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Field Experience A: Shaping School Culture Interview and Observation

Whitney L. DeBruhl

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD 513: Shaping School Culture

Jacqui Clay

August 21, 2023

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Field Experience A: Shaping School Culture Interview and Observation

The mission of Camden Middle School, found in the 2023-2024 Camden Middle School

Student Handbook, is to “develop confident, responsible, and competent lifelong learners by

creating a positive school environment where staff families, and community work together to

provide opportunities for students to reach their maximum potential in an ever-changing world.”

Interviewee 1 Supports Vision, Mission, and Culture

Interviewee 1 is Mrs. Debbie Blinkhorn, an educator of 29 years. Mrs. Blinkhorn teaches

8th grade English Language Arts (ELA) and she actively supports the school’s mission and

culture within her classroom. She works hard to establish strong relationships with her students

as well as a safe and comfortable learning environment. Because of the time and effort she puts

into establishing this foundation with her students, they respect and trust her to challenge them

daily with rigorous lessons. She has shown consistent care and support for her students and

therefore upholds the mission of CMS daily. Mrs. Blinkhorn is an influential member of

Camden’s school community and she is thought highly of by all of the school’s administration,

faculty and staff, students, and community members.

Interviewee 1 Strategies to Promote Vision and Mission

Through her various leadership roles, as a member of the Leadership Team, as 8th Grade

Team Leader, as a certified mentor, and as English Department Chair, Mrs. Blinkhorn actively

works with stakeholders every day in order to shape, support, and promote our school’s mission

as well as a positive school culture. In her interview, she shared a recent professional

development she engaged in with the Leadership Team in which they determined where they

want CMS to be, how they want to get there, and what foundations are already in place at CMS
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to help get there. She also shared that as English Department Chair, 8th Grade Team Lead, and as

a mentor she works with various teachers throughout the building encouraging each to use best

practices, collaborate, and promote a positive school culture in everything that they do.

Interviewee 2 Supports Vision, Mission, and Culture

Interviewee 2 is Mrs. Aretha Smith, an educator of 28 years. Mrs. Smith teaches 6th grade

Math. Mrs. Smith prides herself on taking an active role in setting the culture of our school by

consistently engaging in present, purposeful, positive, and professional behavior, our school’s

four core values. She, like Mrs. Blinkhorn, builds strong relationships with her students and has

high expectations for them both academically and behaviorally. She is consistent with these

expectations of high-quality work as well as her follow through of the rules and expectations.

She models the behaviors she wishes to see from her students daily and provides equitable

motivation, care, and support to each one of them.

Interviewee 2 Strategies to Promote Vision and Mission

Mrs. Smith is a part of the Leadership Team as well as Camden Middle School’s Teacher

of the Year, two roles that are very influential in promoting a school’s mission and culture. As

Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Smith is the representative for CMS and works with other stakeholders

often. She heads the effort to award Golden Apple Awards to both certified and non-certified

staff each month, a process that positively impacts our school culture by ensuring the faculty and

staff are valued for their work. She also participates in both School Board Meetings and Teacher

Cabinet Meetings each month. At each of these meetings, she interacts with district employees,

other teachers, parents, and community members in order to advocate for our school and ensure

the voices of our teachers are heard and our needs and concerns are being considered. Before she
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attends these meetings, she surveys the staff to gather any questions or concerns that they wish

for her to bring to the attention of the board and district personnel.

PSEL Standard 1 and Implications for Future Practice

Standard 1 of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015) concerns the

development, promotion, and implementation of a shared school mission and vision to ensure the

academic, social, and emotional success of all students. After speaking with these two highly

respected and experienced women, I have learned how important it is for all staff to be involved

and concerned with each aspect of creating and promoting a school’s mission. They have taught

me that everything a teacher or leader does when they are in the building, all of their thoughts,

facial expressions, actions, behaviors, attitudes, etc., directly affect the culture of a school and

the success at which the mission is achieved. Mrs. Blinkhorn, while discussing the professional

development session in which she participated, taught me the importance and impact of working

together to “strategically develop, implement, and evaluate actions to achieve” a school’s

mission and affect the culture in positive ways (National Policy Board for Educational

Administration, 2015). Mrs. Smith taught me the importance of modeling the “school’s mission,

vision, and core values in all aspects of leadership” (NPBEA, 2015).

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References

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.