“Big Idea”: School culture trumps innovation. 

The impact of school culture on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning cannot be ignored by administrators and teacher leaders.

Its influence may be overlooked, however, because it is often invisible to the school community.

Nonetheless, school culture determines whether:

• honest conversations about teaching and learning take place in meeting rooms or in parking lots,

• teachers participate in high-functioning interdependent teams or dutifully and resentfully attend meaningless meetings, and

• teachers focus on ways they can continuously improve teaching and learning or blame students and parents for lack of progress.

Here are several popular posts from the past year that address the elements of school culture that enable continuous improvement.

“Why bad things happen to good people when we withhold our truths”

“Managing inevitable dips in relationships”

“Set a compelling vision for your future: An interview with Stephan...

“Supporting ‘wary and weary teachers’: An interview with Kent Peter...

More posts on “school culture” can be found here.