The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook (Jossey Bass Education Series)

The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook provides a variety of sources of information, inspiration, and suggestions and includes more than forty field-tested exercises. Each chapter begins with a discussion of the features of culture and the symbolic roles of leaders and is followed by a set of examples that clearly illustrate the ideas. The book is filled with activities. Many are specifically designed as group activities with suggestions for how to organize the session, while others are meant to stimulate reflection and are often posed as questions. Most of the activities are designed be to used in a group setting and the questions provided in the chapters can become topics for dialogue or group brainstorming. This wonderful resource will help school leaders learn how to understand, assess, and transform their school culture for ongoing success. This guide is designed to help educational leaders reflect on their actions, intentions, and understanding to hone leadership skills as they work to improve their students' learning environment. It provides activities to develop cultural leadership, and deepens and makes concrete the concept of school culture by connecting it to school and student success. Three key processes for shaping cultural ways and traditions underlie the chapters. Leaders must: (1) read the culture; (2) assess the culture; and (3) reinforce or transform the culture. Each chapter begins with a discussion of the features of culture and roles of symbolic leaders. These discussions are often followed by a set of examples to illustrate the ideas. Next, the book provides specific activities that individuals or a team of teachers or other group can use. Some are specifically designed as group activities, with suggestions for how to organize the session. Others are meant to stimulate reflection; they are often posed as questions for the reader. Almost all the activities can be used with groups, in which case the questions can become topics for dialogue or group brainstorming. Ideas of interest are interspersed that provide the reader with additional issues to consider or use with staff. (Contains 12 references.) (RT) The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook......Page 3 CONTENTS......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 The Authors......Page 13 1 Introduction and Organization of the Fieldbook......Page 17 PART ONE Understanding School Culture......Page 21 2 The Importance of Culture......Page 23 3 Vision and Values: The Bedrock of Culture......Page 29 4 Ritual and Ceremony: Culture in Action......Page 45 5 History and Stories: The Importance of the Past......Page 65 6 Architecture, Artifacts, and Symbols: The Visual Scene......Page 85 PART TWO Shaping School Culture......Page 101 7 Assessing and Transforming Toxic Cultures......Page 103 8 Eight Roles of Symbolic Leaders......Page 123 References......Page 151 Index......Page 153 Understanding School Culture -- The Importance Of Culture -- Vision And Values: The Bedrock Of Culture -- Ritual And Ceremony: Culture In Action -- History And Stories: The Importance Of The Past -- Architecture, Artifacts, And Symbols: The Visual Scene -- Shaping School Culture -- Assessing And Transforming Toxic Cultures -- Eight Roles Of Symbolic Leaders. Kent D. Peterson, Terrence E. Deal. Companion Vol. To: Shaping School Culture / Terrence E. Deal. 1st Ed. C1999. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 135) And Index. Describes how to reform schools through an enhanced cultural awareness in the classroom, stressing the need for education in the history, rituals, and values of other nations. A great deal of attention is currently being paid to making schools better.