Joshua P.

Montanano
BS SCIED 3A

EXERCISE 10

Answer the following questions with honesty and to

the best of your ability. Handwrite your answers and
make sure that they are readable and legible. Use
short bond paper and a black pen (no back-to back).
Avoid erasures.
1. Based on your experiences, give at least 10
school practices that don’t contribute to positive
culture. Provide specific and well-explained
answers.

 Breeds hostility especially among teachers

The hostility in teachers is seen as

antagonism. Even slight antagonism, coupled
with otherwise effective teaching, can
demotivate students from being engaged and
hinder their learning opportunities. So even
one bad day of teaching can ruin a student's
 perception of the teacher and create an
unnecessary roadblock to learning for the rest
of the term. A research shows that the
students who watched the antagonistic
lecture scored 5 percent lower on the test, the
findings showed. They were also less likely
to put much effort into learning, and didn't
want to take future courses taught by that
teacher.

 Discourages family involvement in education

One of the common barriers of family

involvement in education is that teachers
often see working on family involvement as a
task added to an already long list of
responsibilities. Some teachers believe
parents can’t help their children because they
have limited educational backgrounds
themselves; however, many poorly educated
families support learning by talking with
their children about school,
monitoring homework, and making it clear
that education is important and that
 they expect their children to do well in
school. Purposely, when families become
involved in their children’s education, they
have better understanding of what is being
taught in school; in teaching and in learning
in general. They also gain more information
about children’s knowledge and abilities, as
well as the programs and services offered by
the school. Discouraging family involvement
is making all of these benefits seem
impossible to grasp.

 A lack of sense of purpose

When students enter the schoolhouse without

a sense of positive purpose, it is difficult for
them to connect their varied learning
experiences and other opportunities into a
coherent whole that shapes their lives.
Without a purpose, they may lack a strong
reason to learn, to take on challenges, or to
behave well. An enduring sense of purpose
typically emerges in adulthood, but having a
primary goal or a focus on something other
 than, and larger than, oneself and acting
in alignment with these beliefs start to
become particularly important in middle
school.

 Unsafe behavior

Just as we want students to feel safe at

school, teachers should also feel safe. When
other staff members engage in unprofessional
behavior it can really shake our sense of
security, especially if the administration isn’t
stepping in to put an end to it. Unsafe
behaviors come in many forms, such as
lying, stealing, gossiping, tattletale, bullying
or passive-aggressiveness.

 Presence of cliques

When people think of cliques, they often

assume that they are comprised of the
popular kids at school. But cliques exist on
every level of the social ladder. And
sometimes the most controlling and
 destructive cliques are the ones that are not
on anyone’s radar. To outsiders, the group
looks like a cross-section of friends that
enjoy time together. But there are some
telltale signs of cliques. For instance, cliques
discourage outside friendships, thrive on one
person being the decision-maker and are
wrought with peer pressure. They also
consist of unhealthy friendships and pose
some serious dangers to teens. 

 Discrimination in school

Learners who experience discrimination may

feel different to other learners in some way,
or “less than”. It can also impact their feeling
of belonging or how they see their identity.
They have lower self-belief or self-worth;
feel powerless and frustrate, have reduced
aspirations and finally they may be at higher
risk of being bullied. Discrimination could
range from snide comments about a teacher’s
sexual orientation or a child with a disability
 in a staff meeting to a principal blatantly
disregarding law. 

 Gossips inside school

When it comes to gossip, unrestrained

conversations about other people, teachers
are certainly not immune. Schools are
insular, and teachers' lounges can be hotbeds
for gossip. Gossip doesn't always end in
disaster; at times, it can help you blow off
steam with trusted coworkers. But if you're
not careful about the types of topics that
come up, it can be extremely damaging to
school culture, to morale, and to your career.

 Intimidating evaluations

Evaluations should offer constructive

examples of ways teachers should improve as
well as affirmation of teacher strengths.
Evaluations that consistently bring teachers
to tears or discrimination aren’t helpful or
healthy to them, thus this will eventually lead
 to a poor morale and inefficiency of fulfilling
their profession.

