 In the newest episode of “To Teach or Not to Teach,” we are joined by culture and climate expert Steve Bollar. Meg and I have worked closely with Stand Tall Steve, and he is the perfect person to bring into the conversation when it comes to building a positive community and relationships. Climate refers to the immediate atmosphere within a school or organization—how it feels daily, shaped by attitudes, behaviors, and interactions. On the other hand, culture is the deeper, enduring set of values, beliefs, and norms that guide and influence how people within the organization work together and approach challenges. Together, climate and culture determine the overall health, success, and productivity of the environment, directly impacting everyone involved. Unfortunately, climate and culture often take a back seat when getting ready for the school year to start. There is a long checklist of compliance aspects of our jobs, articulation meetings, and required pieces of training. (We see you blood-borne pathogens.) Whether you have started school like us or your first day is this week, teachers and administrators know the importance of building the community and relationships within the classroom. But what is being done to build the excitement and climate in your district? Do you have a plan for enough fuel to last the year? Try these helpful tips for active engagement from all stakeholders to get everyone involved!  Pick a theme! Select a theme that embodies what your school respects and values that can flow from the classroom level, the whole building, or even the entire district! If you need a list of possible themes, contact Steve at [email protected]. This will set the tone and the direction for the year. Ideally, selecting the theme should happen at the end of the school year for the following year. (Don’t worry! There’s still time and opportunities to start and incorporate a theme.) By announcing the theme at the end of the year, you are creating excitement for the following year. Students will already know the year's theme and tone, walking into the building on the first day with a sense of community and belonging. Teachers will have time to let the theme marinate over the summer months and have the mental capacity to have some creative ideas for their classrooms and lessons. Welcome new staffulty! As your staffulty of teachers evolves, a theme is an opportunity to bring them into their new position, building, or district with a sense of belonging. Administrators, you can discuss the theme during summer interviews! When you offer the new staff member a job, incorporate the theme into their welcome letter or that first phone call to tell them they were selected to join the team! New staff will begin with an invitation to join the community. Veteran teachers will join in on the fun! Not all veteran teachers are shaking their keys at staff meetings, signaling it is time to wrap it up. Many veteran teachers look forward to ideas to shake up school norms each day. A theme will bring new life to the year for lessons, units of instruction, bulletin boards, and more!
Let the seniors steer the way! Giving your seniors a voice in the theme is a game changer. Allowing the next graduating class time to brainstorm and collaborate ideas among their rising classmates provides a massive sense of community. We all know seniors want anything and everything to have their graduation year on any swag. The rising classes will look forward to their chance to contribute in the future. Include ALL staffulty! There are teams or groups of your staff that need to be included in the community. Every person in your building should be included in the community and theme, from support staff to custodial teams, substitutes, and food service employees. If you need help purchasing more T-shirts to include others, ask for sponsorships from community businesses or outsourced service organizations. Bring in the parents! Parents will love the opportunity to participate in your theme. Proud parents in the community want swag, too! Get more t-shirts printed to have them for sale at Back to School Night, Open House, parent-teacher conferences, sporting events, award ceremonies, or any other time! Get out your calendar! Purposeful action is needed to keep the theme going. Set dates in your calendar to revisit or celebrate the theme. From the morning announcements to spirit days, reinforce the theme to keep it thriving! Don’t forget to recognize students and staff who are great examples of the message you have set forth. Brand your theme! Create a logo and a color scheme. Include the theme on every announcement sent home, calendar, reminder, email signature, newsletter, or even homework! Keep your theme alive all year long. It’s never too late to start a theme! You can start a theme anytime after a long break, a semester, a new month, or any other time that works for you and your organization. Meg and I focus on purposeful actions and activities to build our classroom community. By incorporating a theme, you are creating a safe space for your staff and students. We all know that once students or staff feel safe and included, the real learning begins. Do you have a theme for the year? Be sure to tell us all about it! Do you have another way to incorporate a theme you want to share? Post it in the comments!
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AuthorMegan and Kara are educational leaders, professional development experts, and current classroom teachers who are improving the way instruction is being delivered in the standard classroom. Archives
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