Our School Essay

SchoolCultureAnalysisEssay

Runninghead:SCHOOLCULTUREANALYSISSchoolCultureAnalysisLisaMackGrand CanyonUniversityEDA529Dr.TonyElmerJuly21,2009SchoolCultureAnalysisTheterm schoolculturedescribestheenvironmentthataffectsthebehavioroftheentireschoolcommunity Schoolculturecanbedefinedasthequalityandcharacterofschoollife.Itisbasedonpatternsof schoollifeexperiencesandreflectsnorms,goals,values,relationships,teaching,leadershippractices andthestructureoftheorganization.Severalstudieshaveconcurredthatstudentperformanceis directlyrelatedtoschoolclimate.Studentsinschoolswithapositiveschoolculturehavehigher achievementsTherefore,creatingandshowmorecontent

Suchacommunityisaplacewhereteachers,students,andthestakeholdersengageindecision making,haveasharedsenseofpurposeandwillallworktogethertosupporttheinfrastructurethat involvesalignmentofinstructionalgoalsandavisionoflearning(MacNeil&Maclin)School leadersthatfocustheirattentiononcreatingapositiveschoolculturebeginwithaperiodof initiatingaschoolprocessthatfocusesonschoolvision,useofdata,sharedexpectations,and collaborativeteamwork.Inorderforapositiveschoolculturetobeestablished,theprincipalmust fosteranatmospherewhereteachers,students,andparentsknowwheretheyfitinandhowtheycan worktogethertosupportteachingandlearningCreatingapositiveschoolculturerequiresthe principaltodevelopavisionoflearningthatisclearlycommunicatedtothestaffandstudents. Additionally,principalsmustcreateaclimatethatfosterssharedauthorityandaccountabilityifthey aregoingtobuildapositiveschoolculture(MacNeil&Maclin).Establishingashared understandingofthedefinitionofschoolculturewiththestakeholdersoftheschoolisthefirststep inbuildingapositiveschoolcultureOnceashareddefinitionisestablished,thenaschool administratorshouldnextassessthecurrentschoolcultureanddeviseaplanofaction.Thereare severalavenuesfrom

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TheCultureOfASchoolEssay

Thecultureofaschoolhasatremendousimpactonthelevelofexcellencewithintheacademic institution.Likeadogwhotakesonthepersonalityofitsowner,staffandstudentsrespondtotheir environment.Aschoolculturedevelopsasaresultofthecombinationofseveralfactors. Interpersonalrelationsamongstudents,staff,parents,andadministrationhelpfosterawelcomingor blandatmosphereSchoolscanrangefromatoxicenvironmentinwhichthereislittletrustand creativitytoacollaborativeculturebasedoninterdependenceandopenness.Whileveryfewschools resideoneitherendofthatcontinuum,mostdisplaymultipleculturaltypologies.Theremainderof thisdiscussionwillanalyzetheschoolcultureofJamesMonroeHighSchoolinFredericksburg, Virginia.JamesMonroeisaverydiverseanduniqueschool.Thedemographicsofthecityare distinctiveinthatthereareveryfewmiddleclassneighborhoodsthatfeedtheschoolsystem.The studentbodyconsistsofapproximately30%relativeaffluenceandapproximately40%poverty.The middleclassisthesmallestsectionofthestudentpopulation.Thus,thereisreallynomajority.The otheruniquefeatureabouttheschoolsystemisthatthereisonlyoneschoolateachlevelThe districtconsistsofoneelementary,oneupperelementary,onemiddle,andonehighschool.Inother words,theclassmatesthatenterkindergartentogethershouldbethesameexactclasswalkingacross thestage

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Everyoneknowsthatonekid...whoisalwaysuptosomething,butnevergetsintrouble.Wellthat wasme,AidenYoung,untilIrealizedthatIneededtochangemyattitude.Itallstartedona Monday,andeveryoneknowsMondayistheworstdayoftheweek.Iwokeupat7:06a.m.With onlynineminutestogetdressed,brushmyteeth,andeatbreakfast.Ihadmissedthebus,andtoday istheonedaytheybothmymomanddadstartworkearlySotheywerenothometodriveme,soI hadtoridemybiketoschool.WhenIgottoschool,Ihadoneminutetillthebellrang.Ofcourse thatwasnotenoughtimetogotomylockerthatisonthefirstfloorandmakeittothethirdfloor. AsIguessedIwasthreeminuteslateItriedtoslipintotheclassgoingunnoticedIdonotknow howbutitworked,thismaybebecausemylastnameisYoungandI'matthebottomoftheroaster. Ihavealgebrafirst,andasusualItalkedmostofthetime.Thisistheteacher'smistakebecauseshe tolduswecouldchooseourseats,andIsatnexttomybestfriendMichaelinthebackoftheroom. UnlikemeMichaeldoeswellinschool,andheiskindofnerdy.Iaskedhimhowhisweekendwas andherepliedwith,"IspentmywholeweekendstudyforourSocialStudiestest"Heseemedso annoyedwithme,andItotallyforgottoaboutthattest.ThatisanothersubjectIamgoingtofail. TherewasalwaysonethingIwonderaboutandthatwaswhyIwaseverevenfriends

