When we honestly reflect on how we speak about others, we establish a culture that places the dignity of all as its highest priority. What does it really mean to ensure stakeholder protection?
Have you ever walked into your work staffroom and noticed the room become suddenly silent?
Have you ever been part of a conversation around a staffroom table where a student, parent or colleague has been the topic of conversation in a demeaning manner?
If the answer is YES, chances are you have either been the topic of the conversation or provided the topic for conversation.
Now is the chance to draw a line in the sand…
Shifting school culture, no matter how you look at it, is everyone’s responsibility, and it has to be intentional work. Shifting school culture through restorative practices requires us to be cognisant of everything we say and how we say it, and everything we do and how we do it. And this can only be successful in a high trust environment.
For school culture to shift, all stakeholders need to be valued and equipped with the same resources, strategies and opportunities to develop. This is about ensuring each other’s success without blame.
Young people and adults alike will live up to the labels we give them.
So, let’s reflect on that… What positive labels can we give to our stakeholders?
We all do better when people believe in us. The old saying, ‘If you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,’ comes into play here. Remember, the language we speak becomes the culture we create. I don’t know about you, but when I have found myself tempted to talk disparagingly about others (and I have), it is usually because they have challenged my thinking, my behaviour and sometimes my decision making. When this happens, I can become reactive and defensive and look to place blame elsewhere, or look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
So, what can we do to draw that line in the sand and begin to build a trusting, highly restorative school culture?
Let’s start by:
- Reinforcing positive labels – because we all know labels stick.
- Being loyal to the absent – speak about someone as though they are in the room with you.
- Labelling events, not people. For example, ‘That lesson was rough and Year 10 got the better of me,’ rather than ‘Year 10 are disgraceful and no-one wants to teach them.’
- Asking yourself, “Would I say that directly to that child, colleague or parent?” If not, it’s probably best not say it at all.
And lastly, remember the five investments in strengthening relationships:
- Protect
- Preserve
- Promote
- Prioritise
- Patch Up
