Yes . . . absolutely . . . without a doubt! Just as a plant requires nurturing and attention, so does a school culture. The combination of conditions such as sunshine, water, and plant food can create a strong root system with beautiful and vibrant blooms.

Many a school improvement goal has been focused on the improvement of the culture of a school. Whether you define culture as the learning environment, the morale of the school, or the symbols, rituals, and traditions of the school, its health and vibrancy has a direct impact on student performance.

Kent Peterson says it this way, “A school culture influences the ways people think, feel, and act.” Additionally, he says, “Being able to understand and shape the culture is key to a school’s success in promoting staff and student learning.”

Just this week, I had the honor of working with a Middle School whose intention directly supports Kent’s statement about shaping the culture of the school. While their Mission and Vision statements were written over 13 years ago, their school has continued to grow and evolve in new and different ways. Their student population has changed.  Tweaking the current statements was an option; however, they preferred to begin from scratch. As they engaged in a collaborative process, their hopes and dreams spilled out filling the room with the hope and promise for a brighter future for themselves and their students. Their high standards for excellence were evident in their thinking and the language that aligned with it. The words, “WE WILL . . .” demonstrated their intention to hold themselves accountable to the ideas and concepts of the Mission.

As the work evolved into action thinking, new ideas emerged for how they would move the new Mission and Vision out of the room into the lives of their colleagues, their parents, and most importantly their students.

Through focused conversation with intentional listening, this Leadership Team created a “strong root system” addressing the reason this school exists in the first place. By practicing new ways of thinking and talking with one another, the invisible force of culture became explicit, exposing their underlying assumptions and beliefs. And through honest and open dialogue, the process moved from completion of a task to “heart work” where passion and inspiration could emerge.

Because the group had created a safe and secure place to be honest and authentic, several people shared that they entered the day thinking the work was going to be too hard because of the diversity and strong opinions held by the group. Instead, they found commonality by surfacing what they cared deeply about – a river of passion and shared commitment to the success of their students.

With their core values explicit in the new Mission and Vision, their work is now about creating the conditions (sunshine, water, and food) to ensure its success. No doubt it will happen!

How are you and your Leadership Team “breathing life” into the culture of your school?

By Karen Anderson, PCC