Discussion #2 - How does School Culture affect Student Learning?

School culture is critical in shaping students' learning, both in the high school realm and in the time following high school, as students begin to enter the "real-world".  Many students credit their high school experiences in "seeking knowledge" as the turning point in the way they view the subject of education.  I remember personally being fascinated by calculus and the idea that all relationships could be described by a mathematical formula.  It could be used to calculate and predict things that would take too long or too short an amount of time to experimentally measure.  In hindsight, this event showed me the power of knowledge and, from that point forward, I would consider myself a life-long learner and student.

Teachers and school administrators help to create this culture, along with community and family expectations and sufficient funding, to facilitate this culture.  Teachers can do many things to promote a positive school culture on a day-to-day and more long-term basis.  Our textbook cites everything from daily routines and practices to positive or negative expectations by teachers (Wong & Wong.  2009).

The failure to establish a classroom and even a school-wide routine can lead to chaos for classes and teachers.  Even in the high school setting, students crave the structure and predictability that routines can provide.  This day-to-day structure not only established a better learning environment for the students, but it can also make the transition of the class to a new teacher, either a sub or subsequent teachers in high school, much smoother.  In my experience student teaching, the easiest classes to teach are ones where routines have been established, students know and understand expectations, and where everyone buys into the educational goals.

The final piece of this puzzle is "selling" these educational goals to students... and to teachers.  The more long-term culture measurement, established by school staff, is one of expectations.  Teachers or staff that expect a lot from students, for them to achieve academically, compete fairly, and act morally, usually see these expectations fulfilled.  Conversely, students who teachers have labeled as under-achievers, troublemakers, or disruptive, typically also fulfill these expectations, performing poorly academically, being the cause of interruptions in class, and jeopardizing other students' learning. Teachers are the monitors of these students and their interactions everyday shape the attitudes of their student body.  Teachers who are encouraging, respectful, and hold their students to high academic and personal expectations see these students start to affect other students, slowly but surely changing the overall school atmosphere.  This shift is culture, a culture driven by students and sustained and spurred by teachers, can create an environment where all students can receive the most out of their education in the classroom.

I also must acknowledge the fact that school funding can be the most restrictive factor in school ability to change culture.  I have had the benefit of both attending and student teaching at Los Gatos High School, a very affluent community that prides itself in their youth demographic.  This means that the school is able to provide students with resources that improve the school culture.  Computers and lab equipment in science classes, facilities for the physical education programs, and enriching activities and clubs all cost extra and the brunt of this cost is payed for by residents.  In other communities, students do not have access to these types of resources and are correspondingly less engaged and interested in their education.   Likewise, teachers in underfunded schools are struggling to provide the necessary resources, pencils, paper, etc., let alone provide a class computer or fund a student club.  This lowers their expectations, which in turn lowers the expectations of students.  Students notice when their textbooks are decades old and when their class resources are lacking.  In these school, the mere fact that they do not have adequate funding make the act of motivating students that much harder for teachers and staff.



Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher.  

     Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications