Module 12 Creating Positive

Culture
Facilitator:
DR. JOSEPHINE G. FIGUEROA
Education Program Supervisor
Learning Outcomes

01 02 03
Explain the Discuss how school Cite ways by which
meaning of school culture affects you can contribute
cultures; learning; and to the building of
positive.
Introduction
• School culture matters. This influences on a great extent how well students perform.
School culture is a creation of all the people in school and in the community especially
that of the school heads. It can be positive or negative. It can facilitate or adversely affect
learning. A school community must therefore strive to create positive culture.
Activity –
Let’s Read
These
 1. Collegiality
2. Experimentation
Here are twelve 3. High Expectation
4. Trust and confidence
norms of
5. Tangible support
school culture 6. Reaching out to the base
where people 7. Appreciation, recognition
and programs 8. Caring, celebration, humor
improve. Study 9. Involvement in decision making
them. 10. Protection of what is important
11. Tradition
12. Honest, open communication
 1. When high school students arrive for pre-
Read the calculus class, they know exactly what to
expect. Projected on the screen are clear
following instructions for the day’s Success Starter.
episodes then Everyone is expected to work on them
successfully.
identify which 2. You might not reach answer today. You
norms of might not reach answer tomorrow.
school culture Struggle is oks. Students know that by the
third day, they will be expected to present
is illustrated. their understanding and problem-solving
strategy to the class.
Read the following episodes then identify
which norms of school culture is illustrated.

3. You have a short memory; she replies 4. I hear some students talking while
with a kind smile. You say this every time someone is reciting. I don’t think you will
we tackle a problem. Remember the last like that if you are the one reciting. Can
time you struggled and then overcame we agree on a rule? Give a rule”. Student
your confusion? Remember our norms suggests. Let’s keep quiet and listen
that we wrote together? One of them when someone is reciting. Raise your
was a growth mindset. And remember I hand if you want to recite,’ Teacher asks,
am here for you.” “can we keep this rule?”
Read the following episodes then identify
which norms of school culture is illustrated.

5. Today you are going to compute your scores for class standing – written quizzes,
seatwork, performance test, homework. These were all corrected and returned to you.
When you are done, compare your total with mine. Should there be discrepancy, be
ready to show your corrected paper.
6. During the first week of school Barb teacher asks for sixth graders two questions:
“What questions do you have about yourself?” and “What questions do you have about
the world?” The students begin enumerating their questions, “Can they be about silly,
little things?’ ask one students. “If they’re your questions, that you really want
answered, they’re neither silly nor little,” replies the teacher.
Read the following episodes then identify
which norms of school culture is illustrated.

7. The sense of community is strong, Some of our traditions are once a year
even palpable. But this sense didn’t just events’ some happen every week or
spring full-blown from being a group of even every day. They give us ways to
people occupiying the same place at the greet each other, to learn about each
same time. It was built upon many small other, to sing and celebrate and say
and specific movements of learning the goodbye. These events mark our
same verses to songs and sharing comings and our goings and affirm our
traditions, memories of times together common interests in the time we spend
and stories often told. together.
Read the following episodes then identify
which norms of school culture is illustrated.

8. Because they treasure, health, sanitation, and self-discipline, St. Bernadette

Catholic School includes the following in their Canteen Polices.
Foods that will not be sold:

• Full fat pastry items

• Chocolate confectioanary/lollies/potato chips/cream filled buns.
• Soft drinks
• High caffeine drinks – e.g. drinks containing guarana or caffeine.
• Deep fried food of any description.
CLAYGO – “Clean as you go”.
Read the 9. The teacher wrote, “nice job” on my sketch
of an orange. I knew very well that my
following smudged mess of an orange wasn’t a nice job.
It wasn’t even a decent representation of any
episodes then fruit known to man. I would have benefited by
her telling me one thing I could do to make it
identify which better.
Maybe something like “We are learning about
norms of school perspective. Try adding a shadow behind your
sketch,” Her “new job’ told me little about
culture is how to improve. Knowing I received
underserved praise lessens the impact or
praise when it is truly earned.
illustrated.
Read the following episodes then identify
which norms of school culture is illustrated.

10. Teacher Paz remarks: “I like to attend that CPD seminar. I like to hone my
teaching skills and update my PCK (pedagogical content knowledge)..
11. Good teaching is honored in this school.
12. My school head protects my academic time. She keeps meeting time to the
minimum.
Analysis – Let’s
Analyze
1. Which of the twelve elements of a
positive culture were illustrated by
the given episode's vignettes? Which
element was illustrated by describing
the opposite?
2. Is there any element left out? If there
is, can you as a group supply an
episode or a vignette? A vignette is a
short description of an episode in
school like the 9 given above.
Abstraction – Let’s
Conceptualize
Eleven (11) vignettes in the first
part of this Chapter give a concrete
picture of a positive school culture.
Vignette Norm of School Culture Illustrated
1 High Expectation
2 Honest and open communication
3 Tangible support; caring, celebration, humor
4 Involvement in decision making; protection of what is important
5 Trust and confidence traditions
6a Collegiality; hones, open communication
6b Collegiality; experimentation; reaching out to the knowledge bases; appreciation, recognition
7 Collegiality; traditions
8 Tangible support; protection of what is important; tradition
10 Reaching out to the knowledge base
11 Appreciation and recognition
12 Protection of what is important
• Item # 9 does not illustrate
positive culture, specifically
hones and open communication.
• After having read the vignettes,
by this the time you have an idea
on what school culture is. All the
vignettes are manifestations of
school culture.
The Meaning of School Culture
• School culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in
education (Shein, 1985). It generally refers to the belief, perceptions,
relationships, attitudes and written and unwritten rules that shape
and influence every aspect of how a school functions.
• However, the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as
the physical and emotional safety of students, the orderliness of
classrooms and public spaces or degree to which a school embraces
racial, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity.
The Meaning of School Culture
• According to Spacey, school culture consists of the norms and shared
experiences that evolve over school’s history. In fact, Scott and
Marzano (2014) state that “school culture is reinforced by norms,
expectations and traditions, including everything from dress codes to
discipline systems to celebrations of achievement.
• Therefore, it may be described as the character of school that gives a
school qualities beyond its structures, resources and practices. They
are “built through the everyday business of school life. It is the way
business is handled that both forms and reflects the culture.”