 Lack of diversity

Diversity brings varying experiences,

expertise, and viewpoints to the table. Plus,
representation matters. It’s important for
learners to have role models that look like
them. Lack of diversity is a warning sign.

 No support with student behavior problems

Even the most seasoned teachers need

support with student behavior problems
sometimes. When the administration doesn’t
have consistent support available, it sets up
both teachers and students for frustration and
failure. 

2. Are the following items good tips in building

positive culture? Defend your answer. If it is not
a good tip, replace it with a good one.
a. “No unnecessary talking” as classroom rule
should be imposed by the teacher.
b.“We talked about this yesterday. Did you
forget? You had this so well yesterday. I
know you can get it today.”
c. Do you believe in your ability to learn and
grow? Do you believe it is your obligation
as a teacher to model learning and growing?
d.The teacher wrote “nice job” on a student’s
sketch of an orange.

Yes, all of these except the first tip

which I replaced are all good tips in building
positive culture. The second tip talks about
encouragement of a learner. It is one way of
lifting his/her spirits up as he/she may have
stumbled upon a problem or school task may
seem impossible to surpass. The statement
also lets the learner think of his/her past
achievement, thus, leading to a self-
reflection on how he did surpass this
task/problem before. The last line on this
statement leaves a positive remark
indicating a teacher believing on his/her
student. I know teaching is complex. The
work is hard and seemingly never-ending.
We will never minimize that but the reality
is that if we don’t believe in our
students and our ability to impact their
trajectory in life, we simply won’t. When
teachers have positive expectations, they
influence performance positively, and
likewise, negative expectations influence
performance negatively. This reinforcing
cycle where beliefs shape expectations,
which shape actions and behaviors that
impact outcomes for better and worse. If we
really want to create learning environments
in our schools where all learners are valued
and seen as capable of achieving desired
outcomes, we have to begin with the belief
that they can.
The second statement talks about a
positive mindset. A positive mindset is
essential in the classroom because
the positive mindset towards learning has the
prospective to boost the function’s mind’s
memory. Nowadays a school maybe feel a
burden to students as students have so much
homework, sports, and other activities.
Because of this, students have many
negative thoughts in their minds. Negative
thinking is like a tremendous wall that
closes you in. It keeps students away from
executing goals and also blocks them from
moving forward in life. Whether it is
developing, learning, or acquiring
happiness, negative thoughts block each and
everything in a student’s life. Positive
mindset has several mental, emotional, and
physical and benefits. Along with this, the
positive attitude can assist students in coping
with stress, enhance student’s overall
wellbeing, and even boost their immune
system. The studies also have shown that
positive thinking can influence a student’s
capability to solve problems and learn new
things. The positive thinking basically
assists students to feel more relaxed and
happier, which transform to makes it easier
to focus on tasks and grasp new knowledge.
The teachers know that encouraging a
positive learning atmosphere most go to
excellent lengths to make sure that their
classrooms are places where students will
feel engaged and supported and is vital to
student’s success. If the students cannot
learn the way teachers taught them, so it’s
essential; for teachers to teach the way they
love to learn. A school is not only a place to
learn but also a place to bring up and convey
the student’s energy.
This situation depends on how the
student has drawn his/her sketch of an
orange. If it is a decent sketch, then I must
say it is appropriate for them to receive that
kind of acknowledgement and
commendation. It is an essential area for
students to receive positive feedbacks if they
do deserve it, to boost up their morale and
their interest in learning. But if the student is
not sure of his/her sketch and also does
aligned with your perception of just being
subpar, I think it’s best for them to know
about the areas they need to improve on that
sketch and providing an honest feedback.
It’s proven beneficial for students to focus
on areas of their skills and learning they can
improve. An individual will not grow if
he/she doesn’t know how to fail or get
wrong about something. Constructive
criticism breeds improvement and finally,
improvement leads to success.
Unnecessary talking is an example of a
noise but if the students are talking about a
certain topic or idea which is in great need
of collaborating with others, then that can be
an exception, commonly referred to as
“unproductive noise”. There has been an
area in a student’s learning where they need
to collaborate with others. In classrooms
today, it is not uncommon to see students
working together in small groups with their
peers or even working in stations around the
room and interacting with their teacher.
Collaborative learning is not something new,
teachers have been using this method in
classrooms for many years. In order to
create the best opportunities for students to
collaborate, teachers need to consider what
the purpose is of designing a more
collaborative and interactive learning
environment. Part of the consideration
should be on how we can help students to
build their social-emotional learning skills,
to develop communicative abilities as well
as to work as part of a collaborative team,
that promotes discussion, interaction and
problem-solving. There are many ways to
create different activities in the classroom
that can help students to practice in more
authentic ways, and also build
confidence and social networks for learning.
As a future educator, I can also give my
learners an activity which will enable them
to discuss their ideas with others and create
something remarkable out of it. It may be a
general idea that is summed up to define the
purpose and objective of a certain topic or
concept. I will give them the chance to
speak up and elaborate their ideas, also
maintaining the silence of the classroom
environment when the sharing starts. Once a
learner is done, then another learner will
 also be given the freedom to do similarly.
But there is also a presence of either
criticism or positive feedback as this may
allow them to go beyond their thinking and
evaluate carefully their supplementary
insights on that certain concept or topic.

