The learning environment is made richer through collaboration, community, collegiality, celebration and recognition. Schools and districts that have demonstrated the greatest improvement in student outcomes are characterized by deep collaboration between administrators and teachers.
Clifford Geertz (1973), a noted anthropologist, defines culture as a “historically transmitted pattern of meaning.”
Understanding a people’s culture exposes their normalness without reducing their particularity…It renders them accessible.”
Clifford Geertz
Recognizing and honoring culture in a school environment goes beyond the business of creating an efficient learning environment. It focuses more on the core values necessary to teach and influence young minds.
It is important to note that this course does not deal in-depth with cultural diversity in the school community. That is found in the ASAP course Diversity. This course module digs deeper into how to access and assess a school’s culture, reduce isolation of teachers, build collaboration and shape the culture of success.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Articulate, advocate and cultivate core values that define the school’s culture
- Establish and sustain a professional culture of engagement and commitment to student learning
- Assess school culture and lead in developing relationships and community
- Foster collaboration in building collegiality and reducing teacher isolation
This course module is aligned with the following PSEL standards:
Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Core Values
Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
Standard 5: Community of Care and Support for Students
Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
Standard 7: Professional Community for Teachers and Staff
Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) (2015)
Lessons contain exercises that you will be asked to complete, and resources you can use for continuous learning. Use a personal journal to record your completed exercises and document your learning in this course. This guide can assist you with creating your personal journal. Your school district facilitator may request you submit your personal journal to show proof of course completion. Direction on where to submit your finished journal will be provided by your district facilitator, should they require it.
Select a lesson from the table of contents below to begin your learning. Lessons do not need to be completed in sequence. The pre-test and post-test are optional. If you would like to receive a certificate of completion, you must mark each lesson as complete.