How is the challenge of making stakeholders feel welcome to your school connected to your school mission?
School Mission: Cultivate an awareness and respect for other cultures, and empower future leaders of a global society.
As a result, Riverview acknowledges all stakeholders. We welcome parents, community members and other schools interested in learning about our language acquisition programs. Each month, the school has visitors (parents, educators, district leaders, etc) and participate in a school tour lead by 4th and 5th grade students, who have the role of Ambassadors. Currently, I have three students in my class that take pride in sharing our school culture and mission with stakeholders. So, I belief, our school has allowed stakeholders to feel welcomed and acknowledged.
What did you do to assess which stakeholder group (or subgroup) could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find?
Based on my observations and due to our busy schedules, students teachers seem to be the subgroup that could benefit from explicit welcoming. They are a new addition to the RV family and should have continuous acknowledgement for their daily efforts in the classroom. We share a common vision and focus on the needs of our students, so by extending our efforts could make the subgroup feel confident to network and ask questions outside their masters teacher's classroom. During my lunch break, I run into some students teachers, who stay quiet and I initiate the conversation with them, so they feel able to share their thoughts and ideas. As a result, everyone (classified and certificated staff) should welcome student teachers because they dedicatee their hard work to serve the needs of our RV students.
Future Sphere of Influence: What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were the school leader?
In order to ensure student teachers feel welcomed daily, to remind certificated and classified staff members to spark a brief conversation with students teachers by asking how their day has been throughout the school day. The conversation can lead possible interest employment within the school. In addition, some teachers could ask about their learning on NGSS or CCSS to share further ideas and expand with the changes in education.
Current Sphere of Influence: What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders?
I could encourage some teachers could ask about their learning on NGSS or CCSS to share further ideas and expand with the changes in education. I eat lunch each day inside the teachers lounge and lead a conversation, so I need to extend myself to other students teachers, not only the ones in fourth and fifth grade. I will continue to say good morning or good afternoon to the subgroup and model they way to other educators on campus.
Current Sphere of Influence: Five Actions to make Riverview Language Academy a more welcoming environment
- I will continue to connect with students from each of the grade levels and share with them about being a positive leader at Riverview Language Academy.
- I will connect more with my colleagues from sister school at Winter Gardens to feel the unity of enhancing student's engagement to promote learning based on the 7 Habits.
- I will continue to communicate and create meaningful connections with all colleagues from Mandarin Team, Lighthouse Team, Learning Headquarter Team, and all educators.
- I will make an effort to connect with my administration and develop a PD to empower all educators on technology or teaching practices.
- I will acknowledge and communicate with parents who continue to share our school's mission.
Resource:
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian. I. (2012). How to Create a Culture of Achievement In Your Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian. I. (2012). How to Create a Culture of Achievement In Your Schools and Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.