Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes.

by Jimmy Casas

To change those circumstances, I was forced to become a champion for my students and develop better relationships with all the stakeholders in my school.

“Where does average exist in your organization?”

As school teachers and leaders, it is our responsibility to prohibit average from becoming our standard. We

Culturize: To cultivate a community of learners by behaving in a kind, caring, honest, and compassionate manner in order to challenge and inspire each member of the school community to become more than they ever thought

possible.

To affect change, we must be honest—with one another and ourselves; we must be willing to reflect on our own leadership.

One of the hardest places to look when things aren’t going as well as we hoped is at ourselves and our own attitudes, practices, and skill sets, especially if it means examining the influence we have. When it comes to measuring the culture of our schools and success of our students and staff, there really is only one place to look when we fall short: our own ability to lead effectively.

You see, everyone here has the capacity to lead, and everyone here is responsible for the culture and climate of your organization.

No one person is responsible for determining your success or failure but you, and no one is responsible for your morale but you.”

no one went into teaching to be average, and those who were had simply lost their way.

great leaders can inspire average teachers back to greatness.

And if our goal is to help others become great leaders—in our classrooms, offices, buildings, districts, and communities—as we seek to continually improve personally, then I think we are on the right path to identifying, addressing, and remedying any shortfalls we

have as leaders.

For those of us who are in leadership roles in schools, it is our responsibility to identify where average exists, and it is our obligation to actually change it, not just manage it.

Too often, however, we get stuck in the habit of simply managing a mediocre culture.

Because of the demands placed on our profession, it can be easy to lose our sense of passion, our sense of purpose, and our sense of pride.

If (or when) this happens, we run the risk of going from mere management of the school

culture to becoming a negat...

Do your words inspire others for success or shame? Do your actions result in wellness or weariness? Do you dismiss the needs of others? Do you dismiss the gifts of others?

don’t know too many other professions where employees are asked to do twelve months’ worth of work in nine months and then turn around and prep for the next three months to be ready to do it all again.

to be an excellent educator is a gift—a gift to our students, our families, and our communities.

Does your school have unified expectations throughout your culture regarding how the adults treat the students and their families? Is there a positive

and caring cultural standard regarding the relationships between the adults and the students and among the adults themselves? Do the practices and policies of your organization point to a student-centered culture rooted in kindness and compassion? Do the adults in your school treat students in a manner that positively contributes to your school becoming a community? Do the beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and interactions of your staff with students and with

each other scream, “I care about you!”, “You can do better!”, and “You ...

Students who are loved at home come to school to learn, and those who aren’t, come to school to be loved.

champion for all students.

These forward-thinking educators remain motivated by hope and faith.

Next, every staff member must expect excellence of one another and, most importantly, of their students.

Why would we accept anything but our students’ best?

all staff members must carry the banner for their school in a positive light at all times.

Finally, every educator, administrator, and support staff member must strive to be a merchant of hope.

Every child deserves the opportunity to be a part of something great,

Simply put, we cannot allow average to become our standard.

reflect on your practices and to help you recognize where your personal average exists so as to inspire you and move you to take action with a sense of urgency.

Our goal should be to create schools and communities that equip young people in developing skills, habits, and competencies that produce an educated citizenry rooted in healthy, personalized, and productive relationships.

Where does average currently exist in your school or district? What are you doing about it? What average can you

address first? When did you last try something for the very first time? How did it make you feel? Are there students and staff who harbor the same feelings? If so, why? What does this tell us about our culture? What would you do differently if you were not afraid? What is keeping you from going for it?

Core Principle 1: Champion for Students

Perhaps you are one of these passionate teachers or administrators who relentlessly holds on to and intentionally lives out of a deep belief that connecting with kids and valuing their talents and voices is the first step to creating the kind of school culture and experiences that will impact students for a lifetime.

He had called me a “dirty Mexican” and slammed me to the ground for refusing to obey

didn’t choose the best response. No one is immune. After all, we are not superhuman. We are people with feelings, and sometimes we take things personally and let them affect us in ways that cause us to get down on ourselves and respond in inappropriate ways at inopportune times.

wanted to see every student reach their full potential. I didn’t want them living in a prison of poor choices.

Some days tested my resilience as a school leader

I personally felt helpless when I was unable to come up with a solution to help a student who was feeling hopeless and lost. I know from conversations with some students, they still believed school was an “institution” which put limits on their potential.

Some students have shared stories of unfulfilled promises by adults and a system which assured them of success only to find out they meant success for those who were willing to play the game of school and who were compliant.

Some of these students attended school in body but were absent in mind and in spirit.

Being a champion for

all students means just that: all students. Not just ones who are likeable and want help but also the ones who might resist your efforts. Even then, your core values drive you to stay true to this belief. This unwavering hope and faith can be the model to inspire others to do the same for all students.

We must put practices into place that invite and support family engagement and provide resources for strong early childhood literacy. We must implement programs for mentoring and tutoring our students as they advance in grade level along with after-school programs to support extended learning opportunities for all students.

An atmosphere where all students understand, appreciate, respect, and empathize with one another.