A healthy faculty culture is central to the success of a private school, regardless of the school's location, pedagogy, or leaders' styles. Teachers spend their days with your students, and a culture where teachers feel empowered and supported is inextricably tied to student and school performance.
ISM defines faculty culture as the pattern of customs, ideas, and assumptions driving the faculty’s collective set of professional attitudes and behaviors. We look to five different aspects to determine a healthy faculty culture, as first demonstrated by Martin Seligman in Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being.
- Positive emotions—Faculty demonstrate happiness and satisfaction with their jobs and their school.
- Engagement—Teachers are engaged in their jobs and positively interact in their environments.
- Relationships—Faculty members have strong relationships, in quantity and quality.
- Meaning—Teachers feel they are serving their life’s purpose.
- Achievement—Faculty members feel they’re able to work toward and meet their goals.
But teachers are becoming more stressed. There are more demands on their time and resources, and the pressure to “do it all” is often overwhelming. Stressed out teachers often lead to more stressed students, which can negatively impact student outcomes, enrollment demand, and your school as a whole.
When stress takes hold and faculty culture begins to decline, it often shows itself first in functional areas. For instance, teachers might not thoroughly prepare for their classes or provide timely feedback on exams or projects. They might begin to show inconsistent behaviors when dealing with students and parents.
Often the next indications are signs of negative attitudes, such as increased absences or more phone calls from dissatisfied parents. This can ultimately lead to the erosion of hope and morale across your institution.
A languishing faculty culture can have a toxic effect on your entire school. However, a flourishing faculty culture can be the prime driving force in cultivating student excellence and delivering your mission effectively.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Academic Leadership Vol. 15 No. 10 How Teachers’ Stress Impacts Student Outcomes
The Source for Private School News Vol. 17 No. 2 Stress Is Contagious: Don’t Let It Spread in Your School
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 41 No. 10 The Faculty Experience Survey and Matrix: An Update
I&P Vol. 43 No. 13 How to Create a Toxic Faculty Culture
