1. How is the challenge of making stakeholders feel welcome to your school (or place of work) connected to your school mission?
This week we learned about the first pillar in creating a culture of student achievement. The overarching idea is that when students, parents, and stakeholders feel welcomed in their school environment, engagement goes up. Engagement is a huge factor in student learning and achievement. We were reminded this week that students are the ones who ultimately make the choice if they are going to engage, participate, and learn. By welcoming students and ensuring that they know they are an important part of the school community, it is very likely that their willingness to engage in their learning will improve.
Below if the Saint James Academy mission statement:
SJA provides a student-centered educational environment focused on Catholic faith, service and leadership that is based upon a challenging curriculum that prepares students to lead productive and successful lives.
Our mission states that the school provides a student-centered learning environment. A student-centered environment should feel warm and welcoming. Students should feel that all the faculty and staff are there for them; to keep them safe, to help them learn, and to support them in their needs. I would argue that in general, Saint James actually does a great job of this. The school is very small (around 200) and I would say most teachers know the names of almost every student in the school and greet them by name every day. I would also say that Saint James does a really good job of trying to reach the needs of every student through remedial and enrichment opportunities.
The mission statement also touches on our Catholic faith and service. The school’s Catholic identity promotes a great sense of community among the families. The sense of community is a huge draw to the school. Parent and family stakeholders are encouraged to attend the many community events that take place each year. Parents also serve on the school board and are welcomed into the classroom through volunteer opportunities. In addition, parents and teachers are very closely connected. Weekly newsletters go home updating parents on school events, classroom projects, and weekly curriculum goals. Teachers are also very quick to get in touch with parents regarding any concerns involving their students or opportunities to offer praise for their hard work and success.
2. What did you do to assess which stakeholder group (or subgroup) could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find?
In order to assess which stakeholder group could be more effectively welcomed, I decided to carefully observe teacher, student, and parent interaction during morning drop-off, after school pick-up, and during lunch time. What I noticed among both the parents and the students, was that new students and families did not seem to be welcomed by their peers. Being in a small school, there are a lot of familiar faces. Typically the families know and greet one another. At both drop-off and pick-up this week there were groups of mothers gathered together, chatting and catching up in different corners of the playground. None of them seemed to greet or even acknowledge the parents of new students to the school. Teachers did their best to touch base with the new parents, but even them got caught in conversations with parents of old students, wanting to hear about summer and life. Many of the parents of new students grabbed their child and shyly walked back to their cars.
Thinking back to last year, I noticed a similar situation happening with parents of my ELL students. The parents from my class who spoke little English, rarely engaged with other parents, faculty, and staff. I always made my best effort to converse with them (and use my best Spanish) but they seemed to feel shy and unwelcomed in a way.
I noticed similar behavior happening on the playground at recess. In my class in particular, none of my students are malicious or cruel, but they also weren’t going out of their way to make our new student feel welcomed. I saw her sitting at the end of the lunch table quietly eating her lunch and then later, standing in the corner of the field watching her classmates. It wasn’t until I had a little pow wow with some of my 4th grade girls did they reach out to her and invite her to hula hoop with them. And although they seemed sincere in their invitation and their intent to play with the new student, the same thing happened again the next day. Looking around at other grades I saw similar situations with new students from each class.
Future Sphere of Influence: What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were the school leader?
There were a lot of great ideas for welcoming students and families in the Fisher, Frey & Pumpian text. I loved the idea of teachers writing handwritten welcome notes to new families sharing how happy they are for the family to join the school. I think that’s a wonderful personal touch to ensure that new families feel noticed and included in the school community. Another idea that I would put into place if I were a school leader is the welcome sign in the front office. Everyone loves to see their name in writing and feel acknowledged. It is also a great way for current families to learn the names of new families and make a point of welcoming them. I also loved the idea of celebrating attendance. As teachers and administrators we know that students need to be at school to learn. One of the big goals should be fostering a love for school and a desire to be there. Celebrating good attendance is one great way to promote students’ desire to be at school everyday.
