A Shared Vision that A Shared Vision that Guides DecisionsGuides Decisions

Allison Mackley2006

Hershey Middle School

On your piece of paper, On your piece of paper, draw a dog. You can label draw a dog. You can label the type of dog and give it a the type of dog and give it a name. Use the colored name. Use the colored pencils to color your dog.pencils to color your dog.

Correct Answer - The Perfect DogCorrect Answer - The Perfect Dog

Is there one Is there one ““correctcorrect”” way to… way to… assign homework?assign homework? support students? support students? teach a concept or skill?teach a concept or skill? handle late work?handle late work? evaluate students?evaluate students? hold a team meeting?hold a team meeting? differentiate instruction?differentiate instruction? hold students to high hold students to high

expectations?expectations? reward students?reward students? make curricular decisions?make curricular decisions? collaborate with others?collaborate with others?

communicate with parents?communicate with parents? be a leader?be a leader? engage students in active engage students in active

learning?learning? advocate for students?advocate for students? advocate for each other?advocate for each other? form community form community

partnerships?partnerships? provide a relevant provide a relevant

curriculum?curriculum? challenge students?challenge students? organize time?organize time? foster health and wellness?foster health and wellness?

Our Past Experiences Our Past Experiences Define Our BeliefsDefine Our Beliefs

A A shared visionshared vision must evolve must evolve out of the out of the liveslives and and philosophiesphilosophies of the educators of the educators involved not just out of a involved not just out of a committee consensus.committee consensus.

Common CharacteristicsCommon Characteristics

What are some of the common What are some of the common characteristics of a dog?characteristics of a dog?

Can we all support and live with the Can we all support and live with the decisions that have been made about decisions that have been made about the common characteristics of a dog?the common characteristics of a dog?

Consensus…Consensus…

Is NOT everyone coming to Is NOT everyone coming to agreement; consensus is agreement; consensus is everyone having his or her everyone having his or her voice heardvoice heard and deciding and deciding that he or she can that he or she can live with live with and support the decisionand support the decision that is made.that is made.

A FrameworkA Framework

The National Middle School Association recommends The National Middle School Association recommends fourteen characteristicsfourteen characteristics that define a that define a strong middle strong middle school programschool program..

Although we all might envision the Although we all might envision the detailsdetails of those of those fourteen characteristics differently based on our past fourteen characteristics differently based on our past experiences, the experiences, the underlying foundationunderlying foundation or our or our core core understandingunderstanding of the characteristic should be the same. of the characteristic should be the same.

A foundation of core understandings, a vision, that A foundation of core understandings, a vision, that was built upon the consensus of the school was built upon the consensus of the school community should drive our daily decisions.community should drive our daily decisions.

Our Shared Vision Our Shared Vision Should Drive our Daily DecisionsShould Drive our Daily Decisions assigning homeworkassigning homework supporting studentssupporting students teaching a concept or skillteaching a concept or skill handling late workhandling late work evaluating studentsevaluating students holding a team meetingholding a team meeting differentiating instructiondifferentiating instruction holding students to high holding students to high

expectationsexpectations rewarding studentsrewarding students making curricular decisionsmaking curricular decisions collaborating with otherscollaborating with others

communicating with parentscommunicating with parents being a leaderbeing a leader engaging students in active engaging students in active

learninglearning advocating for studentsadvocating for students advocating for each otheradvocating for each other forming community forming community

partnershipspartnerships providing a relevant providing a relevant

curriculumcurriculum challenging studentschallenging students organizing timeorganizing time fostering health and wellnessfostering health and wellness

An Inviting, Supportive, An Inviting, Supportive, and Safe Environmentand Safe Environment

Go to the Go to the windowswindows if if you believe this you believe this statement is statement is truetrue. .

Go to the Go to the chalkboardchalkboard if if you believe this you believe this

statement is statement is falsefalse..

What we are saying is What we are saying is what we are doing.what we are doing.

InvitingInviting

SupportiveSupportive

SafeSafe

Do we work Do we work together together the way we the way we expect expect students to students to work together?work together?

Perceptions, Assumptions Perceptions, Assumptions and Judgmentsand Judgments

““Your actions speak so loudly that Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.I cannot hear what you are saying.”” --Unknown--Unknown

Improving school climate may depend more on the behavior of the adults than any other single factor.

Ingredients - JelloIngredients - Jello WaterWater GelatinGelatin Citric acidCitric acid Sodium citrateSodium citrate Acesulfame potassumAcesulfame potassum SaltSalt Natural and artificial Natural and artificial

flavorsflavors Artificial colorsArtificial colors

Explain why Explain why the Jello is a the Jello is a metaphor metaphor for our for our school school community.community.

Every Day ActionsEvery Day Actions

What kind of ripples What kind of ripples does your does your ““jigglejiggle”” send send out to our students, staff, out to our students, staff, and community?and community?