The National UN Volunteers Group discussion.
Moderator. Mrs. Sangeeta Thyagarajan
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What does meant for culture of the school?
• Some inputs:
It was hard to frame into some points. Applicable to all stakeholders of the school-School management, Leader, Positions related next time the leader, Teachers, Students, other staff members and Parents.
1. Shared goals—“we know where we’re going”
2. Responsibility for success—“we must succeed”
3. Collegiality—“we’re working on this together”
4. Continuous improvement—“we can get better”
5. Lifelong learning—“learning is for everyone”
6. Risk taking—“we learn by trying something new”
7. Support—“there’s always someone there to help”
8. Mutual respect—“everyone has something to offer”
9. Openness—“we can discuss our differences”
10. Celebration and humour—“we feel good about ourselves”
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• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Culture of the school set the norms, beliefs and practices on which a school run. The school culture motivates and show the true nature and the set priorities on which a school functions
• Dr Parvathi: And these cultures are commonly built keeping nationality feeling in mind
• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Yes ....According to the th need of the society the culture of the school sets. Culture is reflection of said and unsaid statements and need of society
• Dr Parvathi: In short the child spends his life's most valuable time in learning once he is entering into a pace of learning which is later on going to makes lots of changes and is going to shape his life so it becomes the duty of school to give him what he or she requires equally.
• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: School prepares the future citizens .so the school environment should be carefully planned b
• Dr Parvathi: There is saying that every small thing gives you something before leaving this world like silkworm so I think every student also gives something very precious to this world before leaving this world or his school.
• Mrs. Ishrat Tabassum: The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students.
• Dr Parvathi: I think the first and foremost duty of the school is to set their goals,objectives and make curriculum taking into concern national development ,social welfare with students development and welfare. Because students are future of this country who has to play very important and vital role in the development of country so school should keep aside their selfish interests as now a day education has become more a source of learning then knowledge.so school should look forward towards every student as their own children and do their best for their growth and development. Students are branches and leaves of a tree and school is a tree. If students achieve success that success ultimately reflects that school from which he or she has gained knowledge or of which he or she is a part of. When two or three river water merge together the sea becomes large same manner when students achieve success it makes the school's name as bigger as the sea .
• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: The goals set by the school management and teachers, as individuals and as a group, must first and foremost coincidence with the needs of the society. Schools should remember that imparting knowledge and building the literacy rate as not the only primary functions. Giving the society a future generation of responsible, worthy individuals who would take mankind forward in the right direction SHOULD be a the goal of every school. Students should enter into adulthood with splendid IQ, EQ and SRQ for a better tomorrow.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should make all stakeholders to realise the nobility and universal human values at any point prioritising equality. Culture of the school should be the embodiment of all sources of learning not only academics but all art forms. Culture of the school with diginity should provide scope of learning cultural heritage of the nation and at large that of our planet earth . Unity in diversity should be taught in the real spirit and zeal. Culture of the school should immensely bring out the character of respecting others of different philosophy and stress diginity of labour. Culture of the school should delebrately provide ethics of service to other beings and preserve natural resources
• Mr. M Mohammad NASEERUDDIN: Culture of the school must be on Human Values. At Present we are in need of great personality like Abdul Kalam Sirji, who can take Our India to the top of the world.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should provide tolerance as the prime value and committed involvement in all spheres of activities thinking that it is nation building exercise. Culture of the school should develop confidence in the young minds that it is the means that justifies the end .
• Dr Parvathi: Culture of the school is to make them understand what their duties are towards society and towards nation as a whole.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school school should inculcate perseverance and caring and sharing
• Dr Parvathi: Culture of school is to make students understand and differentiate between right and wrong.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should make each one stand in their own legs.
• Dr Parvathi: Culture of school is to promote a feeling of vasudaiv kutumbakam among students
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should also make every aspiring students to know about their self and to respect the benovalance of the creator.
• Mrs. Farhana Khan: Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other staff members all contribute to their school’s culture, as do other influences such as the community in which the school is located, the policies that govern how it operates, or the principles upon which the school was founded.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should be making all to respect parents teachers and elders and all.