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Theeducationsystemhasbeenacontroversialissueamongeducators.Requirementsofschooldo notletstudentchoosewhattheywanttostudyfortheirfuture.It'sabigissuetoforcestudentstudy specificcurriculums,whichdon'thelpthemimprove,andwhattheyliketocreatesomething. Educatorschooseageneralsystemforeducationtoallstudentswhichbasedongeneralknowledge. Intelligentorgeniusstudentshavetobeinthatsystemofeducation,whichdoesn'tletthemimprove theircreativity.Educatorsattempttochangethatsystemtomakeitbetter,buttheirchangingwas notthatgreattobeanexamplefortheworld.Also,didthatchangequalifyeducationsystemto competeothersystemsornot?Insomeexamplesandshowmorecontent

Gattoisconcerntosocietythatthecontemporaryschoolingsystemistryingtogetridofstudents' personalitybyturningthemintoobedientstudentsthatareeasytohavepowerover(control). Therefore,thesystemwillproduceuneducatedvotersthatareeasytobemisledbyhigherpowers. Inaddition,studentsarenotgiventhefreedomofchoosingwhattheywant.Heissayingthatpublic schoolsarenottheonlywaytosuccess;also,unschooledpeopledon'tmeanthattheyare uneducated.Moreover,Gattoencourageshome–schoolsystemthanpublicschoolasoptionbecause home–schoolsystemhasmoreindependencebutit'snotasolutionfortheUS.Idisagreetohis solutionbecauseheissupportingexamplesfromoldgenerationsuchasEdisonandBenFranklin; however,ourgenerationisdifferentthanbefore.Itneedsschoolenvironmentlikesharingourideas inclassandhelpingeachothertosolveproblemsTherefore,homeschoolisnotthesolutionto success.Itisacombinationofthestudents'skills,intelligence,andeffortthatmakesuptheir success.

Graffsaysthatputtingstudentsinclassesinthecontemporarysystemiswastingandlimiting students'potentialandcreativity(198).Complainingthatintellectsdonotmeetthesuccessstandard setbyschools,Graffprovesthatschoolslimittheintellectstudentscanachieveintheiracademic career(198–199).

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ToMakeADifference

Webuildourlivesuponwhatwehavebeentaught.Frombasicskillsinreading,writing,and arithmetictotheimportanceofsocialinteraction,teachersaregiventheopportunitytomakea differenceinthelivesoftheirstudentsIfeelthatthegreatestimpactateachercanhaveontheir studentsistofillthemwithadesiretolearn.

IthinkthenatureofstudentscanvarytremendouslydependingonseveraldifferentfactorsThefirst isthecognitivedomainofthestudents.Thisincludeshowstudentsorganizeandretainthe knowledgethatispresentedtothemaswellastheirpreferredlearningstyle.Asuccessfulteacher shouldbeawareofthesefactorsandtheircurriculumshouldreflectthisbyshowmorecontent Ibelievethepurposeofeducationistoteachstudentshowtofunctionasacompetentandsuccessful memberofsocietyAsateacher,Ihopetomakeadifferenceinthelivesofchildrenbysharingwith themmyloveofknowledgeandbyeffectivelyexpressingtheimportanceofcontinuingtobuild upontheeducationtheyreceivethroughoutlife.Ialsohopetoteachchildrenhowvitalitisto respectothersandtheiropinionsregardlessofthedifferencetheymayhave.Consideringthe dynamicdiversityofoursociety,Ifeelitispertinentthatchildrenrespectthedifferencesthatour societyentails

TheprimaryeducationalphilosophyIplanonincorporatingintomyclassroomisprogressivism. Thisapproachencouragessocialinteractionbyusinglearninggroups,urgescriticalthinkingand problemsolving,andfocusesmoreon"handson"learningactivities.Progressiveeducatorsbelieve thatstudentslearnmorebydoingratherthanbylisteningtoinformationthatispresentedtothemor byreadingmaterialoutofatextbook.Ifeelthiswillbeparticularlyaccurateattheelementary schoollevel,becauseitcanbeachallengeattemptingtoholdtheattentionofsmallchildrenfor extendedperiodsoftimeIthinkthatifstudentsareactivelyinvolvedinthelearningprocesstheir attentionwillbemorefocusedresultinginasuccessfuleducation.

Iwillmanagemyclassroomusing

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