The way we communicate with one another in schools can either be a change agent for improving school climate and academic success, or the underlying cause of many issues facing educators today.

I hope you will enjoy my blog post on the topic. I look forward to your comments.

Changing Schools 1 Message at a Time

by Joan Fretz

originally posted on joanfretz.com, Jan. 26, 2021

At the top of this year’s list of things to improve in schools, is how to address the social and emotional needs of our students and staff. School leaders are quick to research, purchase and implement an SEL program.  However, programs alone don't change schools - people do.

School climate can best be improved by first changing the way the staff communicates. That’s because our words and actions influence how others think and feel, and that, in turn, influences their choice of actions. School leaders and teachers can get right to the heart of the matter by starting with the real change agent: the way we communicate with one another.

For us to be heard and to help others feel heard, we simply need to learn how to express our feelings and needs without judgment or blame.  The minute we blame someone else for our feelings, we've judged them, and they are no longer listening to what we are feeling—they feel blamed and will likely react emotionally instead of responding empathically. READ MORE