1. School Culture Analysis Essay
Running head: SCHOOL CULTURE ANALYSIS School Culture Analysis Lisa Mack Grand Canyon
University EDA 529 Dr. Tony Elmer July 21, 2009 School Culture Analysis The term school culture
describes the environment that affects the behavior of the entire school community. School culture
can be defined as the quality and character of school life. It is based on patterns of school life
experiences and reflects norms, goals, values, relationships, teaching, leadership practices and the
structure of the organization. Several studies have concurred that student performance is directly
related to school climate. Students in schools with a positive school culture have higher
achievements. Therefore, creating and...show more content...
Such a community is a place where teachers, students, and the stakeholders engage in decision
making, have a shared sense of purpose and will all work together to support the infrastructure that
involves alignment of instructional goals and a vision of learning (MacNeil & Maclin). School
leaders that focus their attention on creating a positive school culture begin with a period of
initiating a school process that focuses on school vision, use of data, shared expectations, and
collaborative teamwork. In order for a positive school culture to be established, the principal must
foster an atmosphere where teachers, students, and parents know where they fit in and how they can
work together to support teaching and learning. Creating a positive school culture requires the
principal to develop a vision of learning that is clearly communicated to the staff and students.
Additionally, principals must create a climate that fosters shared authority and accountability if they
are going to build a positive school culture (MacNeil & Maclin). Establishing a shared
understanding of the definition of school culture with the stakeholders of the school is the first step
in building a positive school culture. Once a shared definition is established, then a school
administrator should next assess the current school culture and devise a plan of action. There are
several avenues from
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
2. The Culture Of A School Essay
The culture of a school has a tremendous impact on the level of excellence within the academic
institution. Like a dog who takes on the personality of its owner, staff and students respond to their
environment. A school culture develops as a result of the combination of several factors.
Interpersonal relations among students, staff, parents, and administration help foster a welcoming or
bland atmosphere. Schools can range from a toxic environment in which there is little trust and
creativity to a collaborative culture based on interdependence and openness. While very few schools
reside on either end of that continuum, most display multiple cultural typologies. The remainder of
this discussion will analyze the school culture of James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg,
Virginia. James Monroe is a very diverse and unique school. The demographics of the city are
distinctive in that there are very few middle class neighborhoods that feed the school system. The
student body consists of approximately 30% relative affluence and approximately 40% poverty. The
middle class is the smallest section of the student population. Thus, there is really no majority. The
other unique feature about the school system is that there is only one school at each level. The
district consists of one elementary, one upper elementary, one middle, and one high school. In other
words, the classmates that enter kindergarten together should be the same exact class walking across
the stage
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
3. My Experience At My School
Everyone knows that one kid... who is always up to something, but never gets in trouble. Well
that was me, Aiden Young, until I realized that I needed to change my attitude. It all started on a
Monday, and everyone knows Monday is the worst day of the week. I woke up at 7:06 a.m. With
only nine minutes to get dressed, brush my teeth, and eat breakfast. I had missed the bus, and
today is the one day they both my mom and dad start work early. So they were not home to drive
me, so I had to ride my bike to school. When I got to school, I had one minute till the bell rang. Of
course that was not enough time to go to my locker that is on the first floor and make it to the
third floor. As I guessed I was three minutes late. I tried to slip into the class going unnoticed. I do
not know how but it worked, this may be because my last name is Young and I'm at the bottom of
the roaster. I have algebra first, and as usual I talked most of the time. This is the teacher's
mistake because she told us we could choose our seats, and I sat next to my best friend Michael in
the back of the room. Unlike me Michael does well in school, and he is kind of nerdy. I asked him
how his weekend was and he replied with, "I spent my whole weekend study for our Social
Studies test." He seemed so annoyed with me, and I totally forgot to about that test. That is another
subject I am going to fail. There was always one thing I wonder about and that was why I was ever
even friends
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
4. Essay about The Education System
The education system has been a controversial issue among educators. Requirements of school do
not let student choose what they want to study for their future. It's a big issue to force student study
specific curriculums, which don't help them improve, and what they like to create something.
Educators choose a general system for education to all students which based on general knowledge.
Intelligent or genius students have to be in that system of education, which doesn't let them improve
their creativity. Educators attempt to change that system to make it better, but their changing was
not that great to be an example for the world. Also, did that change qualify education system to
compete other systems or not? In some examples and...show more content...
Gatto is concern to society that the contemporary schooling system is trying to get rid of students'
personality by turning them into obedient students that are easy to have power over (control).
Therefore, the system will produce uneducated voters that are easy to be misled by higher powers. In
addition, students are not given the freedom of choosing what they want. He is saying that public
schools are not the only way to success; also, unschooled people don't mean that they are uneducated.
Moreover, Gatto encourages home–school system than public school as option because home–school
system has more independence but it's not a solution for the US. I disagree to his solution because
he is supporting examples from old generation such as Edison and Ben Franklin; however, our
generation is different than before. It needs school environment like sharing our ideas in class and
helping each other to solve problems. Therefore, homeschool is not the solution to success. It is a
combination of the students' skills, intelligence, and effort that makes up their success.
Graff says that putting students in classes in the contemporary system is wasting and limiting
students' potential and creativity (198). Complaining that intellects do not meet the success standard
set by schools, Graff proves that schools limit the intellect students can achieve in their academic
career (198–199).
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
5. To Make A Difference Essay
To Make A Difference
We build our lives upon what we have been taught. From basic skills in reading, writing, and
arithmetic to the importance of social interaction, teachers are given the opportunity to make a
difference in the lives of their students. I feel that the greatest impact a teacher can have on their
students is to fill them with a desire to learn.
I think the nature of students can vary tremendously depending on several different factors. The first
is the cognitive domain of the students. This includes how students organize and retain the
knowledge that is presented to them as well as their preferred learning style. A successful teacher
should be aware of these factors and their curriculum should reflect this by...show more content...
I believe the purpose of education is to teach students how to function as a competent and
successful member of society. As a teacher, I hope to make a difference in the lives of children by
sharing with them my love of knowledge and by effectively expressing the importance of continuing
to build upon the education they receive throughout life. I also hope to teach children how vital it is
to respect others and their opinions regardless of the difference they may have. Considering the
dynamic diversity of our society, I feel it is pertinent that children respect the differences that our
society entails.
The primary educational philosophy I plan on incorporating into my classroom is progressivism.
This approach encourages social interaction by using learning groups, urges critical thinking and
problem solving, and focuses more on "hands on" learning activities. Progressive educators believe
that students learn more by doing rather than by listening to information that is presented to them or
by reading material out of a textbook. I feel this will be particularly accurate at the elementary
school level, because it can be a challenge attempting to hold the attention of small children for
extended periods of time. I think that if students are actively involved in the learning process their
attention will be more focused resulting in a successful education.
I will manage my classroom using
Get more content on HelpWriting.net