According to Stoll (1998) "School culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in education" (p9). When considered alongside the impact of the socioeconomic status of learners, particularly the research that supports the correlation between low socioeconomic status and poor education outcomes APA (2016), it quickly becomes apparent that these factors play a significant role in determining the educational outcomes and experiences of our learners. At the same time, these factors can also shape the beliefs, practices and well being of the teaching staff working in a school.
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What Does This Look Like in My School Community?
A quick look at 2013 Census data held by Statistics New Zealand shows that the area in which our school is situated is one where most of the population are European, with the next biggest ethnic group being Asian, and only a very small percentage of Maori or Pacific Island decent. Almost half of the people living in our area were born overseas. Just under one fifth of the community are aged 15 or under. These statistics are reflective of our school community, a Decile 9, with a broad range of ethnic groups. We have only a very small number of Maori and Pasifika students, and a growing population of students from Asia - particularly China and South Korea. Interestingly, despite only a small proportion of the wider community being aged under 15, we have a rapidly growing group of Year 1 students (5 year olds), plus our school community is increasing on an almost weekly basis due to a housing boom in our area.
As a school we are aiming for a culture where all feel welcome, included and accepted. Where we embrace cultural diversity and strive to remove barriers to learning. Embracing the indigenous culture of New Zealand is valued and actively encouraged. We are committed to supporting both our staff and our students to be life-long learners and have the capacity to reach their full potential. It is a place where teachers are supported and expected to continue to build their professional knowledge and engage in current best practice. One of the key factors in everything we do is the question: "Does this benefit our students?"
To achieve this we do the following:
- Deliver a competency based curriculum
- Translate signs, newsletters, and announcements into Hangul (Korean) and Madarin
- Teachers and Senior Leadership are upskilling in Te Reo and Tikanga
- Senior Leadership participate in all PD that the staff participate in
- An active and growing Kapa Haka group
- Minimising costs to parents for things such as stationery and EOTC events
- Our Vision and Values are visible, living documents
- Parent groups for ELL families, among others
- And much, much more.
An Issue To Consider
Stoll and Fink (1996) as cited in Stoll (1998), identified a series of norms that can have an effect on school improvement. In considering these 10 norms I certainly agree that these are all norms to which we aspire and, for the most part I'm pleased to say are evident in our school, particularly when considering the professional environment. Having said that, I would argue that risk taking is something we continue to work on - we expect it from our students, but at times our teachers find this hard to do. As a SL Team we have been considering this, and looking at ways in which we can support teachers to feel confident to do so. It is our culture of life-long learning and reaching your potential in an environment where you feel supported that is driving us as a team. What we still need to reflect upon is - what is it that we are doing or not doing that is making this difficult for teachers? Furthermore, if we have teachers who are finding this a challenge, what does that mean for our learners?
References:
APA. (2016). Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.aspx
Stoll. (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9. Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture
I love how your school has a focus on allowing teachers to take risks and learn. Your SLT team you are reflective and seem to be allowing teachers to 'practive what they preach' and role model learning. The comment you made, "It is our culture of life-long learning and reaching your potential in an environment where you feel supported that is driving us as a team." sounds like a place that considers the well-being of their teachers and students. Teaching can be a very rewarding job, that I can forget when I am feeling 'overwhelmed, overworked and basically over it'. Having SLT that you know are supportive makes a huge difference for classroom teachers.
ReplyDeleteHi Sera,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that it is one of the things that I really love about my current school, and I am proud to be part of the SL team and thus having a role in making sure that this culture continues to flourish within our school environment. Our principal is very much the driving force behind it, she has a very clear vision in mind and is very open about sharing this with us and asking for our input. In fact, I love the culture in our school so much that I am in danger of not moving somewhere else, even though ultimately I need to in order to grow and move forward as a teacher and a leader. I worry that I won't find another school with the same sort of environment. Of course, if I could always take a little bit of it wth me and help to grow it somewhere else.
Yes, I agree and would venture that it is our most vulnerable learners who struggle the most with positive risk taking as most may live in a state of constant change and fear putting themselves out anywhere. I would like to see mindfulness training for educators and students to aide in developing risk taking. Mindfulness allows for you to step outside of yourself and see others perspectives, risks and solutions which if you stay in a fixed mindset you may otherwise not be able to conclude.
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteIt pleases me no end to see that in your school the SLT participates in professional learning with the rest of the staff. This is a very simple but important practice that reinforces that the leaders in the school as learners alongside everyone else - it is about AKO. It demonstrates that everyone can and should be a learner, and the that the priority for all members of the team is learning. In terms of setting a culture of learning in the school, it is simple but very powerful. It ties in very nicely with the expectation in Kiwi Leadership that school leaders should primarily be the Lead Learners in the school.
I enjoyed your post and found your clarity of purpose refreshing.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteIt pleases me no end to see that in your school the SLT participates in professional learning with the rest of the staff. This is a very simple but important practice that reinforces that the leaders in the school as learners alongside everyone else - it is about AKO. It demonstrates that everyone can and should be a learner, and the that the priority for all members of the team is learning. In terms of setting a culture of learning in the school, it is simple but very powerful. It ties in very nicely with the expectation in Kiwi Leadership that school leaders should primarily be the Lead Learners in the school.
I enjoyed your post and found your clarity of purpose refreshing.
Hi there, I too thought that the SLT participating in PD with the rest of the teachers is brilliant. It shows that they too are on a journey of learning with them and are part of the school-wide team. They are leading the staff by example. It is so important that the principal has the same vision for the school as the teachers. Teachers lead by example and hopefully the students pick up on the message that learning doesn't stop just because you finish school. I have to keep reminding my year 13 students that learning is a life-long process. This is usually followed by a long groan as they just can't wait to finish high school :)
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteYour school sounds like an enjoyable place to be. I really like that the SLT undertakes PD along with the staff, it shows that value is placed on continuous learning throughout the school. It is such an important message to send to your staff and also to the children at your school, that we are all learners.
I find it interesting that you mentioned risk taking as an area to work on. I too think that risk taking is something that I am working on within myself. It reminds me of the Ted talk by Ken Robinson, Do schools kill creativity? (if you haven't seen it then it is worth a watch! https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en#t-318571). Younger children seem so able to make mistakes freely and learn from them but as we grow older we become more focused on getting it 'right'. I think it is commendable that your school is looking for ways to encourage risk taking within its teachers.