Climate Control: 6 Ways to Improve Your School Environment

Spring vacation is just around the corner, and the dreaded state tests are inching ever closer. It is a time of year when you may be running out of ideas, patience and energy, and so is everyone around you (or so it seems). You have gone through three different behavior plans, but Madison is still acting out, and Sam continues to come late despite an untold number of phone calls home, detentions, planning sessions and positive reinforcement programs. The faculty room is rife with a combination of boring tasteless food, stale conversation and annoying complaints about you-name-it. You try to remind yourself that "no news is good news" because, although you are working your butt off, rarely if ever does anyone seem to notice.

It's easy to feel unimportant, ineffective and taken for granted. While that may appear obvious, it seems almost human nature to notice when things go either exceptionally well or horribly wrong, and to pay little attention when things simply go right. Virtually nobody pays attention when they flip a switch and the light goes on, but everybody notices when the lights go out. In a crowded supermarket, parents respond rapidly to a child's tantrum, but are far less likely to recognize compliance to a spoken request in a normal tone. At a sporting event, we might remember the great catch or the boneheaded error, but rarely do we recall the many routine plays that happened so effortlessly. How often do customer service centers hear from satisfied customers? Most people don’t write thank-you letters when the car, refrigerator or stove works. Rarely do we think about acknowledging or thanking a doctor when he gives us the right medication. Almost never do we read news stories about positive race relations or how well people are getting along.

Is it possible that you are focusing primarily on the negatives and missing the more mundane, smooth-sailing events? Might that be affecting your view of your school’s "climate?"

It Begins with You

School climate is hard to quantify but very palpable when you are in the same place every day. It is such an integral part of the daily experience and is largely determined by the leadership, your colleagues and a host of other influences, but it is primarily about feeling appreciated for what you do -- and it begins with you. Too often we fail to see how crucial each of us can be to improving our own well being and the school's climate simultaneously. Begin by seeking positive feedback for yourself and noticing the positive contributions made by others. You’ll feel better, and so will they. Here are some strategies:

Getting and giving positive feedback is the most direct way each of us can create a school climate conducive to high achievement and happiness. You won't be able to influence everyone or affect everything, but you may have more power than you think to make your school more of what you want it to be for yourself and others.