TL;DR:

 Using your Professional Learning Network (PLN) to inspire positive culture in

your classroom.
 Reimagining your PLN through positivity, authenticity, and modeling
appropriate norms.
 Using the tools, skills, and ideas established with your PLN to maintain
valuable relationships with your students.

“Learning is finding out what you already know” – Richard Bach.

With our new normal quickly approaching this fall, educator anxiety seems to be at an
all-time high.  Educational leaders find themselves exploring various learning options,
new procedures, and revamped systems as they determine the necessary path forward
in this COVID culture. 

Many schools are opting for continued remote learning, a hybrid of partial virtual
education, or a commitment to social distancing, masks, and decreased physical
connection. Thus, teachers are becoming increasingly concerned about their abilities to
establish and maintain effective relationships with students. These concerns make total
sense!  Relationships are critical to culture.    

After all, how am we supposed to create real connections without the ability to be
physically near our students?  
Educators are continually reminded that relationships are essential. Without them, we’re
simply failing to serve our learners.  As the Director of Culture for the Teach Better
Team and recent author of a popular book on a school-wide culture and climate (Award
Winning Culture), I’ve been peppered with questions about how educators can
intentionally connect with students in these spaced-out learning environments.

The Power of Culture with Your PLN

“So much in life depends on our attitude” – Thomas Monson.

I have reshaped my attitude about COVID-style relationships. I’ve realized that I already
have the tools, skills, and ideas to establish and maintain valuable relationships with
people, regardless of proximity.  And chances are…so do you! 

Connected educators recognize the power of their PLN (Professional Learning Network)
as a resource, guide, and support to do their best work.  Social media, technology, and
advanced cyber spaces have helped teachers learn, share, and interact with educators
all over the world.  Indeed, I’d suspect that most everyone reading this blog—or even
part of the Teach Better extended family—are already equipped to thrive in these
distant times.  

Members of my PLN are in all parts of the world—from Edmonton, Canada to Cedar
Crest, Pennsylvania.  We’ve formed meaningful networks in South Africa, Australia, and
New York.  Many of the people in our PLN have either never or rarely met.  Despite
that, we refuse to let physical proximity be a barrier to the obvious benefits of human
connection.  

How did we do it? We reimagined our PLN (Positivity, Lean-in, Norms).

Reimagining Your PLN: Positivity

Your medium of choice for virtual contact may be any or all of the following: Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook, Voxer, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Zoom, text, phone, etc. 
Regardless, you’ve cultivated your connections through a steady diet of positivity.  And
leading with positivity is an excellent way to recalibrate your focus onto student
relationships. 

Providing specific feedback, kindness, and compliments through a positive lens allows
students to bridge the virtual or distanced leap to ongoing school relationships. 
Additionally, by modeling positivity, we’re teaching our students a necessary soft skill of
how to treat others.  Leading with positivity will serve ourselves and our students
admirably in the eventual post-COVID existence.  
Reimagining Your PLN: Lean-In
It’s time to lean-into COVID (Curiosity, Openness, Vulnerability, Intentionality, and
Diversity).  Being truly authentic with students and focusing all my energy in uncovering
the realness in others has proved to be a winning strategy in connecting virtually.

Think about your own PLN for a moment. The folks to whom you feel closest are
undoubtedly the ones who are transparent, actively engaged in what you’re doing, and
are relentless in valuing all parts of you.  Students are no different.  They want
educators who are committed to interacting with them on a human level, rather than a
transactional level of instruction.  Leaning into COVID will help educators to focus on
the most salient ideas in virtual connection.  

[scroll down to keep reading]

Reimagining Your PLN: Norms

There’s a reason that following social and ethical norms continues to be a critical
component in CASEL’s widely used framework for social-emotional learning.  A norm is
a standard or pattern of social behavior that is typical or expected of a group.  Teaching
and modeling appropriate norms is a powerful soft skill to help students thrive in an
unknown future. 

For me, it’s been my founding norm to build my own PLN of uplifting and inspiring
educators, authors, and thought leaders. I want to surround myself with people who
challenge and support me. With people of high character, who are committed to reach
for excellence while cultivating a community of sharing with others. 
Big ideas like listening, assuming best intentions, and spotlighting exceptional educators
became cornerstones to my virtual norms.  It’s critical for educators to use a similar
playbook with students to establish, maintain, or repair relationships during this
pandemic.  

Realizing that I already have the PLN skills to foster healthy relationships with my
students has freed me up to focus on doing what I do best: connecting, supporting, and
inspiring young people to discover and develop their JOY.  

Generalizing our virtual network skills from our own PLN into our work with learners will
massively transform our culture.

Culture Better.  Teach Better.

