"What is honored in a country will be cultivated there." - Plato
Each school has its own unique culture.
A small school will look and function differently from a large school. An inner-city school may look dramatically different from a rural or suburban school. Elementary is different from secondary; private is different from public.
Where the differences lie are not just in the structures themselves but in the value and beliefs of the inhabitants.
Look deep into a school, and you can see what is cherished. Walk the halls, and you will see what they value.
Walk into a school that looks sterile - white blank walls with no adornment and complete silence - and you will feel as if you have walked into a hospital. This school's leaders believe that students are there to be cured by their teaching.
Walk into another school with colorful walls covered with students' artwork - where teachers' doors are adorned with their personal style - and you will see a school that values students' creativity and teachers' personalities. It is a welcoming atmosphere, one that fosters growth.
Where do creative minds prefer to flower? They prefer a place where there is light, warmth, and plenty of food.
Is your school a place for growth? It could be, if you choose to be a tiller of the soil in your school.
Prompt:
Some of the ways I would like to make my classroom and school into environments that encourage growth include . . .