3. Suggest 5 concrete ways to establish a positive

school culture. Provide specific and well-
explained answers.

 Avoid negative messaging

In a school, it should not be permitted to put

up any negative signage. So, on the walls,
messages say 'Keep walking' as opposed to
'No standing,' or 'Thanks for putting your cell
phone away' instead of 'No cell phones
allowed.' Whether we are discussing our
classrooms, hallways or the entrance, I want
all who enter to sense that this is a space that
belongs to them. The no negative signage
rule is the foundation of an environment
where our communication is positive and
 affirming. What we believe about students
and school is communicated not just in what
we say, but also in how we say it.

 Model the behavior you expect from others

I believe we set the tone through our words

and actions, and we should take every
opportunity to model the behaviors we expect
from others. Culture is built through every
interaction we have with our students, staff
and families, and those interactions must be
optimistic, inspiring and supportive.
Everybody who belongs to a positive school
culture understand the power of words and
actions have, in creating a culture that serves
as a foundation for high levels of learning of
students in schools.

 Support others and never lose your humor

It should begin by ensuring that every

member of the faculty and staff feel that they
are supported by leadership in a professional
 community that values innovation, growth
and collegiality. Teachers and administrators
who feel professionally stimulated and
supported are more present for their students
and actively seek ways to engage them
creatively and positively. Then, provide a
robust approach to social-emotional learning
with students that nurtures a growth mindset,
builds positive relationships with adults and
peers, and fosters the emotional safety
necessary for students to focus on their
learning. And, of course, never lose your
sense of humor. Lightheartedness (different
from taking things lightly) is infectious.

 Make time to greet others

It is important to make every attempt to greet

students in the morning and when they leave
for the day. This friendly approach models
for staff and students that school is a positive
place for learning. Teachers can greet
students each class period at the door in the
same way or a way of their choosing. This
 gives students the feeling that this is our
shared school and that they are welcome
here.

 Help parents get involved

An effective school culture needs parent

engagement. There must be a time or an
event which will allow parent to discover
their children’s capabilities and applaud them
for the efforts that they’ve done within a
quarter of the academic year, which leads to
the learners receiving an academic
acknowledgement. An environment that
promotes parents’ engagement on their
sons’/daughters’ learning will allow the
learners to do more beyond what is expected
on their own selves, of course without their
parents pressuring them to reach excellency
at all times. If a learner is having a problem
or a hurdle in his academics/personal life, the
parent can also be contacted anytime so it’s
also beneficial for educational institutions to
keep track of the parents’ contact
information; as they are a valuable help for
the welfare and wellness of their
sons/daughters.