Beyond the Classroom: The impact of culture on the classroom

Many years ago, a cold-hearted scientist placed 100 babies on an uninhabited but
fertile island, half of them boys, half girls. He provided only the minimum
requirements to keep them alive. He left them food and water, being careful not to
be seen. He kept them from harm, when possible. For years, the children received
none of the trappings of a normal upbringing: no language, no education, no
culture. Later, he slowly began feeding and watering them less and less, until
eventually he gave them nothing at all.
After 20 years on the island, who are these people? Have they retained the
thinking and sentient qualities that make them undeniably human or are they
merely hairless apes? Myriad possible scenarios unfold — war, camaraderie,
invention and language. Within a few hundred years, the islanders might have
even cultivated traditions and cultures.
Most likely, however, within that 20 years the only proof of the experiment would
be the finding of a few small bones on the now deserted coastline. The islanders
would be dead.
— Excerpt from New Scientist “Island of wild children: Would they learn to be
human?” by Christopher Kemp.

CULTURE AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

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When humans grow up without culture, do they ultimately invent it? What role
does culture play in defining the individual? How does culture impact learning?
Paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall says “You cannot think of human beings as
independent of culture and their society. This goes back a long, long way before
we were human. It goes back millions and millions of years, back into our primate
and mammal past. Even the most basic aspects of our cognitive development
depend on being raised by linguistic, articulate parents, embedded within a rich
and historical culture.”
According to her article, “Reflections on the Impact of Culture in the Classroom,”
Giselle Mora-Bourgeois says culture refers to the ways in which different groups
of people organize their daily lives within national or ethnic groups, urban
neighborhoods, companies and professions, and other settings. Culture includes
what people actually do and what they believe. Culture influences greatly how we
see the world, how we try to understand it and how we communicate with each
other. Therefore, culture determines, to a great extent, learning and teaching styles.

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON WORLDVIEW

In his Huff Post Education article “Examining the Impact of Culture on Academic
Performance,” Matthew Lynch. EdD says a person’s culture and upbringing has a
profound effect on how they see the world and how they process information. “The
Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently,” by
Richard Nisbett, showed how the Asian holistic view of the world differed from
their American counterparts, who tended to view the world in parts or distinct
classes of objects defined by a set of rules.
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In other words, the Asian children see the world in terms of the relationship
between things, whereas the American children see the world in terms of the
objects as distinct entities. This information is helpful when we consider how
cultural background might influence approach to learning and school performance.
Theories exist to help explain differences in school performance among different
racial and ethnic groups.

CULTURE: PARENTS AND EDUCATORS

Parents and educators are aware of the disparities that exist under their own school
house roofs. Disparities exist in achievement, funding and readiness. But we
cannot be expected to sufficiently address any of these gaps without
acknowledging the cultural gaps that continue to exist between students and
teachers.
Culture is often perceived as celebrated holidays and recipes, or religious
traditions. But at the root of it, culture is a unique experience. Cultural tendencies
impact the way children participate in education. To engage students effectively in
the learning process, teachers must know their students and their academic abilities
individually, rather than relying on racial or ethnic stereotypes or prior experience
with other students of similar backgrounds.
The definition of normal school behavior can be based upon individualist and
collectivist cultures. Teachers who lack knowledge about a culture might
misinterpret the behavior of a child and inaccurately judge students as poorly
behaved or disrespectful.
M.S. Rosenberg, D.L. Westling and J. McLeskey in “Special Education for
Today’s Teachers: An Introduction,” say that the influence of culture on the
importance of education and participation styles cannot be overestimated. Many
Asian students, for example, tend to be quiet in class, and making eye contact with
teachers is considered inappropriate. In contrast, most European American children
are taught to value active classroom discussion and to look teachers directly in the
eye to show respect, while their teachers view students’ participation as a sign of
engagement and competence.
Parents from some Hispanic cultures tend to regard teachers as experts and will
often defer educational decision making to them, whereas European American
parents are often more actively involved in their children’s classrooms, are visible
in the classrooms, or volunteer and assist teachers These cultural differences in
value and belief may cause educators to make inaccurate judgments regarding the
value that non–European American families place on education.

IMPACT ON EDUCATION

Educators understand that learners are not all the same. Pat Guild of the Johns
Hopkins School of Education says that too often, educators continue to treat all
learners alike despite the obvious cultural diversity within.
Mora-Bourgeois adds that addressing cultural differences in the teaching-learning
process is both important and controversial. It is important because we are
confronted with an increasingly diverse population of students and the wide
achievement gap between minority and non-minority students. It is controversial
because we may fall into the trap of cultural stereotyping and making naive
attempts to explain achievement differences among our students.
Teachers remain the ultimate advocates for learning, yet many are not necessarily
aware of what their students deal with once the dismissal bell has rung.
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance says that many teachers
are white, middle class English speaking individuals. While teachers typically are
color blind — they teach with equity and without discrimination — this practice
does not always address cultural diversity.
Teachers cannot escape the fact that their communication “styles” reflect their
cultural background. Much of what they say, the way they say it, and their
relationship with students, parents and colleagues are deeply influenced by the way
they have been socialized.
Race and ethnicity often play integral roles in children’s identities, and contribute
to their behavior and their beliefs. Recognizing this can help students succeed in a
school culture where expectations and communication are unfamiliar.

