Establishing a Continuous Professional Learning Culture

Before I try to improve the many areas in the school I will need to figure out what’s the concerns and holding your school back from moving forward. While the school may not be in total shambles, it’s important to consider all the factors with not only the structural integrity, but also with the various systems and components inside. I plan to have an audit of the facility so you can have a manageable list of things to work on in order to bump up my grade on the administrative and infrastructure.

My school management plan is to revive the school's culture and to stay consistent in the process of leading the school towards new change. In the development of my plan I tend to have optimum use of the human resources, physical sources, principles and concepts that help in achieving all the objectives of the school but also the proper coordination and adjustment among all of them. The staff of the school are encouraged to participate and get involved in problem-solving and decision-making processes hence promoting effective decisions and solutions. The involvement increases the pledge towards plans and the enhancement of spontaneous work.

There are many levels and types of diversity within our organizational culture. The school culture is made up of diversity of students, teachers and non-teaching staff. The diversity of students includes both male and female students from different cultural backgrounds and age, and students with various ages, just to mention but a few. The diversity of teaching and non-teaching staff is made up of males and females, different culture and race, and varied teaching and working experience among others.

The details of this plan will explain how I will revive the school's culture. I will start from where the culture originated from, its community. When walking up to my school, that’s located in an economically depressed community, there will be a well-groomed green lawns and flowers that spread throughout. My school will be clean and neat as you walk through the walkways. When schools are neat and tidy, children can put their focus on the task at hand. A clean environment ensures the health and safety of everyone including teachers.

Essentially, organizational culture of a school entails its personality, which includes the values, assumptions, norms and tangible signs (artifacts) of the members and their behaviors. The school mission will be displayed on multiple posters and expansive banners throughout the school. These displays will contain our schools mission statement recognizing our proud traditions and diverse community. Providing an academically rigorous, safe and nurturing educational environment by meeting the social, emotional and academic needs of our students as we prepare them for post-secondary education and career. There will also be banners that contain words such as “hopefulness” to display the power of close bond between the staff and the kids, with the intention of improving the learning environment. Posters help students better comprehend a concept as they keep the idea in mind for a longer time. Visualized ideas are easier to remember. And, let's face it, colorful decor can make any environment more interesting and captivating. The mottos that are displayed in banners are very critical as they reflect the shared values. The slogans also communicate the schools’ core values and the mission of the school organization. The artifacts also make it possible to comprehend the mission of the school.

I will be a example of the positive energy throughout the school giving staff and students a positive feeling of what the new culture stands for. I will be a symbol that reflects the manner in which the kids and the members of the staff share close and positive relationships.

I will bring to the school traditions and rituals that involve ceremonies of the positive aspects of the school, hence bringing the members of the community and the school together. This reinforces the school’s values and norms, as well as the school mission. Research shows schools that adopt traditional approaches created a productive and effective mentality on values. Values are essential factors in expressing cultural structures because individuals in an organization come together to share values, social ideals and beliefs. These values or beliefs are reflected through symbolic structures such as traditions, stories, and rituals. The shared values form the organizational value system and become the perspectives in perceiving organizational developments.

Within the staff and team meetings I will discuss the impact that culture has on staff and students within the schools culture. I will ensure that the outcome of our staff and team meetings end with the goal to impact our culture so it will be strongly felt among the members of the school. For example, the staff and the teachers meeting reflect strong professional collaboration. The members of the school will work together, to solve professional matters including organizational, instructional, and curricular among many other issues. In addition, the collegial relationships will be seen from the way the students, teachers and other staff members work together, feel valued, involved and supported. Finally, the efficacy or self-determination will have an impact on the students of this school because our staff will assure that all feel as part of the school community.

The plan won’t be easy without the commitment of the student and staff. Most change efforts, however, are unsuccessful because of resistance, either active or passive, of those within the organization. People resist change for a variety of reasons. Employees may actively work against a change initiative because they feel they have no stake in the change process, do not want to take on the increased work change creates, are concerned about their lack of needed skills to thrive in the organization after the change, or are worried they might lose their jobs (Kanter 2012). Change means the elimination of the status quo causing individuals and groups to lose their power in an organization. These employees will work against change to ensure they keep their power. Mostly change creates uncertainty, and people organize their lives in such a way so as to maximize their day-to-day consistency. A large amount of congruity allows one to see past administration as “orderly, predictable, familiar, and safe”. Change makes life seem less safe and orderly, thereby causing staff to undergoing change to feel threatened.

School culture has become a central concept in many efforts to change how schools operate and improve educational results. While a school culture is heavily influenced by its institutional history, culture also shapes social patterns, habits, and dynamics that influence future behaviors, which could become an obstacle to reform and improvement. For example, if a faculty culture is generally dysfunctional. If interpersonal tensions and distrust are common, problems are rarely addressed or resolved, or staff members tend to argue more than they collaborate or engage in productive professional discussions it is likely that these cultural factors will significantly complicate or hinder any attempt to change how the school operates.

The following describe a few representative examples of common ways that I will attempt to improve my schools culture and prevent residence:

• I will establish professional learning groups that will encourage teachers to communicate, share expertise, and work together more collegially and productively.

• I will provide presentations, seminars, and learning experiences designed to educate staff and students about bullying and reduce instances of bullying.

• I will create events and educational experiences that honor and celebrate the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the student body, such as hosting cultural events and festivals, exhibiting culturally relevant materials throughout the school, inviting local cultural leaders to present to students, or making explicit connections between the diverse cultural backgrounds of students and what is being taught in history, social studies, and literature courses. For related discussions, see multicultural education and voice.

• I will establish an advisory program that pairs groups of students with adult advisor to strengthen adult-student relationships and ensure that students are well known and supported by at least one adult in the school.

• I will survey students, parents, and teachers about their experiences in the school, and hosting community forums that invite participants to share their opinions about and recommendations for the school and its programs.

• I will create a leadership team comprising a representative cross-section of school administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members that oversees and leads a school-improvement initiative.

References

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. “Five Tips for Leading Campaigns for Change.” Harvard Business Review Blog Network. Harvard Business Review. May 17, 2010. http://blogs.hbr.org/kanter/2010/05/five-tips-for-leading-campaign.html

Bargh, J. (1990). Auto-motives: Preconscious determinants of social interaction, handbook of motivation and cognition. Foundations of Social Behavior, 2, 93- 130.

Cotton, J. L., Vollrath, D. A., Froggatt, K. L., Lengnick-Hall, M. L. & Jennings, K.R. (1988). Employee participation: Diverse forms and different outcomes. Academy of Management Review, 13, 8–22.

Katz, D. & Kahn, R.L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations. New York: Wiley.