We have all heard the word “culture” buzzing around workplace environments in Fortune 500 companies. Coaches on our favorite sports teams celebrate the “culture” of their programs as the main reason for their success. As a Certified Performance Coach that specializes in personal and character development, I have challenged myself to bring this same idea of creating culture to public school systems around the country.
I have found that when strong culture is established, be it environmentally or organizationally, it is not negatively influenced by the obstacles it faces, but rather enforces its power or will against them. Culture is defined as a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization (Merruan-Webster, n.d.). Culture is also described by its five poweful elements: Culture is learned, shared, dynamic, systemic, and symbolic (What is culture? n.d).
I believe if we bring this environmental change approach to schools, student engagement and performance would improve, teacher and staff work/life balance would be more efficient and fulfilling, and parental involvement would increase because of a joint and clear understanding of community expectations.
Yes, this is seemingly a very daunting task, but from my experience, oscillating from one troubling issue to the next is time consuming and ineffective. Efficacious personal development within the school setting starts with students accepting personal responsibility and ownership for themselves and others. This program will address those issues that contribute to the lack of personal development in students. As well as encourage a cohesive collaborative effort amongst parents and school staff to establish a culture that school communities are proud of and are willing to fight for everyday. I promise that a commitment to this process will pay dividends for students, parents, faculty, and staff now and in the future.
How will we build culture at your school?
We will first start by asking one simple question for all parties involved: what do we want our school to be? Secondly, what does that look like? And thirdly, what is our road map to get from where we are to where we desire to be? In my expert opinion, our roadmap to build the culture we desire must be paved with the following five elements (What is culture? n.d.).
- Introduction of personal development goals for middle school
- Understanding the power of inclusion in the classroom and relationships
- Recognizing and having empathy for those that are struggling
- The importance of building self-esteem and a positive self-image in yourself and others
- Introduction of personal development goals for high school
- Creating and accepting a realistic vision for your life
- Building a mentorship village to help you prepare for life after high school
- Reaching out to resources to fill in any personal development gaps you may have
- Introduction to personal development goals as a parent of a high/middle school students
- Learning skills to better partner with teachers and staff
- How and when to reach out for support when you need help for yourself and your child
- Introduction to personal development goals for teachers/staff
- How to keep personal health a priority
- How to better communicate with students, parents, and fellow faculty members
- How and when to reach out for support when you are failing to bring your best self to work
- Introduction to personal development goals for young men
- How to manage emotions in a healthy and productive way
- How to set goals and build a vision for yourself
- What does it mean to take pride and responsibility for your community
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