• Mrs. Jemi: Creating a culture of learning in the classroom can require some work upfront, but once that environment is established, teachers will see joy and success from their students.
• Dr.parvathi: I think sir first and foremost requirement of culture of school is to be cultured first then only they can inculcate that feeling among others. Now a days its missing. Dont you think so. It's all in the books only not in practice
• Mrs. Farhana Khan: Planning a bridge program for new students and staff. Administrators should start by introducing a school’s newcomers to the institution’s ethos and expectations as soon as possible. This allows them to make an easy transition and fit in with the school culture.
• Dr Parvathi: There is saying that every small thing gives you something before leaving this world like silkworm so I think every student also gives something very precious to this world before leaving this world or his school.
• Mr. Nahid Raza: The culture of the school must be centred on human, humanity and human relation. It is indeed happening too. We are more well knit. We work in groups. We form teams. We need others. In future too, we shall be more social. School must have culture of learning. Learning to respect others, listening effectively and responding affectionately.
• Mr. M Mohammad NASEERUDDIN: Excellent all your opinions are exactly true. We must take it forward as our own responsibility .Jai Hind
• Mrs. Jemi: Yes. Very true.
Environment counts for a lot when it comes to learning. It can influence motivation, concentration, memory, and attitude. We want our classrooms to be places students look forward to coming to each day, places that feel welcoming, safe, nurturing, and fun. When students feel positive about their environment, they’ll also feel more positive about what they’re doing in that environment and be more willing to engage with you, the material, and each other. Keep things light and show you care, emphasize high expectations, let your own passion for the material shine through. Hold meaningful class discussions that go beyond the standard lecture. As William Butler Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Create surveys at the beginning of the school year to get to know your students better and gauge how to offer more personalized instruction. Determine their likes and dislikes with regard to subject matter, learning style, and pace. Throughout the year, check in at least once a month with students to show you care. You don’t have to ask them “How am I doing as a teacher?” but rather “Is what I’m doing working for you?” or even “Are you enjoying learning?” The point is to show you’re genuinely invested in their learning..
• Mr. Nahid Raza: The purpose of edu is service. The objective is to support the inculcation of service. The aim is tranquility. When we go to school with purpose, we turn taller, better and happier.
• Mrs. Jemi: Try to connect learning with the real world as often as possible. Don’t wait for students to ask, or to drift off onto another mental plane. Offer up the connection right away, and emphasize it regularly, to keep learning relevant. While the quadratic formula itself may or may not come in handy, you can talk about how hot the engineering field is at the moment, and that engineers use advanced math all the time to build robots, launch rockets, develop cities, create advanced maps, and more.
• Mr. Nahid Raza: Service is gift to humanity.
• Mrs. Jemi: Too often we teach theory without grounding it in practice. Help students get excited about what they’re learning by giving it a sense of urgency or personal relevance, or at least by showing how it’s used by others in the real world.
Choose a new quote each day to display as students file into class. It can be a quote that prepares students for the lesson ahead or has its own lasting value. It can be an excerpt from a book, a speech, a film, or any other source of your choosing.
• Mr. Nahid Raza: It comprises abundance in itself. Knowledge emanates from perception. Perception is created with intention. When we intend to serve, it gives light of every form.
• Mrs. Jemi: Add rigor to move first to the Complier quadrant, then activate intrinsic motivation to move to the right to the Scholar quadrant. Balance increased rigor with activated intrinsic motivation to move diagonally straight to the Scholar quadrant. Activate intrinsic motivation to move from the Resigner quadrant to the Hobbyist quadrant, and then add rigor to move to the scholar quadrant. Positive, productive learning environments are key to students' academic, emotional and social success in school. Unfortuntely, positive learning environments don't just happen on their own–they must be created. There are many components that go into making a positive learning environment for students. For starters, positive learning environments should offer a climate of safety, where risk-taking is encouraged, there is open authentic conversation, trust and respect are fostered, and positive interaction is the norm. We should teach all students how to synthesize cultural differences
• Mr. Nahid Raza: It is the objective of assembly of children in school.