In addition to these great ideas, I would make an extra effort to get in touch with each new student and parent. I think personal phone calls go a long way. Even an e-mail asking how the first week went, if there were any questions, and how we can make the family feel welcome is a great way to connect with new families and let them know that they are important. I would also pull each new kiddo out of class or touch base with them on the playground. Getting to know students, building a rapport, and also letting them know that they can come to you is important for all school leaders to do. I would also encourage classroom teachers to buddy up their new students with a kind (and outgoing) peer to stick with them in class, on the playground, at lunch, walk them to the bathroom, etc. I would also promote families being “buddy families” with new students. Buddy families could give them important information about the school, invite them to a social or community event, and introduce them to other families from the school.
3.Current Sphere of Influence: What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders?
In my current position I can absolutely go out of my way to identify and greet all families (especially the new ones)! It is also part of my philosophy that teachers should make a huge effort to get to know their students (and their parents) well. Not just their academic needs, but also their personalities, how they are doing socially, and physically. Students who haven’t had breakfast have a hard time focusing on curriculum all morning. If I get to know my students and parents well, I can make better connections with them. When you remember specific things about people if makes them feel special and important; that they are worth remembering and talking to. I also can work hard to make my classroom a warm, inviting, and safe learning environment. I can model tolerance and acceptance in my speech and actions. I can be available to parents and students and give them opportunities to be heard. I can (and do) have weekly class meetings where we discuss topics such as friendship, citizenship, bullying, behavior, etc. I can also communicate with my fellow teachers and staff members about certain students that need an eye kept on them or an extra hello each day.
Current Sphere of Influence: Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school a more welcoming place:
This week we learned about the first pillar in creating a culture of student achievement. The overarching idea is that when students, parents, and stakeholders feel welcomed in their school environment, engagement goes up. Engagement is a huge factor in student learning and achievement. We were reminded this week that students are the ones who ultimately make the choice if they are going to engage, participate, and learn. By welcoming students and ensuring that they know they are an important part of the school community, it is very likely that their willingness to engage in their learning will improve.
Below if the Saint James Academy mission statement:
SJA provides a student-centered educational environment focused on Catholic faith, service and leadership that is based upon a challenging curriculum that prepares students to lead productive and successful lives.
Our mission states that the school provides a student-centered learning environment. A student-centered environment should feel warm and welcoming. Students should feel that all the faculty and staff are there for them; to keep them safe, to help them learn, and to support them in their needs. I would argue that in general, Saint James actually does a great job of this. The school is very small (around 200) and I would say most teachers know the names of almost every student in the school and greet them by name every day. I would also say that Saint James does a really good job of trying to reach the needs of every student through remedial and enrichment opportunities.
The mission statement also touches on our Catholic faith and service. The school’s Catholic identity promotes a great sense of community among the families. The sense of community is a huge draw to the school. Parent and family stakeholders are encouraged to attend the many community events that take place each year. Parents also serve on the school board and are welcomed into the classroom through volunteer opportunities. In addition, parents and teachers are very closely connected. Weekly newsletters go home updating parents on school events, classroom projects, and weekly curriculum goals. Teachers are also very quick to get in touch with parents regarding any concerns involving their students or opportunities to offer praise for their hard work and success.
2. What did you do to assess which stakeholder group (or subgroup) could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find?
In order to assess which stakeholder group could be more effectively welcomed, I decided to carefully observe teacher, student, and parent interaction during morning drop-off, after school pick-up, and during lunch time. What I noticed among both the parents and the students, was that new students and families did not seem to be welcomed by their peers. Being in a small school, there are a lot of familiar faces. Typically the families know and greet one another. At both drop-off and pick-up this week there were groups of mothers gathered together, chatting and catching up in different corners of the playground. None of them seemed to greet or even acknowledge the parents of new students to the school. Teachers did their best to touch base with the new parents, but even them got caught in conversations with parents of old students, wanting to hear about summer and life. Many of the parents of new students grabbed their child and shyly walked back to their cars.
