Building a Positive Adult Culture:

Adult Culture and Leadership

Do Now How much time do you spend on

building adult culture? Why? Be Brave. How would you describe your

current adult culture?

What is Culture? The behaviors and beliefs characteristic

of a particular social, ethnic, or age group

The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

Culture To have culture or not to have culture, that is the

question? Whether we are aware or not aware, there is a school

culture that we actively create and/or nurture Student Orientation/Student Culture

Morning Procedures? Entering a Classroom? Bathroom Procedures? Hand Signals? Lunch Procedures?

What does this look like for adults? Why are we explicit about students, but not about

adults?

Culture What’s in your culture?

Breaking Down Culture: Let’s talk about leaders!

Adult Culture: Types of Leadership Leadership Whatever You Like... You already have “the goods.”

Adult Culture: Leadership Setting Standards

Set before you have a staff We work smart We push one another We give feedback

Being explicit about culture What are your non-negotiables?

Do you lead with these? What is the best way to talk about them?

Adult Culture: Hiring Hiring

What do you want culture to look like? Non-Negotialbes Teachers in right places Questions to ask candidates

Be firm in your loyalty to your mission College Vs. Tech School/Trade.

This helps to get the right people on your team.

What do I do?

Teacher Orientation Day 1: The Best Part of Waking Up…

This is NOT about making people have a full belly.

This is NOT about showing your superiority to other schools.

What does this gesture show people?

Adult Culture Where are people sitting? What conversations are people having? Returning Teachers vs. New Teachers

Adult Culture: Starting on Time Don’t talk about it, be about it. Waiting on the person who called/got

lost Setting a precedent of who we are.

Adult Culture: Modeling the Model Happy that people are on time and here People looking good This work will be hard, AND rewarding.

Adult Culture: Inspiration First session of Teacher Orientation How do we inspire people who are

coming?

“One of life’s first needs is for us to be realistic. Don’t misunderstand me now. We all here, like you, you know that. But you’ve got to be realistic about being a nigger. A lawyer, that’s no realistic goal for a nigger. You need to think about something you can be.”

EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY

Daily Adult Culture Morning Walk-Through Morning Meetings Transparency Have Non-Negotiables Make Problem Solvers

Adult Culture: Information People must feel they have the tools to

complete the task Lessons learned

Not Equipping Teachers Not addressing issues. Not enough praise HAVING FUN

What’s in Your Culture? Changing your culture this year Changing culture for next year You Do

Adult CultureUrgencyUrgencyUrgencyUrgency

We have Urgency with our students.We must have Urgency with adults.

Be Uncompromisingly Positive

EXCELLENCE

RESPONSIBILITY

RESPECT

COMMUNITY

Questions?