Building a school culture where everyone wants to be there and work towards the most optimal learning possible is a tough job. It has to go beyond the curriculum and back to the days where breaking bread was how we got things done. Sometimes keeping it simple, with a plate of food, a coffee, and a simple conversation can be enough. Our school has found that this is one of the most meaningful spaces to build relationship and culture. It is a wrinkle that can be unfolded, where professional conversation and optimal learning opportunities tends to sneak in but also where we can allow improvisation of small talk and relaxation to enter.
Setting up moments where we can all sit at the table and enjoy each other’s company can take on many faces. Here are a few examples of the incredible things that are happening in our school, thanks to teachers:
Breakfast Club – This is one of our school’s favorite events. Two teachers in our school took it upon themselves to build school culture through the most important meal of the day, breakfast. They have set up dates each month in which they decorate in themes. They also send emails and videos to the staff hinting about the theme that is next. The invitation is that all staff are welcome to attend but it is not mandatory, staff kids are also invited, and each staff member can bring a food or beverage item if they wish. There is no google doc that everyone has to state what they are bringing but rather it is bring what you can if you want. There is no obligation for anyone to bring anything. However each month there is a plethora of food and variety. It allows us 45 minutes to sit with each other before the chaos of the day begins. This has been a huge player in shifting our culture and we owe it all to two teachers who came up with an idea that has made one of the biggest impacts on our school culture.
Book Club – Book clubs can do so much for the soul. Offering a book club and allowing the members to have choice in what they will read can be a simple way to make space for a meaningful gathering. The options are endless with how you wish to organize a book club. For staff, you may want to hold one once a month before school, during lunch, or after school. It is invitational and can be a choice of a professional read, kids book, or a personal read. It is a space for teachers to have a coffee together and talk about books, expose them to new titles, or give them time to actually read.
The 5 AM Club – This is a club that is also invitational but is available through a facebook or Instagram group in which teachers message each other every morning before school to post their daily morning habits. This is a group that is meant to inspire people to get up an hour earlier so that they can develop a routine that they can do for themselves to enhance their wellness. There are so many ways to spend that hour. It can be with exercise, meditation, journaling, reading, writing, etc. Our group started very small but more and more people are joining and it has become one of my most favorite parts of my day.
The Student and Teacher Wellness Committee – This committee has so many options for how they want to infuse wellness into the culture. Our teacher wellness committee does themes every couple of months to focus on the dimensions of wellness. For example, this month we are focusing on the physical dimension and there is a fitness challenge that is visible for the students to see how their teacher is moving each day. They have also set up lunch and learns about various topics such as nutrition and mindset. We plan on focusing on other dimensions every two months. Our goal is not just to do fun events but to educate people on the importance of choosing to have healthy habits every day. There is also a wellness expo that happened last year and will be happening later this year where small businesses from the community come to educate our community about what’s out there for them. This helps to bridge our community relationships.
Our student wellness team has been hard at work leading recess clubs for kids and doing a podcast called, Even If You Miss, which launched last week and is available on spotify or apply podcasts! They are also writing quotes all over the school and set up a pop up staff room for staff once a week. Next on their list is to start to lead some lunch and learns for kids where they teach on finances, nutrition, motivation, etc. to the youngest of ages. A nutritional health cart is also in the works where they will randomly show up with healthy snacks for people.
The Amazing Shake – A teacher in our school has decided to set up a competition for the students based on social manners and teaching students important social behaviors. It’s a competition that will involve having students learn social skills (shaking hands, making small talk, presenting in front of a group, interviewing, etc.). After learning and developing these skills, students will put them to the test in three rounds of action. The first round will have community volunteers come in and students will have one minute to engage them in a conversation. The second round is situation based. Students will be put into different surprise situations where they will be forced to adapt and use their previously learnt skills. The third round is a surprise!
These are just some of the things that are emerging in waves in our school. We started with one idea and people became inspired and more joyful. They began to contribute their own ideas to help boost our culture. We all learn from each other’s expertise and it has become a fountain of joy that we all dip from in our own way.
As Peter Drucker stated, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” If we spend time together for the sake of spending time together and building relationships, then everything else will rise. People will feel more comfortable to contribute, they will work together, they will ask questions, listen, and problem solve together. If we build culture and make it the most important focus, we build people up. They will come because they feel invited, valued, and most importantly, like they belong.
Even If You Miss..... 