Dr. "TKA" Kulla-Abbott's List: 21st Century Climate and Culture

I recently came across the practice having a “data room“ in schools. These rooms provide teachers and administrators quantitative information (in graphic form) to facilitate ”informed” decisions. I have to admit, the site of the “data room” gave me that “something doesn’t feel right” sensation in my stomach. How has it come to be that, for some, data rooms in school are...

A positive school culture is the only way that organizations will move forward, yet there is often a lot of little subtle messages on things that aren’t working that can slowly erode the climate.  I believe that I have said it before, but schools will not be “innovative” if they can’t work together.  You will only get pockets of teachers/classrooms that will have this in spite of the culture.

Could there actually be one “C” to rule them all?!
March 22, 2013
By Bo Adams
Some describe four ”Cs” of essential skills for this 21st century – traits such as: Critical thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity.

Some list five or six ”Cs.” Five: Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Character. Six: the list above plus cultural competency.

Other people and organizations talk about seven ”Cs.” Here is one version of seven “Cs”:

Communication
Connection
Collaboration/Cooperation
Creation/Contribution
Community
Continual Learning
Culture
All of those C-words are great. Definitely essential.

Originally posted on Figuring It Out by Johnny Bevacqua 

I am a big proponent on the need for professionals and students to increasingly tap into the power of collaboration to promote and increase creativity, productivity and innovation.

I’ve seen first hand how authentic collaboration – rooted in vulnerably - encourages critical reflection,  deep learning, new ideas and personal and systemic improvement.  I’ve seen how real collaboration can keep us accountable to each other and the goal at hand.

Truthfully, however, I’ve also seen evidence of how competition promotes innovation, productivity and improvement.   For example, we have recently been interviewing potential teachers for next year.  The current job market for teachers is competitive.  Teachers that articulate and promote their vision  and provide clear evidence to support that vision will “win” positions over others.

Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning
and discipline.

Conscious Discipline is a longtime leader in the integration of classroom management with social-emotional learning, utilizing everyday events as the curriculum and addressing the adult's emotional intelligence as well as the child's. Conscious Discipline empowers adults to consciously respond to daily conflict, transforming it into an opportunity to teach critical life skills to children.

Conscious Discipline is evidence-based, and was named as a national model for character education by the Florida State Legislature.

Building the Culture of an Empowered Mindset Towards Technology Innovation
June 9, 2013
By George Couros
I have been having an incredible year of learning in my half-time role with Parkland School Division, along with speaking and consulting for other schools/districts.  I have learned a lot from both positions and I feel that it is very valuable to be able to look at school cultures within your organization, while also looking at what other schools do from an outsider’s perspective.

Two Roads to Innovation
August 26, 2013
By George Couros

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Paro_for_Peace

I have been really trying to study the notion of “innovation” and how we create an innovative culture.  From what I am seeing, two make an innovative “mindset” a culture, there are many factors, but there are two ways that those factors need to be delivered that are on opposite sides of the spectrum.  One is through mass collaboration, and the other through individual connection.  With one of those areas lacking, that culture will either never happen or it will take a significant amount of time.  Through the “School Admin Virtual Mentor Program” (#SAVMP), I am trying to create something that shows both sides of that spectrum.  The ideas for the program though have been inspired by many different things (Stephen Covey’s ideas, open networks, MOOCs, etc.), yet have come together in one space:

“The history of cultural progress is, almost without exception, a story of one door leading to another door, exploring the palace one room at a time.” Steven Johnson

How do (and how should) these big ideas come together?

A Culture of Trust
October 13, 2013
By dkerr
So as I was taking part in last week’s Middle School curriculum leaders meeting, I was once again struck by the importance and necessity of a positive school climate and culture. We were all busy and engaged in providing meaningful feedback through a critical friends protocol, when it occurred to me that the trust that was being shown by everyone in that room as colleagues was three years in the making. A culture of trust, where people are able to be vulnerable, open-minded, accepting of professional feedback, and eager to learn from each other takes a considerable amount of time and effort to develop….and it’s such hard work! 

This Year is Different
November 8, 2013
By rgallwitz
At Centerburg Local Schools, we are in our second year of using Google Apps for Education. In that short amount of time we have begun to see a shift in the way students and teachers share. As expected students and teachers are sharing resources, using collaborative docs and learning how to take full advantage of the tools provided by Google to support learning. Students are also sharing their thoughts and reflecting on the school year in their own blogs.