CURRICULUM

Even the most “standard” curriculum decides whose history is worthy of study and
whose books are worthy of reading. Guild says that despite the acknowledgment of
important differences among learners, uniformity continues to dominate school
practices.
Nathaniel Cantor stated in his 1953 book “The Teaching-Learning Process,” that
“the public elementary and high schools, and colleges, generally project what they
consider to be the proper way of learning which is uniform for all students.” In 50
years, many might argue that not much has changed. Most schools still function as
if all students were the same. Students use the same textbooks and the same
materials for learning. They may work at a different pace, but they study the same
content and work through the same curriculum. And, of course, schools use the
same tests for all to measure the success of the learning.
Curriculum and text selections should include different voices and ways of
knowing, experiencing, and understanding life. In this way, students can find and
value their own voices, histories, and cultures.

DIVERSITY VS UNIFORMITY

Guild explains that schools are heavily biased toward uniformity over diversity —
mostly because sameness is easier to accommodate than difference, and because
educational practices have been developed to promote equity for all students. Only
a few teaching models exist that accommodate both educational values and human
diversity.
Honoring diversity does not negate the need for absolutes in education. Every
learner benefits from an outstanding teacher and an engaging learning experience.
Every student and teacher deserves to be treated with respect. Every student should
have an opportunity to reach his or her individual potential. Every student should
master specific basic skills. The challenge is to identify what should be the same in
schools and what should be different.

UNIFORM STANDARDS BUT NOT STANDARDIZATION

The emphasis on uniformity creates disadvantages for students whose culture has
taught them behaviors and beliefs that are different from the norms of the majority
culture most often emphasized in schools. Students whose families value
collaboration are told to be independent. Students whose culture values spontaneity
are told to exercise self- control. Students who are rewarded in their families for
being social are told to work quietly and alone. Other cultures come with a duality
in that kids embrace the culture in which they live but must take on the behaviors
necessary to become upwardly mobile. This cultural clash often causes struggle
when individual strengths are not valued or respected.
As Arthur Combs said: “Without an understanding of the unique meanings existing
for the individual, the problems of helping him effectively are almost
insurmountable.”

Adjusting to a New ‘Normal’ in Education

K-12 • Postsecondary & Workforce

Written by: Jeremy Anderson

March 26, 2020

Now that many school and district buildings are closed, state leaders,
educators and in some cases, business leaders are looking at how best
to provide continuity of education and support services to their
students and communities.

While states and school districts already have plans for emergency
management and temporary school closures for natural disasters and
other events beyond our control, this is the longest sustained
disruption to the idea of normalcy in American life — and American
schools — that many of us have encountered. In times such as these,
it’s important to look to one another for answers, examples and
inspiration.

State leaders and staffers are being called to work across departments
and role groups and beyond the parameters of their agencies and
organizations to ensure that students, families, teachers and
administrators are receiving the supports they need in these times of
uncertainty.

As a small handful of examples of recent innovation, look to:

State leadership
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and state partners launched the Colorado
Emergency Child Care Collaborative to provide emergency child care
for essential emergency workers in the state. The Illinois State Board
of Education released guidance on how to provide educational and
support services to students with disabilities during school closures.
The New Hampshire Department of Education is hosting a series of
webinars to help its students — and teachers — grow more
comfortable with online learning. The State Teachers of the Year have
coordinated collaborative calls to talk about how their states are
tackling the issues and what supports they need.
District initiatives
Shelby County Schools in Tennessee created instructional packets,
online classes, and TV and radio programs for students to
support continued learning. Falls Church City Public Schools in
Virginia set up an online system of wraparound supports for students,
including mental health services.
Business investments
Zoom is giving K-12 schools free access to videoconferencing tools to
support virtual learning, in addition to tools to support teachers and
students. No Kid Hungry is offering emergency grants to support
school districts and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to ensure
that kids get the nutritious food they need. Google Arts and Culture is
providing access to international museums for virtual tours for
students and families. U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage for
college students whose terms have ended early and who may have to
leave campus housing.
Our peer organizations are also working to provide invaluable
resources that help guide education policymakers as they respond to
the immediate needs in their states. See the:

o Council of State Governments.

o Council of Chief State School Officers.
o National Governors Association.
o National Conference of State Legislatures.
o Southern Regional Education Board.
o State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.
We know that the work to ensure that students, teachers and families
have all they need to continue learning is just beginning.

At Education Commission of the States, our Policy Team is actively

tracking policy responses to COVID-19 and its associated impacts on
school lunches, online learning, assessments, educator supports,
mental health and residential schools. These policies are
compiled here, and the information is updated by our team weekly.
In the meantime, we are building capacity to support all of you for
what’s next, after states reopen schools and pick up where they left
off: the business of educating the next generation of Americans. If
there are specific supports you need from Education Commission of
the States going forward, please reach out to us.
Is your school, district or state doing something particularly successful in
the face of COVID-19? Tell us! We want to help share and amplify
promising practices in these evolving times.