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The Secret of Generating Better Learning Outcomes

Our society applauds, respects, values, and compensates the final product of successful effort. We might think that preparing students for the “real world” means focusing attention on perfection and the final products students submit. While time allows for this focus, we must consider that our primary work is in helping students learn. For example, when new employees undergo training, often emerging ideas are refined and new products or services result. True ability focuses on learning growth, best processes, and progress toward success. Excellent processes create quality products. When preoccupied with students’ final products, we risk students losing perception, appreciation, and value for the learning process. Not surprisingly, copying someone else’s work and other graceless actions that fail to generate learning and build learning paths become the unimaginative and desperate options students consider. When focused on processes rather than preoccupied with results, learning accelerates, and students become more invested. Unless we help them to become aware of learning processes and how they lead to success, we risk students thinking that what matters most is the grade, not the learning journey. Here are four reasons to help students focus on the process as much as the destination. A focus on process:

Gives students permission to reflect on and learn from mistakes. Risks present less scary when students see them as part of the learning path.
Helps students see that learning emerges as the result of a journey. The destination may be a beacon for direction, but the journey to learning is what matters most.
Provides greater focus on what leads to learning rather external rewards. Approval and other symbols of success become a reflection of rather than the purpose for learning.
Offers students greater control over decisions, steps, and strategies that lead to learning. Students gain greater ownership of and gain increased sense of efficacy about their learning.

So, how can we help students increase focus on the processes of learning and be less preoccupied by grades and other symbols of accomplishment? Here are four strategies to consider. First, break down major assignments and projects when introducing them to students. For example, begin with students contemplating potential topics, generating questions worth exploring, or engaging in other generative processes. Students might develop draft outlines for the learning work they want to do and seek feedback from classmates and you to refine and clarify their work. Next, students might develop portions or drafts of their work to share for further feedback and suggestions. As the work unfolds, the learning journey can be captured in successive decisions, drafts, and other documents that tell the story from initial exploration to final presentation. Second, have students keep a log of their thinking, initial attempts, mistakes made, learning gained, and how what they have learned is applied to and integrated with their evolving work. This level of reflection helps students become more aware of their thinking and learning as the work unfolds. Their learning reflections also will fill with meaning and likely will be remembered long after the work is finished. Third, focus guidance, support, and feedback on the process of learning. When you focus engagement on what and how the student learns, you reduce preoccupation with grades, while valuing the learning journey. Your questions and observations about what students notice, how they adjust, and the difference their thinking makes in their learning provide powerful stimuli and foster focused influence for learning. Fourth, display learning journey evidence. Students might create bulletin boards, write blogs, or create graphic images with artifacts to document their learning journey. Posting, sharing, and documenting their learning journey sends a powerful message about the purpose and value of what they have accomplished without distraction from artificial symbols, such as grades. There’s no question that quality learning outcomes are integral to the long-term success of our students. However, learning outcomes result from decisions, strategies, and other processes that lead to the success our students deserve. Attention to the processes of learning inevitably leads to learning products that reflect the quality we seek.

September 23, 2022

Teach Students to Respond Rather Than React

One of the post-pandemic challenges we face is helping our students to learn, or relearn, how to live, learn, and work with others. Long periods without frequent human contact followed by having to deal with the in-person words and behaviors of others have left many students without effective, flexible interpersonal skills. The absence of these skills can lead to hurt feelings, verbal confrontations, and even physical conflicts. The situation is not likely to improve without our intervention and support. One aspect of interpersonal skills where we can assist students is building an understanding of the significant difference between reacting and responding to the behavior of others. We can start by sharing with students what it means to react and how they can choose to respond. Our message to students might be something like this: (Adjust for age and maturity) When someone says or does something to us that we perceive as hurtful, unwarranted, or disrespectful, we have a choice to make. We can allow our emotions to direct our behavior, or we can pause, consider, and decide the best action to take. Our reptilian brain urges us to react based on our assumption, perception, or emotion of the moment without consideration of the context, intent, or consequences. Our actions are spontaneous and not necessarily reflective of our skills, values, or goals. We may not even be fully conscious of the choice we make, but it is a choice. We can also choose to pause in order to consider, reflect, and decide what we should do next. Important is to consider the perspective and intentions of the other person and what response would be best for us. What someone said or did does not have to dictate our behavior. How we respond is our choice. If we allow another person to dictate our behavior, we give up our power and become vulnerable to their manipulation. We also risk engaging in actions that do not reflect who we are and who we want to be. Following up this discussion by sharing examples of ineffective or unproductive reactions and the consequences that follow the choice to react without thinking provides opportunity for deeper reflection. Contrasting those examples with others that demonstrate more effective responses and avoid needless and hurtful conflict serves our advantage. Further, students can brainstorm and practice strategies to respond rather than react to words and actions that might hurt their feelings or make them angry. Additional strategies for students to consider can start with these five ideas:

Asking a question to clarify the other person’s intent.
Calling out the words or behavior as hurtful or disrespectful.
Assuming the positive intent of the person and claiming confusion with what they meant.
Asking to talk later when everyone has calmed down.
Ignoring the comment or action and walking away.

We might also share this five-step strategy using the acronym PLACE, depending on the age and maturity of our students:

Pause. Rather than allowing emotions to control, take a deep breath and create space to think.
Label what you are feeling. Are you angry, frustrated, confused, or feeling something else? Naming your emotions makes them easier to control.
Ask what is causing your feelings. Why are you feeling the urge to react? What will you accomplish by reacting?
Choose a response. What do you want to accomplish? What other actions might you consider? How might this choice lead to a good outcome? How might the other person react or respond to the step you contemplate?
Empower yourself. Consider that you are making the choice of what to do, not the other person. You are acting from a position of power and control. You have not discounted or given away your power.

Of course, as adults we too can encounter situations that tempt us to react rather than respond to the words and actions of others. The good news is that the same strategies we teach our students can be effective for us.

September 16, 2022

Nine Ways to Engage and Support Grandparents Who Are Parenting

In recent years, the number of grandparents who provide primary care for their grandchildren has grown significantly. In 2019, approximately 2.5 million school aged children depended on their grandparents for primary care. Predictably, the disruption and mortality associated with the pandemic significantly expanded the number of children and grandparents who find themselves in this situation. Of course, grandparents now parenting grandchildren face many of the same challenges encountered by parents of school aged kids. But grandparents often face additional difficulties. Consider that grandparents may have had little notice before moving into the role. Thus, they are unprepared for the parenting challenges and expectations they face. Unexpectedly shifting from the role of grandparent to parent can be a daunting prospect. Grandparents often have little recent experience in establishing expectations, setting limits, and disciplining children and young people. This can be further complicated when their grandchildren are coming from an environment filled with chaos, disruption, and lack of supervision. Meanwhile, grandparents typically are unfamiliar with how schools operate today. Much has changed since they and their children were in school. Instructional approaches have shifted, the curriculum may be unfamiliar, and technology is much more pervasive and relied upon. Often reaching advanced ages where their physical health is deteriorating, grandparents also may not have the emotional energy they had during the time their children were growing up. Further, the ways in which schools engage with parents today likely is different than what grandparents experienced, even a few years ago. Websites, texts, emails, and other technology-based strategies on which school personnel depend to communicate with parents may be unfamiliar and intimidating. Grandparents may be much more familiar with written notes, telephone calls, and face-to-face meetings as a primary means for communicating with school personnel. Fortunately, there are several steps and strategies we can employ to help these grandparents become more comfortable, engaged, and successful. Our guidance and support can play a crucial role in helping grandparents assist their grandchildren to succeed socially, emotionally, and academically during some difficult times. Here are nine ways in which we can help. First, we can connect grandparents with public and private resources they can tap to meet needs beyond what the school can provide. Grandparents often don’t know where to start to access financial, social, and healthcare support in their efforts to stabilize their situation and support their grandchildren. Second, we can build our understanding of the circumstances that led to the grandparents serving as parents. Students now parented by grandparents often face significant social, emotional, and behavioral challenges because of their circumstances prior to coming under their grandparents’ care. The more we know, the better able we are to effectively respond to their needs and provide support. Third, we can establish clear, consistent, and convenient lines of communication. Some grandparents will be tech savvy and ready to secure information they need via websites, texts, emails, and other technology-based tools. Others may be more comfortable with and responsive to a telephone call, written note, or face-to-face meeting. Some temporary “hand holding” can make a big difference. Fourth, we can share information about the content and organization of the curriculum in which their grandchildren will be engaging. Knowing what their grandchildren will be learning can remove some of the anxiety and uncertainty grandparents may feel. Also, we can share teaching strategies we employ with which the grandparents may be unfamiliar. For example, a focus on conceptual understanding and problem solving may be confusing to grandparents who experienced an education that depended heavily on memorization. Fifth, we can offer grandparents specific suggestions regarding how to help with homework and how to support students in other ways as they experience challenges and setbacks in school. We need to be mindful of the academic background and skills grandparents possess to support their grandchildren. We must avoid overloading or establishing expectations that grandparents cannot meet. Sixth, we can share with grandparents school-based and other resources their grandchildren can access to support their learning. After school academic support, online tutoring, and virtual learning supports are examples. Seventh, we can encourage grandparents to become more involved. For example, they can join parent-teacher organizations, serve on committees, volunteer, and participate in other activities that help them to connect and contribute within the school community. Eighth, we can connect grandparents with support groups specific to the needs of grandparents who are parenting. If this type of service is not already available, we can consider creating it. Mutual support, opportunities to learn more about parenting grandparent needs and issues, and building stronger relationships with the school can make a substantial difference. Ninth, we can resist making assumptions about what grandparents know and need. Grandparents have varied backgrounds and often face unique challenges in their new role. Our asking, listening, and understanding can help us to avoid unnecessary missteps and provide insights regarding what we can do to help grandparents and their grandchildren to be successful.

