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Who Do You Trust?

This is excerpted from an article in "The Harvard Education Letter," July/August 2002, by David T. Gordon.

Can excellent work be coerced from principals, teachers, and students simply by withholding diplomas, slashing funds, and publishing embarrassing statistics in the newspaper?
Not according to Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara Schneider. They have found that school people and relationships to one another will make or break reform.
In Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement, the University of Chicago researchers examine the role of social relationships in schools and their impact on student achievement. Their conclusion? That "a broad base of trust across a school community lubricates much of a school's day-to-day functioning and is a critical resource as local leaders embark on ambitious improvement plans."
Bryk and Schneider contend that schools with a high degree of "relational trust" as they call it, are far more likely to make the kinds of changes that help raise student achievement than those where relations are poor. Improvements in such areas as classroom instruction, curriculum, teacher preparation, and professional development have little chance of succeeding without improvements in a school's social climate.
What is rational trust? Bryk and Schneider suggest four vital signs for identifying and assessing trust in schools:
· Respect. The fundamental ingredient of trust. Do we acknowledge one another's dignity and ideas? Do we interact in a courteous way? Do we genuinely talk and listen to each other?
· Competence. Do we believe in each other's ability and willingness to fulfill our responsibilities effectively?
· Personal regard. Do we care about each other both professionally and personally? Are we willing to go beyond our formal roles and responsibilities if needed--to go the extra mile?
· Integrity. Can we trust each other to put the interests of children first? Do we keep our word?

The Positive Approach

Any problem is an opportunity disguised. We have the choice to be positive or negative, and I have always chosen to be positive.
How you think is everything; always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
Moses himself is best known for persevering forty years in the wilderness, sustained by his belief.

From "Moses on Management" by David Baron.

Who is at Fault?

Is it my fault that students don't want to come to class?
Is it my fault that the F word is commonly used?
Is it my fault reading is boring?
Is it my fault that some students want to escape into the world of the Diskman?
Is it my fault students feel helpless when they can't read?
Is it my fault breakfast consists of Doritos and Dr. Pepper?
Is it my fault cruel behavior is rewarded with laughter?
Is it my fault music without profanity "sucks"?
Is it my fault pot "makes me smarter, dude"?
Is it my fault attentive listening is for dorks?
Is it my fault everything not previously heard, smelled, touched, tasted, or seen is weird?
Is it my fault that adults are out to get me?
Is it my fault that boyfriends are jerks?
Is it my fault everyone loves J-lo more than me?
Is it my fault history already happened?
Is it my fault the dictionary is big, scary, and impossible to understand?
Is it my fault thesaurus sounds like dinosaur?
Is it my fault school is supposed to be a stimulating, fun experience but seems more like torture?

Maybe, but who can I blame?

B. Elliot

The Measure of a School.

For many of us, this is the first time the standardized test scores have ever dropped. For all of us, it's the first time the scores have dropped this much. Now what? Are these scores the measure of our school? I don't think so. I think our measure will be how we handle this. Will we crumble? Will we divide? Will we get stronger together? What will we do?
That will be the measure of our school.
What do you think?

Charlie

Effective Teachers

In several studies, teacher expectations have been shown to relate to student achievement, including the following findings and conclusions:
· High expectations are identified as a key component of student success.
· High expectations represent an overall orientation toward improvement and growth in the classroom.
· Some studies have suggested that subtle communication of lower expectations for certain students from teachers can limit achievement, while clearly articulated high expectations can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
· Effective teachers not only express and clarify expectations for student achievement, but stress student responsibility and accountability for striving to meet those expectations.

From "Qualities of Effective Teachers" by James H. Strong