Take a look at a blog post written by one of our middle school students named Sierra.

Last year I didn’t do very well in school. I didn’t do all of my work. I didn’t really respect my teachers as well as I could have. I could have turned in my work and studied, but I didn’t, and that was a terrible mistake! I really regret not doing that.

5 Ways To Cultivate A Culture Of Acceptance
by William Parker • February 7, 2014 • 1 Comment



The other day, I sat in a conversation with a student and a DHS worker who had come to take her into custody. She was no longer able to stay at her host home and would be moving back to a shelter till a new home could be found. In the meantime, she would go to a different school.

As she sat in tears listening to the news, she said to the DHS worker, “No offense, lady, but DHS has done nothing for me. I’ve been from home to home, in and out the shelter, and from school to school. This was supposed to be my fresh start.”

Building Positive School Morale: My Thoughts
by Tom Martellone • March 14, 2014 • 0 Comments

In times of great change and during stressful situations, it is easy for the morale of any organization to “take a dip”. This can be caused by multiple factors and influences, including those internally and externally. My experiences as a school leader have taught me that there are some simple things that any administrator can do to build a positive morale within their school and school community. While not an exhaustive list, here are some things that I feel are “high leverage” items in keeping morale positive:

Teacher to Learner: The Power of Words
by Johnny Bevacqua • April 19, 2014 • 0 Comments

This post was originally posted on Figuring It Out by Johnny Bevacqua

As we march ahead in education, navigating a changing landscape – imposed by a variety of forces (e.g mobile, web based and social technology, economic shifts, globalization, etc) – I am sometimes asked for my opinion on what will make (or has made) the biggest impact on our ability to re-image (or re-imagine) education and school.

My answer has been somewhat consistent:

A teacher’s disposition as learner first, is the greatest factor in our ability to re-image school.

This got me thinking about the power of words.  What if the word “teacher” was replaced by the word “learner”?

I believe that words are powerful:

“A picture can tell a thousand words, but a few words can change its story.” Sebastyne Young

This video, on the power of words, magnifies this message beautifully: 

“What the He**’s Going On Out Here?!?” ~Vince Lombardi
by Sam LeDeaux • April 19, 2014 • 0 Comments


What the he**’s going on out here?!?!
This reflection is inspired by a culmination of things, but most recently a conversation with an aspiring teacher, and this recent post by @TonySinanis. The aspiring teacher approached me for some insight on education, stating her enthusiasm is being thwarted by many teachers she talks with. Tony Sinanis’ post highlights some major obstacles in today’s educational landscape. I’d like to add to Tony’s list by posing the questions that follow, and because I try not to ever share problems without offering suggestions to help improve or resolve them, I will share some suggestions.

Great list, Tony! Unfortunate, but right on. To add to your list, I offer the following questions: Educators, can we look the people we “govern” in the eyes with pride? When we make decisions, shortly thereafter do we physically engage with the people we’ve impacted? When we implement action and initiatives, do we stand among those who have to carry out in the trenches…while they do it? Do we roll up our sleeves and pitch in?

How can we all keep the kindergarten spirit?
by Amber Teamann • September 7, 2014 • 0 Comments

Last week as I was walking through classrooms, I came across this kinder kid who was working feverishly on the carpet on a project. As I smiled and walked around the room, he waved me over and asked if I wanted to see his invention. “See this? I made it up, because I needed something that could go real fast. I didn’t have it, so I made it up. ” In addition to just being adorable, I was impressed with his creativity and that matter of fact attitude. It doesn’t occur to a kindergartener that you shouldn’t just make up what you need. 

Personality is encouraged. Scribbling is encouraged. Sharing is talked about daily.