September 08, 2022

A Powerful Progression of Learning Forces Waiting to be Tapped

We know the power of assorted forces, factors, attitudes, and understandings that support and drive learning. Our work becomes immeasurably daunting without them. We use these powerful features to stimulate interest, focus attention, instill hope for success, and sustain effort whenever we encounter difficult learning. Among the most common of these learning forces are a growth mindset, grit, curiosity, and passion. A growth mindset emboldens students to keep trying, employ multiple strategies, and adjust their efforts to achieve important learning goals. Grit sustains learners when they struggle or feel stuck. Curiosity powerfully drives new learning. Passion for a topic, skill, or other endeavor creates focus and commitment often more compelling than compliance to adults’ expectations and demands. These four forces, employed in progression, launch potent synergy for powerful learning. A growth mindset leads students to understand that learning and becoming proficient in an area of interest or passion is possible, despite temporary setbacks. A growth mindset helps students see that success can be within reach if they employ smart effort, tap effective strategies, and engage the resources available to them. An initial attempt that fails is nothing more than feedback regarding where more learning is needed. When learning is challenged, setbacks, missteps, and mistakes lurk. Despite high level interest and commitment, we need grit to persist and ultimately succeed. Learners need to remind themselves that successful learning can begin when they feel stuck. Grit carries learning through extremely difficult learning challenges. Angela Duckworth and other researchers observed that grit, so powerful, is more predicative of success over a lifetime than intellectual ability. Curiosity opens our minds to possibilities for exploration, questions to be answered, and mysteries to be solved. We can think of curiosity as a mental radar constantly exploring occurrences around the learner and what can be learned. A recent study reported in Pediatric Research found that learners from high poverty families who remain curious show academic gains at a level equal to their more economically advantaged classmates. Curiosity propels us to new interests and emerging passions that can drive learning to amazing levels. When we tap into the intense interests or passions students bring to their learning, we unleash what can be a nearly unstoppable force. Intrinsically driven learning can be nurtured, harnessed, and sustained without artificial rewards, prodding, or threat of negative consequences. However, learning driven by passion does not always come easy. Developing new skills, learning new content, and building new habits often require multiple attempts before attaining success. Learners need to understand that unsuccessful initial attempts invite us to adjust and try again. As noted earlier, these four forces—growth mindset, curiosity, grit, and passion—especially when harnessed as a progression, work to create nearly unstoppable learning power. Though effective on their own, when we want to create a powerful learning encounter, together they can be the fuel we need.

