8 Simple Ways to Build a Stronger School Culture
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Josh Tovarâs near Dallas, Texas, supports a large community of new immigrant students. Thatâs why Tovar works so hard to make his school âfeel like homeâ for kids arriving throughout the year.Â
The benefits of that strong school community are clear to Tovar: fewer discipline issues and zero fights in a recent year. But he admits culture building requires sustained effort. âIs it a big time investment? Yes,â he in an article for the Principal Project. âTo me, thatâs worth it. That culture is worth working for.â
Creating a strong school culture can feel like a murky undertaking. Itâs hard to know what will move the needle, and thereâs no single, foolproof way to do the work. Some strategies, like offering for a studentâs efforts or that teachers and staff know children by name, are widely practiced.Â
Informal group gatherings are another staple of healthy communities. Some schools hold , while classrooms may host smaller .
David Rockower, an English teacher in Pennsylvania, describes his middle schoolâs weekly meeting with the full student body as âthe heartbeat of our school.â Led by students, they offer an open forum for discussion of school policies. On a deeper level, they give students a place to practice sharing their voicesâand listening to others. âWhen student voice is embraced, the language shifts from âThis is a schoolâ to âThis is our school,ââ Rockower .
Itâs an approach Zac Bauermaster, a principal at an elementary school in Pennsylvania, understands. âSchool culture is built one interaction at a time,â he on Instagram. Video in his post shows him giving high fives to students in the hallway, and the message is clear: little moments can make a big difference for how kids feel about being at school.
Below are eight strategies educators can use to enhance community at the school and classroom level.
1. Sharing a Meal
When Sharif El-Mekki led a middle and high school in Philadelphia, cafeteria duty was part of his daily routine. Heâd sit with students and ask them about their experiences at school, then invite them to rank his job performanceâwith â10 being the most amazing review and 1 being, âEl-Mekki go back to principal school,'â he in an article for the Principal Project.
Mealtime conversations with students work well across grade levels and cultural contexts. Maryland-based elementary school principal invites two students from every homeroom to have , while Dr. Cristiana Jurgensen to join her for lunch in her office each week. Jurgensen, the principal of a middle school in Saudi Arabia, has a specific goal: to help the schoolâs youngest students build connections during their first year there.
2. Exhibiting Art, Playing Music
Once a month, students at Robbinsville High School in New Jersey and a meal. Assistant principal Nicole Rossi-Mumpower created these âFirst Fridaysâ to help students build relationships through performing music and sharing their art. School food services also create special âsurpriseâ menus for each event.
Student musicians make requests to perform at the eventsâfrom a group of seniors playing a pop song to a freshman performing a piano solo. Even the schoolâs jazz ensemble sometimes takes part. Students might also âtake a gallery walkâ around the walls of the cafeteria to view and discuss an exhibit of classmatesâ art.
âThere is a sense of calm and joy when the music is being played and students are engaging in conversation,â Rossi-Mumpower writes. âStudentsâ artwork enhances the atmosphere. As all of these elements combine and cohere, so does our community.â
3. Welcoming Students at the Door
Small gestures, like greeting students as they enter school or a classroom, can go a long way. published in 2018 found that when teachers welcomed students at the door, academic engagement increased by 20 percent and disruptive behavior decreased by nine percent.
At Danielâs elementary school in Maryland, teachers to place at every classroom door. Each day, Daniel also makes it a point to say good morning and offer students quick rounds of rock-paper-scissors as they enter the school.
Bauermaster has a similar approach at his Pennsylvania elementary school. "The way we greet people matters,â he on Instagram. âEvery high five, every hug, every smileâwe set the tone. Letâs make school a place where kids WANT to be, because they know they belong!"
4. Making Time To Celebrate Growth
Tovar, the Texas-based principal, makes . âI prioritize consistent celebration above everything,â he writes.
Some are food-based, like candy and a positive note on Mondays for both students and teachers. On other days, Tovar honors âStudents of the Weekâ and a âTeacher of the Day.â Each week a different student gets to nominate a teacher for the award.
Celebrating growth gives students a chance to feel successful, which can .
At Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California, monthly âmaking gainsâ celebrations honor students who have improved in any areaâfrom attendance to self-kindness. âMany of our students are receiving an âawardâ for the first time in school,â says Michael Gray, a school counselor who oversees the celebrations. âTheir reaction is gratitude and real pride. Some have been moved to tears.â
5. Positive Phone Calls Home
Some schools transform , which typically report misconduct, into celebrations of studentsâ accomplishments.
A few quick calls can have a huge impact on students and their families. âEvery kid smiled like crazy and left my office with their head up,â says Melissa Evans, an assistant principal in Florida who to share their growth at school.
Some educators have a system for making regular calls. âI ask kids to put their name on the board on the positive note home list. I use our districtâs messaging system to say âyour child deserves a positive note home,ââ says Schabahn Day, a teacher in Washington state. âIt takes 1-2 minutes, and students and parents love it. Sometimes I elaborate, but itâs also great for kids to explain why they earned the note.â
Others make their calls during stressful seasons or as time allows. âDuring the month of December, I try to do 5 [calls] a week,â a sixth-grade science teacher . âDecember is hard for everyone, parents included. I can be a bright spot in their day!â
6. Putting Student Praise in Writing
Some educators prefer to convey their praise in writing. âIf a student finishes a week with perfect attendance, I write them a note,â Tovar, the Texas-based principal. He also uses handwritten notes to celebrate birthdays and welcome new students. "Iâd rather spend my time writing positive notes than breaking up fights,â he adds.
Tovar asks teachers to write their own letters to two students each month. Personal letters can help teachers who are struggling, and to help students get to know each other.
7. Using Your Walls to Build Community
Walls are precious real estate in any school. Consider using yours to recognize studentsâ achievements with a or by creating a that highlights studentsâ unique strengths and encourages peers to help each other.
Hawaiâi-based fourth-grade teacher Lory Walker Peroff creates her âcommunity boardâ at the start of each school year. First, each student makes an inventory of their strengths and areas of expertise. Then they use sentence framesâlike âIf you need help inâŚ, I can help youâ or âI need help inâŚ, can you help me?ââto populate the boardâs âHelp Wantedâ and âResources Availableâ sides. Walker Peroff that the board âempowers students to use their strengths to help the classroom community thrive.â
You can also use your walls to at school. A âkindness is coolâ board gives students a place to draw pictures and write about kind things theyâve done for themselves and others. Another variation is a âkindness tree,â where students pin up âkindness leavesâ that celebrate kindness they see around them. Both strategies work well across grade levels.
8. Pom Pom Jars and A-ha Moments
Teachers can celebrate studentsâ acts of kindness within classrooms, as well. For elementary students, consider using a ââ to encourage kind behavior. Each time a student helps someone in class, they put a pom-pom in the class jar. When the jar is filled, the whole class celebrates with a party.
For older students, try a closing activity that encourages good communication and peer-to-peer recognition. When Aukeem Ballard taught at a high school in California, he gathered students for a daily closing circle activity where they could offer an appreciation for a peer, make an apology, or share an a-ha moment. âI think those types of community recognitions can go a long way to build the bonds,â Ballard .