Take a deep breath: integrating into a new school culture . . . Helen Kinsey-Wightman
I once went waterskiing in Lake Taupo – I say once because chose to assume he did this to allow him to focus fully on the despite the fact I am reasonably good at waterskiing and it was an quality of my oratory – in the days and weeks that followed staff exhilarating experience it is one I may never persuade myself to came and shared widely varied aspects of their lives with me and repeat. To say the lake was cold would be a vast understatement I have been able to find common ground which may not have – the shock of entering the frigid water took all the breath out of happened with years of staffroom conversations. my lungs and I have never got up onto a ski as swiftly! If asked In addition I think it is critical to remember that all staff to repeat the experience, the memory of the moment of entry matter in the enormous task of creating a positive learning would be likely to bring on terminal environment. My mother was a school procrastination. cleaner for as long as I have been a The prospect of entering a strong, well ‘ . . . every school has its teacher – remembering that cleaners established, successful school culture in own culture and that and caretakers don’t typically receive a senior leadership role can be similarly the email invites we send out for culture is built on the daunting. staffroom drinks or tickets to the In joining a new school be it half way Christmas Concert means that we around the world or around the corner, it relationships between must make the effort to invite them is crucial to remember that every school all of the individuals in person. Whilst the groundsman has its own culture and that culture is initially looked a little uncomfortable built on the relationships between all of who work and learn when I mentioned that I had 2 tickets the individuals who work and learn there. to the school performance of Guys’ I think it pays to put equal amounts of there . . . ’ & Dolls, he recovered his composure energy into getting to know the entire when I added that he might like to community – the students, teachers, parents, admin staff, have them both and bring his wife! caretaker and cleaners. Getting to know students whilst only teaching one class is a Saying this is of course one thing – achieving it is quite challenge I am still getting to grips with. I find it horrifying that in exhausting! To get to know staff I gave a presentation in which a school of 1260 students it is entirely possible that there are girls I used a Prezi to visually introduce them to my hometown, whom I may never individually address in their 5 years of school background, my life experiences, my values and my family. – since admitting this possibility I have made it my mission to say Whilst it was possibly more nervewracking than the job hello and smile at as many students as possible during my school interview, and despite the fact that at least one staff member day. Whilst some days this does leave me feeling (and possibly appeared to have his eyes closed for the entire presentation – I looking) slightly demented I do think it matters!
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