologically safe and students have that same desire. A positive culture in the classroom where a student feels safe can help to provide a foundation for the professional relationship to flourish. When the responsibility for the relationship lands on one person, the relationship is doomed to fail, according to relationship studies.

It is equally important for teachers to learn about students as it is for students to learn about their teachers. The two-way communication creates the bond that develops a mutual relationship. Most importantly teachers need to be specific regarding the boundaries for the relationship. Knowing this can eliminate potential issues that may arise. Academic achievement, which is tied to student engagement, is about mutual respect. Students will not care about their performance until they understand how much the teacher cares about them. This seems to be a theme that is consistent in all areas of education.

Until next time...

Power of the Positive

In this time of distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, it is important to note how important positive relationships are for students. Positive relationships contribute to an overall positive school culture and at times can moderate other negative interpersonal interactions. Furthermore, negative interactions that do not get moderated can impact the perception of ability within a student. To use a common phrase, the positive interactions will outweigh the negative. Research shows that strong positive teacher-student interactions promote an increase in student achievement. Additionally, students tend to behave better and have better grades when support relationships are present. Not only does positive interaction impact student achievement, but the impact on scholastic adjustment and academic goal orientation is notable.

The positive effects of relationships at school are not only extended by the teacher. Research finds that when students perceive caring and support from an adult it is positively associated with emotional support. Furthermore, the relationship between a teacher and the student is not only associated with better student behavior but it is linked to increased engagement. Students also concern themselves with their peers. If the peer group demands engagement, then the students will reciprocate with increased academic engagement levels. Moreover, peer groups can increase student motivation to participate, engage, and become a success.

The bottom line in the research is that students are more successful in school when positive relationships exist. Building those relationships is the most difficult challenge educators have in this distance learning environment, but they are up to the task.

Until next time...

Impact of Social Media

The reputation of the public school system has been long defined by the test scores of language arts and mathematics. Moving forward however, education professionals will have to embrace new strategies for teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills, with a focus on the expertise needed for 21st century competitiveness. School districts cannot be comfortable with the status quo and must overcome the resistance to change in order to improve academic achievement. As part of the school reform process, schools must review different programs to increase student interaction with the outside world, as well as implement strategies that improve school culture. Improved communication within the classroom along with the embracing of new technology will help to bring the world into the classroom.

Since social media plays such a significant role in the life of a high school student, it is nearly impossible to not discuss technology as a factor in school culture. As classrooms nationwide become more connected through social media or other tech-inspired programs, there could be a negative impact as students not only have access to global information but must learn to balance their social media activity with their academics. As a leisure activity, social media has become increasingly popular and though many students can balance their time spent with social media, some use is excessive and even compulsory, leading to depression or lowered self-esteem when social media use is interrupted at school. Regardless of social media, with the onset of advancing technology in schools, soon the time will come when a school is not measured by the number of students enrolled and the attendance metric, but by the mastery of essential standards through the use of communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity.

The bottom line is that schools need to embrace the changing world and continue to infuse technology into the classroom.  By developing digital outreach avenues as best practices they can better serve the student population.

Until next time...

Education Pendulum.

The changes California public schools experience in curriculum, assessment, funding, and accountability, create a shift in thinking that defines the education pendulum and can be a contributing factor in the culture of a school. The pendulum is a perfect representation of conservation of energy in that the potential swing in one direction is returned in the directly opposite swing. The momentum is the greatest at the lowest point and slows as the top of the arc is reached, stopping only for a split second to change direction. That pendulum swing is representative of the education system. New programs are instituted and heralded as the ‘next best thing’ gathering support and building momentum, only to slow as returns are diminished. Soon the ‘next best thing’ is introduced and the pendulum is swinging in another direction. Research has shown that with every shift of the pendulum, there is a disruption to the climate and culture of a school. When the pendulum begins to swing in a different direction, many times, a new accountability system is instituted that revolves around some sort of testing program. Though many studies have shown there is no correlation between high stakes testing and increasing student achievement, the tests remain. 

