Classroom Leadership: Culture vs. Climate

Even Storm Troopers have to worry about culture and climate

Education is one of the noblest professions in the world.  Yes I just said that, and yes it was as cheesy going onto this post as I am sure it is sounding as you read this.  But it's true. We have noble reasons for teaching: making a difference, caring about students, believing in the power of learning. 

However, as true as that statement is, nobility does not make all the idiosyncrasies and eduspeak any easier to navigate as a teacher.  As a classroom teacher I quickly learned the importance of a strong classroom culture…. or was it climate?  To be honest it really is both.  However I used the two as if they were the same.  I have learned often the hard way that they are in fact different.  Understanding this can have a positive impact on the classroom.

As a new teacher I was pretty bad; my student teaching experience had not prepared me to teach children without an expert teacher sitting in the back of the room.  I became a teacher to work with children because I enjoyed their frank honesty.  I thought I could just teach and they would learn. I didn't think about the classroom as a community.  I wish someone had discussed how “learning” is hit or miss without a high functioning climate and culture. If I wanted to be successful, I had to cultivate both a positive climate and a positive culture.

Climate vs. Culture

One of the most important aspects of classroom leadership, heck all leadership at any level is to develop an environment of trust.  Understanding climate and culture is at the center of a high quality-learning environment.  Some of the basic differences between the two (as I see it) are as follows:

Climate	Culture
Developed by the minute, hour, day	Develops over several days/months/years
Based on feelings, perceptions	Based on beliefs and values
Outsiders can feel it when they walk on campus	Staff members cannot feel it just by walking through
Short Term	Long Term
Easy to Change	Harder to change
A component of academic, social and emotional growth	Integral to academic, social and emotional growth

What This Looks Like

Climate

•   Climate in your room is a vibe that happens.  Children at all grade levels come in with baggage that varies by day.  Learning a new concept is an exciting prospect.  If you are intrigued by new things this will transfer to your students.
• Model a positive attitude of learning, read while your students read.  Investigate when they should be investigating.  View yourself as a facilitator.
• Know your students, identify their highs and lows then communicate when appropriate to support climate change.
•  Understand what motivates your students and their learning styles and customize learning opportunities to meet their needs.

Culture

•  Start the first day by building the culture in your room.  Respect is key.  This will vary by grade level, for a fifth grader that may be allowing them to collaborate on classroom goals or norms.  As a recovering kinder teacher it may mean having classroom meetings that are equal parts fun, procedure, emotional development.
•  Empathy in the classroom is a requirement to the success of the classroom.  In a classroom with a high level of empathy discourse is a breeze because there is no ridicule when sharing a “wrong” or less obvious answer.
• Plan activities to build “team” (do not make them all academic).
• Talk, talk, and talk about everything!  

photo credit: Pedro Vezini via photo pin cc