• Mrs. Jemi: we should culturally responsive curriculum helps students from a minority ethnic/racial background develop a sense of identity as individuals, as well as proudly identify with their particular culture group. Teachers can play a big role in helping these students succeed through the establishment of culturally responsive classrooms.Express interest in the ethnic background of your students. Educators must redirect their roles in the classroom from instructor to facilitator. Maintain a strict level of sensitivity to language concerns. Maintain high expectations for student performance. Incorporate methods for self-testing. A multicultural society is best served by a culturally responsive curriculum. We Educators must understand that schools that acknowledge the diversity of their student population understand the importance of promoting cultural awareness. When we interact in cross cultural situations, Cultural awareness helps us and increases the chance of us making more insightful, considered decisions.
• Mr. Nahid Raza: Culture of sports could lead to happy children. Discipline may also be in play. Sports help better understanding, mutual respect, negotiation, robust atmosphere and above all 20% better academics. Sportspersons motivate for excellence. We develop we feeling. We imbibe good citizenship. We have broader horizon.
• Mrs. Jemi: Yes. Very true..Children who are members of a sports club and exercise regularly are happier, healthier and are better able to get along with other children than children who exercise little or not at all. It does not matter which sport the child plays and whether this is an individual or a team sport. This insight leads to the recommendation that children should be encouraged to choose a sport that they enjoy so that they will practice it regularly. I have experienced this personally in my life. While my children were young, I admitted them in sports school. I was able to a blessed cultural bonding amidst the children. Children from various backgrounds and different culture studied together, They respected each other more, accepted more, there were no differences at all. My children along with their peers focused on participation in sports club activities, which is the dominant form of children’s sports participation in school. Their relationship of sports participation with psychosocial health or health-related quality of life has been evidenced in what they are today. .”
• Mr. S. C. Vohra: Good point. It’d be even better if the same quote is explained too in detail in the morning assembly by the head of the institution or by the teachers taking the first lesson. Many times a very good quote fails to have the desired impact as it goes unnoticed or uninterpreted simply because the students start taking it for granted as an unnecessary piece of furniture. Visitors definitely pay serious attention to it.
• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: We as Indians realize the importance of cultural and social unification amongst children. Thus, Art Intergration into cbse curriculum happened. Further, sports and physical activities are being given prime importance in NEP now, though sports has been a part at cbse curriculum forever.
So, why the sudden interest? Well, the ingress of JEE and NEET into mainstream has pushed sports, arts and culture into the back burner of every parent's mind. Children above 12 years are encouraged to discontinue sports for academic activities. Hence, the parent's need to be educated on the importance of sports before children can imbibe the values from a young age. Contradictory opinions confuse a child. Stress and teen anger against society prevails in the 12-17 age group by large. Parents need to be educated
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Your observations are valid. Only in the last two decades most of the schools had turned into coaching centers like mark producing end oriented industries. Before that 99.9./. Of institutions were run by educationists with the support of philanthropists. When political merchants entered system gone to stakes. However principals and teachers are preserving. I am sure with NEP we will regain values
• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: Yes, so true.
Definitely looking forward to have ethical teaching methods back in practice rather then working children like mark producing machines to up school's popularity.
• Mrs. Ishrat Tabassum: MASHAALLAH The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students. The school and classroom rules should be clear and simple to all students so that it can be easily followed and be well-regulated. In school the students/ children are learning more than just secular instructions and they're also developing social skills and this helps them in learning how to be successful. Developing essential social skills are preparing them on the deeper level of their future. Ask teachers to Involve them in the activities on social emotional learning so that it helps them to develop qualities in them such as ..respecting teachers, elders, peers and having sympathy, empathy towards others, concern for others. As Teachers or parents we should be a Good role model for them because they admire us they Imitate us they learn from us. The Teacher's should adapt the qualities in them like to be kind, patient and polite in their nature and behaving good with the students, being friendly with them, by being a good listener, by understanding child 's mentality and also to have love and respect for students ( Children by nature are too sensitive and emotional) Teachers should also Appreciate and motivate, support the students effort and work by praising, giving rewards and Keeping on Complimenting students which helps them feel that they are getting cared Individually. When talking to teachers encourage them to try new methods of teaching and you can also discuss about following new techniques, teaching children in practical way and some times teaching in traditional way too helps children in understanding and these kind of teaching should get Implemented in the schools. Actually these kind of meeting will help the whole teaching staff to brainstorm and implement new ideas and bringing teachers into process of building new culture.