Thinking back to last year, I noticed a similar situation happening with parents of my ELL students. The parents from my class who spoke little English, rarely engaged with other parents, faculty, and staff. I always made my best effort to converse with them (and use my best Spanish) but they seemed to feel shy and unwelcomed in a way.
I noticed similar behavior happening on the playground at recess. In my class in particular, none of my students are malicious or cruel, but they also weren’t going out of their way to make our new student feel welcomed. I saw her sitting at the end of the lunch table quietly eating her lunch and then later, standing in the corner of the field watching her classmates. It wasn’t until I had a little pow wow with some of my 4th grade girls did they reach out to her and invite her to hula hoop with them. And although they seemed sincere in their invitation and their intent to play with the new student, the same thing happened again the next day. Looking around at other grades I saw similar situations with new students from each class.
Future Sphere of Influence: What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were the school leader?
There were a lot of great ideas for welcoming students and families in the Fisher, Frey & Pumpian text. I loved the idea of teachers writing handwritten welcome notes to new families sharing how happy they are for the family to join the school. I think that’s a wonderful personal touch to ensure that new families feel noticed and included in the school community. Another idea that I would put into place if I were a school leader is the welcome sign in the front office. Everyone loves to see their name in writing and feel acknowledged. It is also a great way for current families to learn the names of new families and make a point of welcoming them. I also loved the idea of celebrating attendance. As teachers and administrators we know that students need to be at school to learn. One of the big goals should be fostering a love for school and a desire to be there. Celebrating good attendance is one great way to promote students’ desire to be at school everyday.
In addition to these great ideas, I would make an extra effort to get in touch with each new student and parent. I think personal phone calls go a long way. Even an e-mail asking how the first week went, if there were any questions, and how we can make the family feel welcome is a great way to connect with new families and let them know that they are important. I would also pull each new kiddo out of class or touch base with them on the playground. Getting to know students, building a rapport, and also letting them know that they can come to you is important for all school leaders to do. I would also encourage classroom teachers to buddy up their new students with a kind (and outgoing) peer to stick with them in class, on the playground, at lunch, walk them to the bathroom, etc. I would also promote families being “buddy families” with new students. Buddy families could give them important information about the school, invite them to a social or community event, and introduce them to other families from the school.
3.Current Sphere of Influence: What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders?
In my current position I can absolutely go out of my way to identify and greet all families (especially the new ones)! It is also part of my philosophy that teachers should make a huge effort to get to know their students (and their parents) well. Not just their academic needs, but also their personalities, how they are doing socially, and physically. Students who haven’t had breakfast have a hard time focusing on curriculum all morning. If I get to know my students and parents well, I can make better connections with them. When you remember specific things about people if makes them feel special and important; that they are worth remembering and talking to. I also can work hard to make my classroom a warm, inviting, and safe learning environment. I can model tolerance and acceptance in my speech and actions. I can be available to parents and students and give them opportunities to be heard. I can (and do) have weekly class meetings where we discuss topics such as friendship, citizenship, bullying, behavior, etc. I can also communicate with my fellow teachers and staff members about certain students that need an eye kept on them or an extra hello each day.
Current Sphere of Influence: Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school a more welcoming place:
- I will greet every parent and student with a smile, a hello and a genuine interest in them (strike up a conversation and make a connection)!
- I will spend time on the blacktop before school, after school, and during lunch so that I can identify students and families that appear to be left out or unwelcomed and make an extra effort to reach out to them or encourage other families to do so.
- I will create a warm and inviting classroom culture where every student feels loved and important.
- I will communicate with parents on a weekly basis, making sure to let parents know when their child had an especially exceptional day (or a tough day).
- I will model and promote kindness, acceptance, helpfulness, and selflessness in my classroom and on the playground.