September 08, 2022

Unlock an Unstoppable Force for Learning

There is little question that poverty can exert a heavy influence on student learning and school success. In schools across the nation, the level of poverty experienced by students nearly predicts achievement scores. Yet, a longstanding and growing body of research points to a school-based, culture-driven strategy consistently demonstrating power to overcome poverty’s influence on student learning outcomes. The power of this deceptively simple approach resides in the understanding that the nature of our commitment, effort, and persistence determines, or at least marks a noteworthy influence on learning outcomes. Commonly referred to as efficacy, 1970s psychologist Alfred Bandura popularized this construct. Recently, efficacy’s role in schools received renewed attention among researchers. Specifically, researchers now seek to examine the relationship more closely between what teachers believe about their collective capacity to influence student learning outcomes and its effect on student achievement. This strand of cultural research, known as collective teacher efficacy, recently yielded surprising and important findings. As early as 1993, Bandura concluded that the effects of collective teacher efficacy in a school could more than outweigh the negative learning effects of low socio-economic status. In the early 2000s, studies conducted by Roger Goddard (University of Michigan) concluded that collective teacher efficacy had a stronger relationship to mathematics and reading achievement than socio-economic status. Studies also show that when teachers create high levels of collective efficacy, parent relationships tend to be stronger and more positive. Even more recently, John Hattie’s meta-analysis of research on collective teacher efficacy concluded that it ranks at the top among the most powerful influences on student achievement. Obviously, this is great news for educators as this strategy has its roots in the school and is not dependent on families or even students. Thus, regardless of external school circumstances students face, the presence of collective teacher efficacy can powerfully and positively influence their achievement. Researcher and author Jenni Donohoo in her book, Collective Efficacy: How Educators’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning, describes six enabling conditions that support high levels of teacher efficacy. The six conditions are:

Advanced teacher influence. She describes advanced teacher influence as opportunities for teachers to participate meaningfully in important school-wide decisions.
Goal consensus. Donohoo notes when there is strong consensus on key goals that greater consistency and alignment of effort result, thus synergizing everyone’s impact. Interestingly, this condition, even by itself, shows to increase student achievement.
Teachers’ knowledge about one another’s work. This condition highlights the importance of collaboration, sharing, and mutual trust among staff members. Its presence also provides teachers with more frequent opportunities to learn from the effective practices of colleagues.
Cohesive staff. Cohesion does not necessarily mean that everyone always agrees, but it does imply an agreement on fundamental educational issues. Disagreements more likely inhabit tactics and methods for addressing important issues, not the issues themselves.
Responsiveness of leadership. This condition speaks to the importance of respect and concern demonstrated by school leaders, including protecting teachers from issues that distract from and compete with teaching time and focus.
Effective systems of intervention. These processes and practices ensure students receive timely, effective, responsive support when they struggle or need additional assistance to be successful.

Importantly, each condition identified by Donohoo as supporting collective teacher efficacy consist within the collective control of schools and educators. They do not necessarily require additional funding, waivers from regulations, or specialized outside expertise. However, they do require commitment, effort, and a strong belief in ourselves and our ability to make a difference.

September 02, 2022

Capture (and Access) the Secret to Happiness

The power of gratitude to drive our happiness is no secret. Gratitude improves our satisfaction and motivation. It builds our sense of pride. Gratitude carries us through difficult times when we remember that we have much to be thankful for, while also recalling our successes and contributions. Unfortunately, in the context of busy days and an active life, we easily miss much of what feeds our gratefulness. Research shows that for us to absorb and retain words and experiences that generate gratitude they must capture our attention for at least twenty seconds. This may not seem like much time. But a brief comment, observation, or compliment about a difference we made, assistance we offered, or a problem we solved often moves quickly past our attention. We notice it momentarily then swiftly forget it. Meanwhile, an unkind word, a critical comment, or skeptical look too often stays with us, leaving us to dissect, speculate, and obsess over what it meant and what we should take from the experience. Again, researchers explain this as an ancient brain response to potential danger. Our brains are wired to pay longer attention to signs and signals of danger than they are to positive messages. The good news—there are several steps to help us become more aware of and better retain those things for which we are grateful. We can recall and relive these experiences when we need a lift, seek motivation, or just need a reason to feel good. Let’s explore four strategies that bolster and embed gratitude-generating occasions in our memories, making them available when we need them. First, immediately after hearing a comment, compliment, or a positive experience, we should reflect on its significance and how it makes us feel. Not only does this step extend our initial feelings about the experience, but it also sends a signal to our brain that what happened is important and needs to be stored. Second, we can reach out to a friend, family member, or trusted colleague to recount what we experienced. Of course, we need to do so in the spirit of sharing good news and something for which we are grateful, not in a bragging manner. When we tell someone about what we experienced, we further embed the memory. We also have someone who is aware of the experience who can remind us of it should we forget. Third, we can repeat to ourselves what we heard or experienced. At the end of the day or just before we fall asleep is a good time to do this. Like other information in life that we want to retain, repetition is a great way to strengthen our memory. Fourth, we should record the experience to review and revisit in the future. Making a note or creating a record of a gratitude-generating experience further sets the information in our memory. Equally valuable, months or even years later we can return to what we have recorded to recall and relive the experience. Even better, if we keep these notes and records together, they offer a powerful, years-spanning set of reminders of experiences for which we can be grateful. The research on gratitude and the twenty seconds necessary for it to stick also has implications for when we offer a compliment, point out an important contribution, or share our gratefulness for the kindness and caring of others. We need to do more than make a general statement or quick observation. The more specific we can be about the impact, the greater the detail we can share. As well, the more we explain how they made us feel, the more likely we will reach the twenty second benchmark and increase the impact and retention of our words. When we encounter rough patches in life, or even a difficult day, we frequently forget the wealth of things for which we can and should be grateful. However, if we make it a practice to reflect, recount, repeat, and record gratefulness-generating experiences as they happen, we create a treasure chest of grateful memories to revisit and relive.

