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How to make your school a great place to work and learn
How to make your school a great place to work and learn
| 01/24/2016 | |
| SCHOOL CULTURE | |
Jayne Ellspermann |
|
Do your students want to come to school every day? Are your staff members counting the days to Friday? What is the sense that people feel when they walk into your building? It is not where you begin... Every day I am reminded that it is truly a blessing to work at West Port High School. When people come to our school they tell me there is a feeling of promise and excitement. There is a sense of purpose and the students are focused and happy to be a part of our learning community. There is a structure, but within that structure we have creativity and originality that sets our school apart from other schools. Students are friendly and polite, the adults genuinely happy to be here. It is good to be a part of West Port High School today. |
The more positive things they heard from other teachers and staff members, the more positive they felt about our school and they began sharing what was positive about West Port High School.
When I was assigned to West Port High School 12 years ago my closest friends told me that they believed in me, but they would not be sending their children to West Port High School. In the four short years that the school had been in existence it had developed a reputation that drove people to other schools. People I did not even know said the school looked like a prison. The teachers were writing hundreds of discipline referrals every day and bells were apparently a suggestion because students did not move toward their classrooms when they rang. Teachers were looking for every opportunity to move to another school and would not bring their own children to the school.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by AJ Hepworth on
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A wonderful success story and not too surprising considering most research, especially that of John Hattie, recognizes student expectations among teachers is one of the most important influences for learning and achievement. Kudos to Jayne Ellspermann and West Port High School.
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