The very Important thing is involving parents in school activities and building a healthy relationship in a meaningful way also foster feeling between the school and the parents. By Implementing Developing educational programs for parents can also help involve them in their children’s schooling and can also build a more positive atmosphere in the school INSHAALLAH
• Azeez: School culture, school climate or campus culture......these are common terms widely accepted and exhibited by the people in a unit of a society. Let it be a family, community, organization, groups......
Generally it can be defined as a collective effort of a team works for the development of an individuals.
Here as we link this culture in a school, we can define it in school limits. It begins with connections — strong and overlapping interactions among all members of the school community. The ideals of a school is infused in its components first then works together to achieve it through collective efforts of these components in individuals which benefits the society. These ideals remain unchanged as the generation go by. As an example, we could see people saying as I'm the product of this school that school, this university, this family, this region, this community.....
We could see in them a royal behavior, appearance and personality....Products from such a climates never go unhatched.
• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: To strengthen your points I had seen many students will say I am the student of a particular teacher of the school. Even as a professor at Yarword, I had heared him quoting by name his school teacher who was responsible for ethical and cultural values.
• Azeez: Culture here based on two greater things. By knowing these facts, we can built up a good culture in our school.
One question comes here in our minds that this term could be used as environment. We say big No. Environment is different from climate. Environment changes, not the climate. Weather changes not the environment.....
Now the two things are on:
1. Connections
2. Core beliefs and behaviors.
The above are the building blocks of a culture and culture lies in these two foundations as
1. Culture in connection
2. Culture in beliefs and behaviors.
Now let us look into how it works.
1. Culture in connection:
Culture of a school campus culture depends strongly on how two individuals interact with each other. If this interaction is based on the beliefs and ideologies of the system, then we can say the culture is strong and beneficial to the society through the products of the climate. If it is not, the culture is weak and result is reversed. Therefore every new entries to the campus is taught those ideologies first then infused into the dependents.
• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Sure... School culture truly shape up an individual character.. Children carries that character in them. Culture is basically the way of life ...which a child learn knowingly or unknowingly in his school environment
• Azeez: Therefore in a school culture specially, this connection is important:
• Beliefs, values, and actions will spread the farthest and be tightly reinforced when everyone is communicating with everyone else.
In a strong school culture, leaders communicate directly with teachers, administrators, counselors, and families, who also all communicate directly with each other.
• A culture is weaker when communications are limited and there are fewer connections.
For example, if certain teachers never hear directly from their principal, an administrator is continually excluded from communications, or any groups of staff members are operating in isolation from others, it will be difficult for messages about shared beliefs and commitments to spread.
This is possible only when the promotors are strong in school campus climate first.
As an example, the products of Doon Public School, there are many, but here we take one example as Mr Kamalnath, then Union cabinet minister used to wear his school coller tie to address very important gatherings to show off that I m the product of so and so so school.
So many beaurocrats are from the above said school because of its culture. This culture is due to connection.
2. Culture in beliefs and behaviors:
Culture is shaped by five interwoven elements, each of which principals have the power to influence:
• Fundamental beliefs and assumptions, or the things that people at your school consider to be true.
For example: “All students have the potential to succeed,” or “Teaching is a team spirit.
• Shared values, or the judgments people at your school make about those belief and assumptions.
• Norms, or how members believe they should act and behave, or what they think is expected of them.
• Patterns and behaviors, or the way people actually act and behave in your school.
• Tangible evidence, or the physical, visual, auditory, or other sensory signs that demonstrate the behaviors of the people in your school.
In simple form we could say all are focused on beliefs and behaviors of the school include heads, teachers, students, parents and community associated with the school.
They echo the same by words and behaviors in the society.
