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...

Parent Involvement

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. As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village’ 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 with the top. School Boards of Education have to 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.

In the current climate of education today with technology so readily available and accessible, it is not acceptable to proceed without parental involvement. The driving question should not be whether a parent was contacted but instead, whether a conversation was held. Educators have the professional obligation to pursue family involvement and a moral commitment to make certain the follow through is completed. 

Schools across the nation struggle with parent involvement and parent engagement. As students climb in age, the parent involvement diminishes. This is counter intuitive to what should be happening. As students get older and climb in grades, that is when parental support is the most needed. Schools that can develop an engagement strategy to involve families are seen as more equitable, culturally responsive, and definitely collaborative. 

The bottom line is we need parents to be involved at all levels. 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...

Servant Leadership

In education, we are always trying to find new ways to serve our student population. In philosophy of leadership, that style is called Servant Leadership. The main goal of the servant leader is to serve and is very different from other leadership philosophies. As an educator, I certainly subscribe to servant leadership as one of the leadership styles that should be used the most in schools. Schools should be run as a collective of the stakeholders. The primary leader, or principal, should not be the sole decision maker. As an educational leader, it is my opinion that in order to be a successful leader, I have to work hard to make my subordinates successful. When they shine, I shine. 

In servant leadership, the desire to serve should be the prime motivation for all leaders. Some may see this as a weakness in the leadership model. Through my past experiences and training, I believe this model to be one of the best for schools. Servant leadership informs the group of the positives of being deeply involved with the needs of the group. This fosters a level of unity and connection that benefits everyone and can potentially increase productivity and efficiency. This collective efficacy that is fostered with servant leadership helps to build a positive school culture which can lead to improved student performance.

That being understood, great leaders have always put the well-being of their followers before their own self-interests. That helps to cultivate the level of trust that develops when servant leadership is present. Trust is a vital part of the interpersonal communication that is a basic part of successful leadership. In servant leadership, the followers have to trust the leader and be able to communicate their constructive input without fear of reprisal, knowing that the leader is willing to listen and act. When that type of communication is developed, the organization will benefit.

As a principal of a large high school, I have always worked to make sure my staff has everything they need to be successful. Even without understanding the details of the servant leadership philosophy, I acknowledged long before understanding leadership philosophy that as an educator, I am in the service industry. As a prime motivator, I have to have a desire to serve the students, staff, and community at large. 

A servant leader that understands the needs of the followers will be in a better position to build efficacy and trust in the school setting. 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...

Loyalty

This morning I was thinking about the word loyalty and what it means to me. Loyalty is something we should cherish and not necessarily just in the workplace. It is important to have loyalty with family and friends, or even with a business from owner to customer or consumer to product. Yes, sometimes loyalty can be assumed to be bad since it is never a good thing to have blind adherence to anyone. This version of loyalty in which people follow wrong behavior is not at all what this commentary is about. 

I don’t know what it is about loyalty. When discussed, some people immediately think the negative. Loyalty however in my eyes is a sign of respect. If for example I’m a loyal friend, I will certainly not allow a friend to make bad choices when I am present and I will not participate in the poor choice as a follower. I however am going to help my friend to make good choices. As far as a colleague is concerned the same would be true. I am going to be loyal and work with them but if presented with the opportunity to make a poor choice, being a loyal colleague, I will help him/her to choose the other.

That is where I believe loyalty and trust are connected. Though the words have two very different definitions in that loyalty is a strong feeling of support or allegiance and trust deals with the acceptance of truth, they are forever attached. Can you actually have one without the other? I believe one must be granted before the other. Trust can lead to loyalty, if the need exists. Many times trust is the only thing that is needed. Trust, for example, is a two-way street that has to be present before one can be loyal. If trust is violated, loyalty can still exist however there is a part of the relationship that has to be mended. Trust itself, however, is very difficult to earn after it has been lost. 

As far as school is concerned loyalty and trust do exist between a teacher and a student. The teacher has got to build trust with the students through outreach, compassion, and service. Loyalty is then extended by the students. That is where I believe loyalty to be a sign of respect. A that teacher earns the trust of the students through professionally meeting their educational and emotional needs, will also be extended loyalty. That loyalty shows up in plenty of ways, but one example is when the teacher happens to have a substitute. The students will behave better in that class out of respect and loyalty to their teacher and the rule set forth. 

I believe loyalty is a sign of respect that is also an obligation to oneself and to another to perform better. 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...