August 26, 2022

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Five Values We Can and Need to Teach

We might think that with so much division and discord in today’s world there are no universally shared values. Certainly, the impression left by much of the news leads us to think it’s impossible that everyone could agree on a set of core values. We might even wonder if everything is morally relative. We may also think that it is too risky to deal with values in a public education setting because not everyone will ascribe to what we may teach, nurture, and reinforce. There are differing views on many aspects and elements of our society, especially what we value and teach. Yet, extensive research by Rushworth Kidder and others has established that there exist at least five core values we consistently support regardless of political perspective, community size, voting history, gender, education, region, and other factors. In fact, we share these values worldwide. Tested hundreds of times in dozens of countries, some form of these five values surfaced consistently regardless of culture, race, socio-economic status, education level, or other demographic element. The five core values we share:

Honesty
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Compassion

The exact terms people choose to describe these values may vary. As examples, integrity might be used in place of honesty, love in place of compassion, and promise-keeping in place of responsibility. Importantly, the five core values, whatever form, remain consistent across groups, communities, and countries. These values also may enjoy differing levels of priority among diverse groups. It is possible for these values to be held tightly within a family, close circle of friends, and a community, but not extend to include interaction with the wider world. Nevertheless, we can teach, nurture, and reinforce in students these core values. We can teach the value of honesty, even when something less would be easier and more convenient. We can teach what it means to be respectful of others and to have respect for oneself. We can teach that promise-keeping and follow-through are important behaviors. We can help students to understand what fairness is and why being fair is important in relationships, communities, and society. We can teach students that caring for others, reaching out to help those less fortunate, and seeing others as worthy people are important attitudes to adopt and important behaviors to practice even if they come from another culture, socio-economic background, or other life circumstance. Our important values reflect fundamental differences in what we view as right/wrong and good/evil. Also, our values are as much aspirational as normative. They provide a standard for behavior to which we all aspire even though we may not practice them as consistently as we desire. We can remind students that sometimes we fall short, but that does not necessarily make us bad people. We need to sincerely apologize if our actions have hurt someone and then commit to do better in the future. We also can teach and coach the value and importance of extending these core values beyond those with whom we commonly associate and see as like us. When we practice these values widely and consistently, trust and understanding grow. Our class, school, community, and nation become stronger.

August 04, 2022

Five Secrets to Maximize Our Productivity

It may be challenging to recall a time recently not filled with complexity and stress. So many competing demands, urgent challenges, and conflicting expectations can leave us longing for bygone days when we were “just busy.” The advice we are likely to hear, and give ourselves, is that we need to practice careful, disciplined time management. Such an admonition seems logical. We have only so much time during each day. Consequently, if we manage it properly, we should be more productive. Yet, it happens that just managing our time is not likely to deliver the results we really need. The secret to productivity occurs not in managing each minute and hour. The secret lies in how we manage ourselves, our efficiency, and our effectiveness within the time we have; that’s what matters most. Thus, some people accomplish impressive amounts of work each day while others, despite being given the same number of hours, accomplish far less. Consider these five self-managing strategies to move along the path to greater productivity:

Focus fully on the task you are doing. Nothing slows productivity, reduces creativity, and leads to more errors than allowing ourselves to become distracted and pulled off-task. Worrying about the next meeting, a difficult phone call, or awkward appointment only gets in the way. If necessary, address what is causing the distraction first, or opt to worry after you finish.