Each of these components influences and drives the others, forming a circle of reinforcing beliefs and actions, strong connections among every member of the school community reinforce the circle at every point.
• Mrs. Jemi: Scientific knowledge is tentative and revisable; yet in science education, expectations of what ideas are worthy of consideration are relatively fixed. Culture settings expectations of ideas are “scientific.
• Azeez: Some Steps to create a good school culture:
1. Look in the mirror.
The leader is the main role model for an organization.
Everything a leader does — her statements and philosophy, reactions to key events, energy and interaction style — influences culture in a powerful way.
If you want a collaborative staff, ask colleagues for advice early and often.
2. Select staff wisely.
The teachers and administrators you hire will enter your school with their own beliefs about education and expectations about what it will be like to work at your school.
3. Broadcast your vision.
Every formal communication you have with your community should reflect and reinforce the culture.
In every memo to staff, letter to parents, or address to students, make sure to:
• highlight the future and what your school has the potential to achieve;
• use data and facts to reduce ambiguity about your vision;
• appeal to people’s emotions, values, and the deeper needs that motivate them;
• stay positive, grateful, and idealistic, which is an important counterweight to any negative messages students or staff might receive;
• use collective statements (“we are,” “we will”) to increase a feeling of belonging and collective identity.
4. Train and teach what you’d like to see.
• Create formal trainings and space for honest conversation about the attitudes, norms, and practices that are core to being a member of your school community.
• Use those trainings and other professional development to model the beliefs and behaviors you desire.
• Offer rewards (praise, written notes, community celebrations) for students and staff when they demonstrate those behaviors.
• Mrs. Jemi: Strategies to Improve School Culture:
Strategy1: Establish unobtrusive procedures for actual and perceived security.
Strategy 2: Create a genial climate with prosocial activities.
Strategy 3: Make “every student, every day” the attendance norm.
Strategy 4: Implement a comprehensive Behavior Management system.
Strategy 5: Build Relationships.
• Azeez: 5. Reach the unreachable:
There are untouched areas, unnoticed achievements, unsung heroes...in every walks of our life.
Reach to learn from them to create a new culture of your school.
Change you vision, redefine the defined, and restructure the social networks that works beyond our expectations.
• Mr. Alok Mohanty: Perceptive observations. School means a space for leisure. In a sense a space of freedom to explore, engage with things that is dear to one at a point of time, thinking & doing things and above all getting or remaining liberated in the process. Modern day school culture is not about liberation it is about learning and earning as learning has earning inherent in it. Most of the time school acts as a conditioning agent, mass producing Maculaputras. Aren't the school space a big commercial bazar space for transaction of money in the name of Saraswati (Knowledge). So schools are factories producing products who should be valuable to the big machine called society. A cog in the big machine. Can it be possible to keep the flame ( The Child) alive in this culture? Just some critical thinking.
Everything a leader does — her/ his statements and philosophy, reactions to key events, energy, and interaction style — influences culture in a powerful way.
• Mrs. Jemi: A school’s culture develops over years, growing from the shared experiences, beliefs and traditions of everyone within the school community. A culture may be positive, nurturing a sense of belonging, encouraging teamwork and celebrating individual and group successes to create an inclusive and trusting place where children learn and thrive..
A positive culture cultivates a safe environment with everyone in the community looking out for each other.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, a negative school culture foments hostility and suspicion. This threatening environment forces members of the school community to focus on self-preservation to the detriment of safety, learning and growth.
• Azeez: Let us conclude with:
Questions Every School Leader Can Ask:
• As a leader, ask yourself: What fundamental beliefs do you want community members to hold about the work they do?
• As a leader, ask yourself: What do you want community members to value as being right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust about the work they do?
• As a leader, ask yourself: What expectation should everyone have about the appropriate or desirable way of operating; what agreed upon rules should guide behavior?
• As a leader, ask yourself: What actions and attitudes do you expect to consistently observe?
• As a leader, ask yourself: What will be the tangible evidence of beliefs, assumptions, values, norms, and behaviors?
Dear leaders you learn to lead, lead to excel. Powerful.
