The climate of a school is very important and is that feeling you get upon entering the school grounds - whether you feel like you belong or not, does it feel friendly, busy or overly serious? It's like the temperature of the school. The culture is how a particular school does things and the values and traditions that underpin its actions. (Warner,Dunkelblau & Trusheim, 2015.) Schools are a place where children learn that they need to negotiate with others who may look different, think different, and may not even agree on some of the things that they hold dear. Schools are a place where children figure out what's important to them, and to others and once they know that - how to then work together in a solid community (Warner,Dunkelblau & Trusheim, 2015.) At times this climate and culture comes about by default if no-one is "steering the ship" - this is less likely to be a positive outcome than if someone is providing vision and direction. (Warner,Dunkelblau & Trusheim, 2015)
"Culture is the beliefs and priorities that drive the thoughts and actions of the people at the school" (Wilson, 2015) Wilson goes on to say that to build a culture of success you must have a vision, you must have unity and you must have empowerment. (Wilson, 2015)
This particular video resonated with me as Wilson spoke of the 2 students who decided to honour a fellow students who consistently showed respect for others. The 2 students certainly showed that they were empowered to take the action they thought was necessary.
What is the organisational culture (collective values/principles) that underpins your practice? How would you contribute to fostering a positive professional environment in your community of practice?
In the community of practice that I now find myself in, I feel there is a strong mandate - a vision - from the MOE itself, there is unity (of varying degrees) amongst my co-workers, and as a newbie, I am already feeling the empowerment of a management team who believe I can make a difference in the job I have taken on. For me, it is such a freeing feeling and one I certainly want to pass on the children I work with.
Our ministry mandate:
What RTLB do
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) are funded to work together with teachers and schools to find solutions to support students in Years 1-10 with learning and/or behaviour difficulties. They have a particular focus on supporting Māori and Pasifika students and children and young people moving into State care. RTLB support and up-skill teachers to better meet the needs of students within an inclusive education system. ... RTLB support students with learning and behaviour difficulties in the cluster who meet the set criteria. They do this through:
When working in kura/school or wharekura/secondary school settings, RTLB meet the learning and behaviour needs of students through negotiation with a range of people. These may include:
One of the challenges facing the RTLB team is how to maintain cohesion when each team member is on the go and often at different schools. A method of elivating this problem is to have bi-termly huis, where the entire team from the Rotorua and Taupo cluster get together to assess any issues arising from the workload and to offer support to each other. Another part of the solution has been the reassigning of one central office. The team in Rotorua was previously spread across two schools, it has this term been moved to a central office where catching up with colleagues and management is made easier. The handling of this move and the need for each person to feel that this new space was theirs to own was in itself a challenge. Teachers tend to be by nature strong personalities and the gentle tact of the management team was crucial for this transition to be a smooth one. My contribution to all of this so far has been little more than an observer, although that is rapidly changing.
Another challenge is to maintain accountability in a service where people are often working in isolation. A great method of resolving this issue is the peer supervision that is a mandatory part of our work. Coming alongside a small group of your trusted peers and sharing your triumphs and hiccups and gaining greater insight through the collective knowledge is a powerful tool.
Another challenge is to maintain accountability in a service where people are often working in isolation. A great method of resolving this issue is the peer supervision that is a mandatory part of our work. Coming alongside a small group of your trusted peers and sharing your triumphs and hiccups and gaining greater insight through the collective knowledge is a powerful tool.
REFERENCES
Larrivee, B. (2000) Transforming teaching practice: becoming the critically reflective teacher, Reflective Practice, 1(3), 293-307.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-_NvhlcusQ
TKI Website (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://rtlb.tki.org.nz/The-RTLB-service/What-RTLB-do
Warner, E., Dunkelblau, E., & Trusheim, W.H., What is School Culture and Climate? Academy for SELinSchools, 2015, Apr 28
Wilson, M., TEdEd (2013, Jun 21). Building a culture of successRetrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_8Bjz-OCD8
It sounds like you are working in a reflecting community of practitioners. The ways that your organisation is adjusting to meet the needs of those working in isolation should ensure that there is more support and collegiality.
ReplyDeleteThe RTLB community is incredibly supportive! The Peer Supervision that is compulsory allows the airing of both problems and successes and I think the format ensures that everybody has the opportunity to present their ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe management team of your community of practice seems very supportive of not only you as a newcomer but to all of the members by providing solutions for members working in isolation to share with smaller groups as well as with a wider cluster.
ReplyDeleteI love the roller coaster analogy at the beginning of your post! It does really exemplify the idea of choosing how we will respond to the challenges that we face. We can scream with frustration or roll up our sleeves and work through the problems collaboratively. I know that I like working as a team member because collectively we will always achieve more than a single person can achieve. Over the years there have been many ways of 'inducting' new RTLB and the co-working and shadowing have been effective ways of supporting new members to the cluster. Erika Locke
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting journey for you, Elizabeth. i really like the roller coaster analogy at the start of your post - although I actually feel like I can scream AND enjoy the ride! It sounds like you are meeting the challenges of cohesion and accountability head on and working as a team to meet the needs of your students. Your commitment to passing on your feeling of empowerment is commendable and I wish you all the best! Although I still think there is a place for the scream on that roller coaster!
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