Start your day by tackling the most challenging, difficult, and demanding task(s). This approach reduces haunting feelings of pressure until we finish the challenging task. It can also give us the feeling of an early “big win” to build momentum for the day.

Resist “owning” every task. Just because you have done it in the past, you are good at it, or receive praise for accomplishing it does not mean you must continue doing it. Ask yourself who else could do it. Even if they need training, and, though it may take a while before they perform at your level, it may be worth it to recapture some time. Additionally, you may be developing important skills and confidence in a future leader.

Give priority to tasks that will make the greatest difference. Engaging staff, students, and families demonstrates your caring for and interest in their success and well-being. Resolving a reoccurring problem in the schedule, discipline, or other process not only saves future time but improves the system and everyone’s day. Pause to consider the predictable benefits of task completion before investing scarce time and energy.

Set aside time each day to “clear your head.” Constantly moving from one task, activity, and interaction to another is exhausting, depletes energy, and diminishes opportunities for reflection and sense-making. Without time to think and reflect, you risk repeating unproductive behaviors and missing key insights that often lead to higher levels of performance.

Of course, we live in the real world. Not every day allows us to practice all these behaviors. Yet, the more days when these behaviors occupy the minutes and hours we have, the more we will be able to accomplish what matters most.

August 04, 2022

Five Ways Our Curiosity Can Jump Start the New Year

Curiosity can be a powerful force for discovery, engagement, and learning. When we allow, or even nudge, ourselves to wonder, probe, and question, we can change the path of our thinking and open new doors to experience. If we choose to capitalize on them, the beginning of a new school year can offer a myriad of new connections, new experiences, and new learning. Our curiosity can help us to see what we otherwise might ignore and learn what we might otherwise overlook. Our curiosity can help us to “ramp up,” encourage us to more carefully consider how the opening of the school experience affects everyone, whether starting new or returning. This creates a more successful and satisfying start. Let’s consider five ways we can engage our curiosity to jump start the new year: First, we might seek out staff members whom we do not know well and start a conversation about engagement activities they use to create connections and momentum in the first days of the year. In just a few conversations, we can gain access to an array of ideas and options upon which we can draw to build meaningful and memorable experiences with our students. Equally important is opening the possibility of forming new relationships. This helps to widen our professional network and strengthen our support system. Second, we might informally survey colleagues to find at least one new useful strategy for organizing work that can save time and make our professional lives easier, while protecting learning processes. Challenges from the past two years forced us to find new ways to manage our tasks and time. As a result, we can learn more effective ways to share what we have developed and learned. Additionally, organizing tools and tasks for which students can take responsibility, and preparation and process shortcuts can be good places to probe. When we employ our curiosity in this direction, we gain access to innovative ideas and options. This also lends to renewing professional relationships and building bridges for future collaboration. Third, we might seek out one or more of our most experienced, innovative, and effective colleagues and probe for new insights, ideas, and strategies they have developed to improve learning experiences and outcomes. We may discover they have learned and are perfecting the exact new strategy we need. Even better, they may be looking for someone with whom they can collaborate on further development. Furthermore, what we glean may not be new but may reveal new twists and applications from which our practice can benefit. Of course, our inquiry also communicates our respect for their work, a great message to send a colleague as a new year begins. Fourth, we can set a goal to discover at least one thing about each of our students that makes them unique. Our search for what makes students unique also will assist our efforts to learn names and collect other information that can help us in our success with them. Of course, the search alone reinforces for us their individual worth and potential, plus each deserves unique recognition. Personal conversations, interviews, or a group activity lend to interesting information collection. Although, if we collect the information through a group activity, we need to follow up with students individually to confirm that we noted and value what they have shared. These student conversations create suitable places to begin forming relationships that grow in strength and influence throughout the year ahead. Fifth, we can focus our curiosity on those elements and aspects of our work for which we are grateful. Our inquiry might open our eyes to meaningful experiences and relationships that energize us, carry us through tough times, and give us a sense of meaning and purpose. And although the opening of the new year can generate feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, it does present us with occasions to renew and reengage those aspects of our work that bring us satisfaction, pride, and happiness. One of the unique aspects of teaching is that each year brings new opportunities and allows us to begin anew. By unleashing and engaging our curiosity, we can make the start of the new year even more promising, productive, and purposeful.