School as a Fairy Tale
by dkerr • September 7, 2014 • 0 Comments

So for those of you who have seen me over the past few weeks, you know that I’ve been pretty excited. Not only about the year that we’ve just begun, but about the journey that we’ve embarked on as a school that will span the next 4 to 5 years. With our new strategic plan, our new mission and vision, our new commitment to building community and relationships, and our new focus on sustainable change, I cannot keep the Language Arts teacher inside of me from bubbling up and relating this incredible opportunity that we all have to a fairy tale. I’m a very optimistic and idealistic person by nature as most of you are getting to know, and I tend to be a sucker for happy endings, so it’s not hard for me to see the beginning of this journey as a wonderful gift. I’ve spoken about this “gift” at our recent faculty meetings when I talked about how fortunate we all are to have arrived at this point in Academia Cotopaxi’s history, with the chance to affect meaningful and purposeful change for our students and community. In my experience, it’s pretty rare for a group of passionate and like minded educators to be presented with an opportunity like this, and after the excitement, the palpable positive energy, and the success of our first week, I truly believe that our own little fairly tale is starting to take shape. Let’s think about the elements of a traditional fairy tale for a minute so I can try and make my point…

Building Positive School Culture: 20 Ideas From Principals
by William Parker • October 9, 2014 • 4 Comments

School or work environments are like home environments–it doesn’t take long to figure out if you are in a happy, productive place or not.

Last week I was in Oklahoma City for a meeting with our principal association when we were each asked to share at least one idea on building positive environments from each of our schools.

It was so encouraging that I wanted to share them with you. Here are 20 ideas from 20 principals to inspire you to try something new in your school or organization:

1. Enjoy a Cheeseburger Day for teachers.
On National Cheeseburger Day, the school secretary called Sonic HQ and had 90 cheeseburgers and drinks donated for staff. They loved it! –Chris LeGrand, Guthrie High School

We Go as You Go…
by Johnny Bevacqua • October 12, 2014 • 0 Comments

This post was originally published on Figuring It Out by  Johnny Bevacqua

“We go as You go”…….

This was one of my back to school messages specifically directed to our Gr. 12 students.

As an educator and principal, I have come to appreciate the important role that the senior students have in the overall tone, culture and climate of a school.This year, as I transition into a new school, this belief has, once again, come into sharp focus for me.To deepen my own understanding of the school, its culture and climate, I have decided  to meet with each Gr. 12 student over lunch (and yes, lunch is on me) in small groups.  During these lunch meetings I have been asking the boys to introduce themselves, share something of interest about themselves, share what they like best about the school and to also share any points of advice for me as principal of their school.

Language has Power…
by dkerr • May 3, 2015 • 0 Comments

So I had two experiences this past week that made me really think about how much power there is in the language that we use with others. These experiences have made me reflect deeply on how I have been using language with my students and my colleagues, and how often the language that I use, and how I use it, actually inspires another person to feel better about themselves or their day. Our language, both body and verbal, is the single most important tool that we have which can affect another person’s mood, the mindset of a classroom full of students, a relationship with a friend, a kid, or a colleague, and the overall culture of a school. Using positive and direct language is the key to developing strong and lasting relationships in my opinion, and the key to how we feel about ourselves deep down as individuals and as leaders. The language that we use shapes who we are, as well as the impact that we have on those around us. It takes skill, practice, and courage to think before we speak, and to ensure that what comes out of our mouths is actually going to be received in the way that we intended it. Words have the power to crush a person’s spirit or to inspire them to be the best that they can be. Words can change a person’s day instantly for the better or for the worse, and in many cases we don’t even give our language a second thought. We often say things that have a profound impact on another person’s mood or day or self-esteem and we don’t even realize it… and that just isn’t good enough.

5 Tips On Preparing For Your Next Launch
by William Parker • June 6, 2015 • 0 Comments

I’ve never been on a cruise ship, but I have lots of friends who tell me you couldn’t find a better vacation choice.

Although I’d love to try one, I’ll have to take their word for it. With my four children, road trips and camping are usually our most affordable choices for summer vacation.

At the same time, when others ask me what I plan to do with all the time without students at school, I’ll usually say, “Well, it’s kind of like a cruise ship. We just unloaded all the passengers, so we’ll spend the next two months stocking up, rehiring where needed, and preparing for the next voyage.”

We still have some “passengers” at the school over summer–state testing make-ups, summer school, athletic team practices, band, etc. keep the building humming during various times over June and July.

But on a practical level, these days after school present another set of important to-do’s. Wrapping up the end-of-the-year deadlines and preparing for the upcoming school year require foresight. For a concrete example, check out this to-do list I created for my team: SHS 2015 Summer To Do’s.