M2 Culture and Leading Learning 2016

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• Flipchart and marker

• Internet access and speakers for Video Clip (slide 7). Hide slide 8 if using video clip.

• Background information sheet – theory of “pyramid” (slide 9)

• Facilitator’s sheet of Scenarios (slide 17)

• Audit on School Culture (slide 19) - one per participant

Requirements for Facilitator

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Cultúr Scoile -School Culture

Misneach 1

Autumn 2016

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What do we mean by “Culture”?

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• Why are we talking about School Culture?

• How does it impact on my role as School Leader?

Rationale

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.ie21st Century Leadership

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• What would a visitor notice about your school on first arrival?

• What did you notice when you first visited your school?

• What has come to your notice in the meantime?

First impressions!

PDST is funded by the Teacher Education Section (TES) of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) The service is managed by Dublin West Education Centre

PDST is funded by the Teacher Education Section (TES) of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) The service is managed by Dublin West Education Centre

norms

documents

Artefacts

practicesceremonies

ritualsmyths & legends

symbols

traditions

beliefs understandings

attitudes

values

Assumptions

objects

architecture

Mindset

EmotionalFeelings Motivational roots

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• Beliefs

• Values

• Traditions

• Patterns of Behaviour

• Climate

• Environment

• “The way WE do things“

School Culture…Everything that goes on in schools: how staff dress, what they talk about, their willingness to change, the practice of instruction and the emphasis given student and faculty learning… Culture is the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions and rituals that has built up over time as people work together, solve problems and confront challenges.

(Deal & Peterson, 1998)

What is School Culture?

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• You

• Staff

• Pupils

• Parent body

• Wider school community

are all currently in a transition phase.

Transition

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Phases of Transition

Festina lente!

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• Careful entry into the new setting

• Listening to and learning from those who have been there longer

• Engage in fact finding and joint problem solving

• Carefully (rather than rashly) diagnosing the situation

• Forthrightly addressing people’s concerns

• Being enthusiastic, genuine and sincere about the change circumstances

- adapted from Herold & Fedor, 2008

Change-savvy leadership involves:

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“In the best of schools, with the best resources and the most skilled leadership, the timeframe for transforming culture, structure, belief and practice is years!”

(Evans, 2001)

Remember!

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• Visionary

• Coaching

• Affiliative

• Democratic

• Pace-setting

• Commanding

(D. Goleman)

Styles of Leadership(Daniel Goleman)

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• Reflect on these “real life” examples of events arising from “rashly taken actions” on the part of newly appointed Principals in the light of the “change-savvy tips” and Leadership Styles

• What considerations did this NAP overlook?

• What might he/she have done differently?

• What might he/she do next?

Scenarios

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What are the elements of healthy school culture?

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School Culture Audit

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• Identify elements and meanings of ceremonies that are important to the school’s culture

• Maintain successful school ceremonies and reshape as necessary

• Be aware of how the school articulates visions and value statements

• Norms, values, beliefs and assumptions – discard, retain or change?

Shaping School Culture

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• Look at the role of history, stories, past events in the life of the school

• Create a visual history of the school (wall displays etc.)

• Use opportunities for storytelling to promote the work of teachers, pupils, and the school in the community

• Examine the school space, architecture, artefacts and symbols. Retain useful aspects and begin planning with staff and parents to improve other areas

…contd.

Shaping School Culture (contd.)

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• “It is therefore incumbent on schools to consider the strategies and initiatives that ought to be in place to ensure the promotion of and the development of a positive school culture and climate.”

• “It is up to school leaders – principals, teachers, and often parents –to help identify, shape and maintain strong, positive, student-focused cultures. Without these supportive cultures, reforms will wither, and student learning will slip.”

Educational Leadership: September 1998 | Volume 56 |

Number 1 Realizing a Positive School Climate Pages 28-30 How Leaders Influence the Culture of Schools.

- Kent D. Peterson and Terrence E. Deal 1998

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• A healthy school culture supports a happy and productive Teaching and Learning environment.

• An effective School Leader is conscious of shaping and improving / maintaining a positive school culture.

• School leaders, when introducing and implementing change, need to be mindful of the school culture in which they operate.

• All members of the School Community, working collaboratively, have a part to play in promoting and maintaining a healthy School Culture.

Key messages