“It takes a village to raise a child” is a very commonly used phrase in the education world. This phrase is associated with the relationship required between classroom teachers and parents. The connections between teachers and parents are critical to the success of children in schools, however, the other staff in schools—such as care givers, guards, custodians, and office staff—also play their role in shaping a school’s culture. In fact, when people talk about their first impressions of visiting a new school, it is often their interactions with non-certified staff that stand out, whether they received a warm greeting from a clerk in the office or got a smile from the custodian sweeping up leaves in the front of the building.
Ron Ritchhart in his book, Creating Cultures of Thinking’, highlights a hidden tool for transforming a school’s culture. Every school has a unique organizational culture, more effective school cultures have a greater impact on teaching and learning. They empower teachers, students and the whole staff to communicate, collaborate, reflect, inquire and innovate (Ritchhart, 2021)
‘Leader in me’ (LIM) enables our students and staff to use a common language and build an understanding of how to work effectively, independently and interdependently, in every aspect of life. To involve our custodian staff to have an effective learning environment in our school, our LIM coordinator organized a unique training session for them. She provoked their thinking by giving a thorough understanding of LIM program and how they can support the school to take a leap forward. She introduced the 7 effective habits and guided them on how they can apply the learned knowledge into their daily lives. Literature suggests that proper greeting culture is a gateway to a better environment. All staff has been guided to inculcate appropriate greeting into their routines.
By Amina Arif
LIM Coordinator
E-11 Campus
Reference:
Ritchhart, R. (2021) “Chapter 1,” in Creating cultures of thinking: The 8 forces we must master to truly transform our schools. Vancouver, B.C.: Langara College.