July 29, 2022

Five Crucial Components of Strong, Productive Cultures

We talk a lot about culture. We know that it can be a determining factor in the success of any organization, including schools. We hear terms like “good cultures” and “bad cultures,” “strong cultures” and “weak cultures,” and “toxic cultures” and “healthy cultures.” What do we mean? What are the crucial components shared by healthy, productive cultures? It can be helpful to think about cultures as comprised of building components, much like a physical structure. At the base we find characteristics that provide supports for higher, more impactful components of healthy and productive cultures. Let’s explore five crucial elements for developing a positive, impactful culture and how each might be described by people who are experiencing each one. Foundation: Relationships The foundation of a healthy culture can be found in relationships. People feel accepted and respected. They feel as though they are a part of the organization. Relationships may extend beyond work to become friendships. While there may be conflicts, they tend to center around ideas and strategies rather than personalities and politics. Often, they resolve without grudges or resentment. Open communication extends throughout the organization. In organizations that have a strong relational culture, people say:

This is a warm and friendly place.
I feel respected and heard.
I am not afraid to disagree if I feel strongly about an issue or decision.
I enjoy the people with whom I work. Some of them even have become my friends.

Floor: Collaboration At the collaborative level, relationships extend beyond feeling respected and valued. Shared knowledge and experiences inform and benefit colleagues and the organization. People feel trusted enough to share their ideas and insights and feel safe enough to be vulnerable. They can admit they do not have every answer, without fear of shame and criticism. People frequently work in teams to perform tasks, solve problems, plan, and improve processes. In organizations that have moved to the level of a collaborative culture, people say:

I feel my expertise is valued and respected.
I don’t always have to act as if I have all the answers.
I can ask for help without worrying about what others may think of me.
I have opportunities to work with colleagues on important projects, problems, and processes.

Supporting Walls: Shared Purpose The search for and feelings of shared purpose rest firmly on the first two components. Shared purpose makes relationships more meaningful and collaboration more productive. Shared purpose drives decisions and keeps the values of the organization constantly in play. Shared purpose generates a sense of integrity and significance in the work. Goals become clearer, more transparent, and influential in daily and ongoing activities and initiatives. Celebrations lift the purpose of the organization and honor the people and work that move the organization ever closer to achieving its purpose. In organizations with a strong sense of purpose, people say:

I feel like the work we do here is important and worth the effort.
I appreciate that everyone is committed to doing our best work in service of our purpose.
I like the clarity and consistency with which goals are set and decisions are made.
Our celebrations feel authentic and meaningful.

Roof: Shared Accountability The fourth level expands the focus of the work and achievement of the organizational purpose to include shared responsibility. People hold themselves and each other responsible for doing their best work, achieve shared goals, and make a shared difference. Accountability is based on promises people make to themselves and each other rather than relying on external monitoring, measurement, and metrics. When people experience a culture of shared accountability, they are likely to say:

I feel great responsibility to do my best and to not stop learning and trying until we are successful.
I am confident that my colleagues share my commitment to our work and purpose.
We know that when we work together there is not a problem that we cannot solve or challenge we cannot meet.
We worry little about state-informed and other accountability measures because our standards are much higher than others would establish for us.

Upgrades: Renewal and Innovation People who are a part of cultures that have reached this level resist feeling satisfied or comfortable. They continue to reflect, challenge, and push themselves. Not only do they search for ways to improve current practices and processes, but they also look for opportunities to innovate, redesign, and reimagine even better work. They fear lethargy and staleness. They are quick to share, model, and mentor others who aspire to reach this level of culture and performance. People in cultures that have reached the level of innovation and renewal are likely to say:

I feel as though we have come a long way, but we are far from finished.
I constantly look for new ideas, better strategies, and even more effective approaches.
We often ask ourselves whether there are better approaches, more effective designs, and innovative perspectives that we can adopt and develop to move to an even higher level of performance.
We are eager to share our knowledge and experience with others who are on journeys like ours.

As noted earlier, each component of culture builds upon the one below it and expands its impact. With weak interpersonal relationships and collaboration, other levels weaken and can even collapse. The challenge for leaders is to build from the bottom, but constantly monitor cultural health at all five levels.