Behaviors Impacting Excellence
PRINCIPAL-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS
23 October 2013Susan Abelein, Ph.D. Presenter
Culture is generally thought of the normative glue that holds a particular school together. (Sergiovanni , 2007)
School culture consists of “the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which characterize a school.” (Phillips, 1996)
What is culture?
Who is on your school’s bus?
Principal-Teacher relationships are at the heart of culture and their inter-relational connections shape school culture.
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Defining Culture
Positive professional, collegial, open to growth, shared expertise, trust, caring, bridge builders.
Negative naysayers, pessimistic, cynical, drain energy, convey a sense of
hopelessness.
Toxic accept mediocrity, poor/ineffective, complacent, rumormongers, saboteurs, communication
(verbal/body language) is negative,
antagonistic.
Assess culture: Ensure “your gut feeling” is aligned with reality
Effective leaders regularly assess school culture in order to: address issues, mitigate factors that detract from
a positive culture, or maintain a culture for academic
success.
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Gary Phillips: Noted author of thirteen books, numerous articles and nationally recognized speaker; founder and president of The National School Improvement Project.
Christopher Wagner: Professor of Educational Administration, Leadership and Research at Western Kentucky University.
Penelope Masden-Copas: Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Studies at Austin Peay State University.
Assessment Tool Developers
Available at: http://www.schoolculture.net/principalleadership.pdf
The Impact of Culture on Student Achievement
Professional Collaboration, the degree to which teachers and staff work together on: curriculum, instruction, assessments; school schedules and team planning time; and determining student behavior/discipline codes/policies
Affiliative Collegiality, the degree to which teachers and staff: communicate, celebrate, appreciate one another
Self-determination & Efficacy, the degree to which staff are: empowered to problem solve and make decisions, proactive rather than reactive, and enjoy working at the school.
Culture Behaviors
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items1. Create Teams
• Grade Level Teams• Subject Area Teams
2. Ensure that there is “decision-making time” on every faculty meeting agenda. • Think: What about curriculum, instruction, assessments, materials,
resources, discipline code, schedules, can be determined by the teachers/staff?
• Say: At the upcoming faculty meeting, we will share resources and discuss ideas regarding what the writing process should look like in K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 classrooms.
• Do: At the faculty meeting, set the outcome… “by the end of this meeting, I would like each team to share their plan for meeting CCELA writing standard #5 for the process of writing” and allow teachers time to work.
Shaping Culture: Professional Collaboration
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items1. Give the gift of time
• Before school: gather teachers at the beginning of the day for prayer/inspirational message; or have “Hump Day Happiness” and provide coffee, juice, and breakfast bars
• Lunch: uninterrupted time for teachers and leaders to gather; time for “storytellers” and time for teachers to bring up issues, concerns, breakthroughs, etc.
• After school: make the rounds and visit with teachers in their classrooms
2. Celebrate• Traditions• Holidays• Special Occasions
Shaping Culture: Affiliative Collegiality
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items1. Have courageous, compassionate (and sometimes difficult) conversations 2. Develop teacher-leaders: experts in their grade/subject who engage
colleagues in the work of better teaching for better learning• Encourage professional development (reading, workshops, websites)• Encourage reflective practice and problem-solving• Openly express gratitude/pride/appreciation for teachers and teams of teachers
who have a willingness to change and/or take risks and/or go above and beyond
Administrators are in a position to send important signals to teachers that their ideas are important and that the teachers play a critical role in improving the school’s program. (Danielson, 2005)
Shaping Culture: Self-determination & Efficacy
References & ResourcesDanielson, C. (2005). Strengthening the Backbone. National Staff Development Council. Available at: http://www.plcwashington.org/cms/lib3/WA07001774/Centricity/Domain/44/true-teacher-leaders.pdf
Eller, J.F. and Eller, S. (2009). Creative strategies to transform school culture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Peterson, K.D. & Deal, T.E. (2009) The shaping school culture fieldbook (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Phillips, G. (1996). Classroom rituals for at-risk learners. Vancouver, BC: Educserv, British Columbia School Trustees Publishing.
Sergiovanni, T. (2000). The lifeworld of leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wagner, C. (2006). The school leader’s tool for assessing and improving school culture. Principal Leadership, pp. 41-44.
“Relational vitality…is the foundation for a healthy school culture and maximizing student learning.” Wagner, 2006
