Public demands for high-stakes accountability have left far too many teachers overwhelmed and demoralized. It is no wonder that teachers who are routinely accused of failing their students end up feeling tired and dispirited. An atmosphere of shame and blame can shut down morale quicker than an foot of snow falling on a city without snow removal.
School leaders know the importance of creating positive teaching and learning cultures, but they don't always have the resources to get the spark going. They are eager to employ practical tools and strategies that will help them create an energized school culture. Many have tried one-shot events like hosting annual retreats with their leadership teams, but they soon find that bringing that energy back to their schools is tough work.
So, what can school leaders do to shape more hopeful and energized schools? In my practice in preparing and developing school leaders, I have found three time-tested strategies that can help: (1) connect the school to the community, (2) create space for listening, and (3) cultivate an environment of care.
Connect the School to the Community
Leaders can start by connecting with powerful sponsors in the community who are known for their strong support of the schools. High-visibility sponsors can counter unfounded attacks on the public schools. Keeping these connections alive takes persistent leadership to ensure that the efforts don't fizzle.
Take, for example, the work of General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) and his campaign with Grad Nation. His sponsorship energized thousands of educators and community partners to help tackle the high school dropout problem. Closer to home, local school board members can motivate a coalition of business and community leaders to sponsor wrap-around services for high-need schools.
Reporters can feature these positive efforts in the local media. Similarly, community members can foster service projects to enhance the school facilities. For example, Notah Begay, through his NB3 Foundation, supported one community's efforts to rebuild the school playground after a fire destroyed a large portion of the outdoor equipment. Efforts like these are not the exception; they reflect the commitment of the local community to help motivate teachers and students to show up at school with renewed energy and vitality.
Create Space for Listening
Unresolved issues sap the school's energy. Rehashing old histories tends to bring everyone down. Leaders can interrupt these negative patterns by making time and space for listening. Listening generates understanding and reflection. It energizes and bonds teachers to one another in an affirming way by reducing feelings of isolation and interrupting deficit thinking that perpetuates downward cycles of blame and shame.
One way to make listening productive is to employ the use of protocols during collaborative learning time. Appreciative inquiry is one protocol that can energize and point toward more positive directions. Appreciative inquiry was developed decades ago by David Cooperrider and further enhanced by Bernard Bass, and it is still being used successfully today. Through the process of appreciative inquiry, teachers can dream about what might be, map out a more productive and healthier future, and control their own destinies.
Cultivate an Environment of Care
Cultivating an environment of care can be quite complicated in a demoralized school. An environment of care begins with school leaders taking command of the factors under the school's control. The school can take many directions to ensure that everyone in the community is cared for and valued. People can't be told thank you enough. The principal might send personalized notes to teachers recognizing their many acts of kindness. The leadership team might plan culture nights with dances and foods representing the community's diverse heritages and languages. Still others might coordinate a mentor program for new teachers, offering guidance about how to maintain a healthy work-life balance that keeps new teachers excited about each school day.
Helping others is a calling. Even when they feel discouraged, people are more likely to recharge when they are surrounded by an environment of care. They get things done, find answers, take risks, and have fun together. This positive environment is abundantly evident when the whole community shows up at concerts, pep rallies, parades, homework diners (school engagement events where a meal and academic supports are provided to students and their families), and welcome-back bashes. An environment of care can make a deep and lasting contribution to the success and well-being of each member of the learning community.
Despite the difficulties inherent in demoralized schools, leaders can work to restore hope by connecting the school to the community, creating space for listening, and cultivating an environment of care. When teachers feel truly respected by their colleagues and the greater community, they are energized to work together on behalf of the whole school and community. The effort is worth it. The ultimate aim is to build a positive and healthy school culture where teachers, staff, students, and families thrive in an environment of joy and progress, filled with hope and exuberance.