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

by Jimmy Casas

A conversation is so much more than words: a conversation is eyes, smiles, the silences between words. Annika Thor

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.

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.

Consider the following questions as you think about the influence you have on your school or classroom: 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?

Do the practices and policies of your organization point to a student-centered culture rooted in kindness and compassion?

The moment you’re ready to quit is usually the moment right before a miracle happens. Don’t give up. Unknown

We either believe that all students have the potential to learn at a level that reflects success, or we don’t.

Regardless of students’ personal history or circumstances (good or bad), we can help them overcome obstacles by creating a school culture that makes them feel connected, capable, and confident in their abilities.

Successful people enter every conversation focused on the other person. Recognize that relationships with others are the most important factor in cultivating a culture of trust and influence.

Students are the most important people entering our facilities. Students are not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it. We are not doing them a favor by serving them. They are entitled to our service. Students are not cold statistics; they are human beings with feelings and emotions like our own. Students are people who bring us their wants, and it is our job to handle them as expeditiously as possible. Take care of the student; that’s why we are here. Author Unknown

By taking time to actively engage our students in conversation, we are opening up treasure chests filled with testimonials from students who have persevered through difficult family situations, overcome personal tragedies, suffered through times of poor performance in school or struggled with severe learning disabilities.

Within the heart of every caring educator is the core belief that students are worth the time and energy it takes to establish relationships with them. In many cases, it is a personal investment and commitment from an adult to a student that results in the student experiencing success and ultimately graduating. It isn’t always easy, but it is worth it.

Change Student Behavior by Changing Adult Behavior—We get what we model.

Everyone in an organization has the fundamental capacity to lead. Yes, everyone. That includes teachers, students, counselors, nurses, assistant principals, para-professionals, directors, and so on—without exception.

Don’t wait for others to do what needs to be done; do it yourself.

If you want people to be less anxious, provide more clarity.

Every success story begins when someone takes the vital first step to hope and believe that change is possible.

should not be something that brings us shame; it helps us grow! We must teach and model to our students that failures don’t have to equate to long-term doom; they benefit us by developing our grit, perseverance, and empathy when we commit to working through them.

We know that true self-esteem comes not from pats on the back and generic praise but grows when a person is challenged beyond her natural limits and experiences success.

Leaders create a path for change, and part of that responsibility is about mindset.

We need to move beyond the rhetoric that change is difficult. As educators, we do ourselves a disservice when we continue to reinforce and perpetuate that belief.

Gossiping to others about a decision or the way it was communicated will not resolve your issue, but learning more about the situation/decision may help you better understand the supporting reasons and underlying circumstances.

Your culture of your organization will be defined by the worst behavior you are willing to tolerate. Todd Whitaker, Steve Gruenert, School Culture Rewired

Remember that your body language reflects your beliefs.

had. As educators, you cannot fall into the trap of deflecting conversations about concerns or issues that are brought to your attention. I believe problems can be resolved when each person is willing to listen and reflect on what is really being said by the other. It’s when we take time to pause and reflect that we truly grow as problem solvers.

It takes courage, resiliency, and the tenacity to withstand the barrage of challenges, negativity, and stress that comes with most leadership roles.

Conversations or behaviors that are deemed inappropriate for the school environment should not go unaddressed.

Even if you don’t know the student, engage him or her as if you do. In other words, set the standard of expectation that all students in the school are your students.

Bring your best to work every day. Be grateful you get the opportunity to make a positive impact on a child every day!

Educators who wish to leave a lasting legacy and their mark on their school community understand that, before they can transform teaching and learning, they must transform their belief systems.

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important measure of your success will be how you treat other people. Scott Eddy

Don’t depend on the same teacher and leaders—every organization has a group of people who have a desire for more leadership roles. Be grateful that you have a core group from which to begin building capacity, but you cannot increase your capacity if you depend on the same people over and over to support your mission/vision. Give others the same opportunities by trusting in their abilities and showing your confidence in them to maximize their potential as leaders. And don’t forget to utilize the voices and talents of your students to help lead your classroom or school forward.

If you want to improve your relationships with others, try changing the manner in which you have those conversations. Managing difficult people requires you to manage yourself first.

Model the behaviors they want to see repeated.

Don’t dwell on problems, but rather cherish the conversations. They see every challenge as an opportunity to initiate a conversation that, if done appropriately, will lead to more conversations and cultivate a more positive and meaningful relationship that did not exist previously.