Transcript Presentation 2

The Culture of Schools:
Building Positive and Transforming
Toxic Cultures
2008
Dr. Kent D. Peterson
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1025 W. Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53706
[email protected]
Culture and Effectiveness
“At a deeper level, all organizations, especially
schools, improve performance by fostering a shared
system of norms folkways, values, and traditions.
These infuse the enterprise with passion, purpose,
and a sense of spirit. Without a strong, positive
culture, schools flounder and die.”
(Peterson and Deal, 2002, p. 7)
“Effective leaders know that the
hard work of reculturing is the
sine qua non of progress.”
(Fullan, 2001, p.44).
Culture is a Powerful
Force
School culture influences
how people think, feel, and act.
Culture is a key determinant of staff
focus, commitment, motivation, and
productivity.
Key Roles of Cultural
Leaders
READ the Culture
Historian and Anthropologist
ASSESS the Culture
Analyst and Evaluator
REINFORCE or TRANSFORM the Culture
Visionary, Symbol, Potter, Poet, Actor, and Healer
(Deal and Peterson, 1994; 1999)
Elements of Culture
• Norms, Values and Beliefs that underlie thinking,
feeling and acting
• Symbols and Artifacts that Communicate
Meaning
• Stories that Herald Values
• Cultural Network
• Heroes and Heroines
• Rituals, Traditions, and Ceremonies
• “Culture is “the way we do things around here!”
Elements of Toxic Cultures
• Negative Values and beliefs hold sway in toxic
cultures.
• Sense of purpose is spiritually fragmented.
• Relationships are negative and destructive.
• The cultural network’s most powerful members
negaholics (Carter-Scott, 1989)
• The only heroes are anti-heroic.
• Few positive rituals, traditions, or ceremonies
exist to develop a sense of community and
hopefulness.
Deal and Peterson (1999).
Three Key Questions on
Values
• What makes a good day?
• What makes a good week?
• What makes a good year?
Typical Informal Network
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Gossips
Spies, Counterspies, Moles
Storytellers
Heroes and heroines
“ Keepers of the Dream “
Toxic Informal Network
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Saboteurs
Pessimistic Storytellers
“Keepers of the Nightmare”
Negaholics
Prima Donnas-Prima Donalds
Space Cadets
Martyrs
Deadwood, Driftwood, Ballast
Resource Vultures
Working with your
INFORMAL NETWORK
• How can you best use your positive
members?
• How can you help members change?
• How can you protect the culture from
toxins?
Symbols and Artifacts in
the School
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Communicate values
Reinforce culture
Build success through commitment
Symbolize the mission
What are key SYMBOLS
in your School?
• What do the symbols communicate?
• How does your daily work symbolize
what you consider important?
• How do the symbols connect to
students and parents?
Ways of Reading Your Culture...
•List Six Adjectives to describe your school.
•Think of a song that depicts your culture.
•Create a metaphor… If my school were an animal,
it would be a _______
because_________________________.
•Conduct a school history.
•Interview a school’s storytellers.
•Look at how newcomers are welcomed?
The Importance of
Ceremonies and Celebrations
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Reinforce Values
Build Culture and Community
Recharge Motivation
Communicate Purpose
Celebrate Success
Types of Celebrations
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Beginning of Year
Fall Solstice
Ethnic Events
Battle Preparations
Retirements
End-of-Year
Large and Small Successes
Map Your Ceremonies and
Celebrations Over the
Year
* Opening to Closing of School*
Celebrations that Sputter
or Fail
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Lack of Purpose
No Energy or Spirit
Inappropriate Words or Stories
Unpopular Symbols
Meaningless Rituals
Negative Meanings
Poor Planning
Dispirited Activities
Elements of Ceremonies
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Banners, Flags
Processionals
Speeches
Clothing and Location
Symbols and Artifacts
Special Visitors
Symbolic Rituals
Songs and Music
Mottos, Slogans, Recitations
Food and Drink
Redesign Key
Celebrations
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End of school
Opening School with Staff
End of Winter Break
Retirements
Special Awards
Culture Shaping Roles
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Anthropologist
Historian
Visionary
Symbol
Potter
Poet
Actor
Healer
(Deal and Peterson, 1999)
"Becoming a leader is a lot like investing
successfully in the stock market. If your
hope is to make a fortune in one day,
you're not going to be successful."
John C. Maxwell
“Teachers usually have no way of knowing
that they have made a difference in a
child’s life, even when they have made a
dramatic one…
Good teachers put snags in the river
of children passing by, and, over the
years, they redirect hundreds of lives…
[Great schools are] made up of people
who can never really know the good they
have done.”
Kidder (1989): Among Schoolchildren
Resources and Research
Research on Organizational
Culture
Effective Schools Research (Edmonds)
School Reform Literature (Fullan)
Professional Learning Communities (DuFour)
Good to Great (Collins)
Balanced Leadership (Marzano et al)
Execution (Bossidy et al)
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Elements of Positive, Successful
Cultures
a mission focused on student and teacher learning
a rich sense of history and purpose
core values of collegiality, performance, and improvement that
engender quality, achievement, and learning for everyone
positive beliefs and assumptions about the potential of students and
staff to learn and grow
a strong professional community that uses knowledge, experience, and
research to improve practice
an informal network that fosters positive communication flows
leadership that balances continuity and improvement
rituals and ceremonies that reinforce core cultural values
stories that celebrate successes and recognize heroines and heroes
a physical environment that symbolizes joy and pride
a widely shared sense of respect and caring for everyone
Source: Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership (1999). Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson, San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.