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“WHEN STUDENTS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EDUCATORS AND PARENTS, WORK TO IMPROVE SCHOOL CLIMATE THEY PROMOTE ESSENTIAL LEARNING SKILLS (E.G. CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION SKILLS, CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATIVE SKILLS) AS WELL AS LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS (E.G. FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY, INITIATIVE, SOCIAL AND CROSS [CULTURAL] SKILLS, PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY) THAT PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING.”
This statement, released by The Center for Social and Emotional Education, reinforces the notion of holistic education, and education for more than merely the sake of academic test scores. Culture can provide any number of environments, all of which entail some kind of education, by definition: ideally though, a healthy school culture should be conducive to learning, support, and acceptance. Obviously, cultures don’t just happen. They need to be consciously created on purpose, and once they’re established, they need to be maintained and sustained.
Indeed, that’s why we’re here to help! But these cultures aren’t just conducive to learning while within them. The very creation of a culture by a community on purpose takes tremendous planning, coordination, and compromise, provides a truly fantastic and unique learning experience unto itself.
The fruits reaped from a culture whilst within it are bountiful indeed, but establishing the culture in the first place, and planting those seeds of change, is a profoundly empowering experience. The lessons gleaned from that establishment affirm individual personhood, and teach things one would never learn in a science, math, or history class. And indeed, one may argue that the lessons gleaned are far more important than any purely academic subject matter.
About Sandi
A seasoned professional with over 18 years of experience streamlining operational efficiency and innovating corporate culture at companies like Colliers International, Delivering Happiness, and The Hunter Group, Sandi Herrera is bringing her expertise to the place where it all starts: our school system. Her approach is as pragmatic and effective as it is inspiring, beautiful, and socially and philosophically important. She’s legitimately getting kids and teachers excited about school, empowering them to own their passions and pursue their dreams, building community, and investing in the future in a real, effective, and profoundly human way. Follow Sandi via her company, Got Core Values, on Twitter @GotCoreValues and on Facebook here.