Though I am not advocating against tests or accountability in any way, I am an advocate for providing a climate and culture that fosters improved academic achievement. With every new program that is mandated by the policymakers, teachers are impacted. Research reports that changes in educational policy and testing can push away good teachers which ultimately impacts students. Additionally, students that may not be excellent test takers, or even proficient at the task, would begin to be left behind. This is why multiple measures are so important and not high stakes testing.

The Common Core State Standards use higher Depth of Knowledge (DOK) questions and are considered more rigorous requiring more critical thinking. Increasing the DOK and the Lexile reading level are basic components and when incorporated are shown in studies to increase student achievement at a faster rate than those students not exposed to that level of rigor. With the Common Core, not only is the level of rigor increased, but the standards are vertically aligned allowing teachers to address individual needs without compromising the learning goals of all students.

The bottom line is we should not follow the swing of the pendulum and instead, understand that reading skills and the DOK questioning will increase student achievement across the curriculum.

Until next time...

Authentic Connections

In honor of my 100th post to this blog, I wanted to discuss the importance of authentic connections and the impact that connection has of student achievement.

Research has demonstrated that authentic teacher-student relationships in the classroom contribute to overall academic achievement. If it were that simple, then an achievement gap would not exist, and everyone would be learning on grade level however, that is not the case. Teacher-student relationships are important to the learning process but not the only answer. 

Due to the possibility for disconnection or disengagement with school, many schools and teachers struggle to help students achieve. This is why there must be a broader focus on relationship building in schools. In a one quantitative survey, the outcome of a 60-item survey to middle school students produced a significant correlation between academic growth and student perceptions of the teacher-student relationship. This result establishes the need for teachers to develop positive authentic relationships with students to help improve academic achievement. The focus must shift from methodologies in content areas to interpersonal communication and relationship building skills to help with academic improvement and to bridge the achievement gap. 

In support of this focus, a study was produced in which the students credited their academic achievement to the positive relationship they had with their teacher and the fact that they were more engaged in the curriculum, more motivated to study, and performed better overall due to the relationship. In direct contrast, the teachers reported overwhelmingly that they did not believe the positive relationship with students had any effect on the outcome of their achievement. Research suggests that teacher perceptions of school quality and students are a factor that contributes to the achievement gap. The only way to combat that is to create a teacher professional development plan to improve school culture, climate, along with student outcomes. Relationship building should be foundational, constant, and continual in any plan for improvement.

The bottom line is the students don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Until next time...

Differentiating School Culture and Climate

School culture and school climate are two terms that can easily be confused or intermingled. They can often be used interchangeably, as climate is a byproduct of culture. The climate of a school is thought to be more of a feeling while the culture is more foundational. Whether used in conjunction or separately, they are vital components in a reform process to improve student academic achievement. School culture when placed in context, is related to everything that happens at a school. Relationships, connectedness, expectations, teaching practices, behavior interventions, and external affects such as education policy, technology, and globalization, are all impactful to students and the culture of a school.

According to research, a school culture can influence everything that happens on a school campus and can positively or negatively affect the way administrators, teachers, and students feel. As stated above, since school climate is a byproduct of the culture, it is primarily the tone and morale of the school. The factors that affect both school climate and culture are the school district, teachers, and the classroom.

As schools move through their reform programs that address technology and overall curriculum, it is vital that school culture is not overlooked. Since the characteristics of a school’s culture are reflective of the community with which they serve, those issues that impact the community will impact the school. The culture simply is a reflection or sub-culture of the community at large. Culture itself can be defined several ways but is representative of a shared mission and vision for academic success. Stakeholders have a vested interest in the relationships, connectedness, expectations, and values that are embraced and supportive of collaboration.

The bottom line is school culture is vital to the success of a school.

Until next time...