Illustrative Examples: Putting Care into Action

 

Beliefs:

• We know that children need to experience safety and care before they can truly engage in learning and flourish as contributing leaders.

• All – including those gifted and struggling, those who naturally lead and those who challenge behavioural expectations, those who are most resilient and those who are most vulnerable, parents who are friendly and parents who are challenging - have innate value, have something to offer, and have an important place in our community, and therefore must experience a sense of welcome (warm hello) and inclusion.

• Everyone in the school has the job of “climate control”, positively building and contributing to a culture of care and joy.

• Care is a universal calling: A teacher does not only care about her students, but cares for all students.The custodian doesn’t only care for floors but embraces a personal mission to care for all who walk on those floors.

• Because we care, we set people up for success by celebrating and leveraging their strengths and supporting their needs.

 

 

Here are some examples of how this culture of joy and care might live out:

 

• Staff members take on the varying perspectives (examples: grade 3 student with anxiety, hesitant parent, kindergarten student new to school) and assess the environment (decorations, furniture, signage, routines, interactions, layout, etc.) from all viewpoints.

• Staff members become the “vice-presidents of first and lasting impressions”, proactively defining the impressions they want to leave on the students and families of the school.

• Staff members seek opportunities when community members are in the building to prioritize relationship building.

• When a student is struggling, staff members avoid judging because they understand that many factors (most of which we will never know) affect a student’s emotional state. When someone is struggling, staff members lead with empathy and care, followed by, “How can I help you today?”

• Staff members never lead in anger or use humiliation and shame as tools to coerce compliance.

• Staff members always correct in private, and we praise publically if that fits the needs of the student.

• Staff members pay special attention to the emotional needs of the more vulnerable members of our community.

• We recognize that children are still developing social skills, and that some of the greatest challenges we face in life are social challenges.

• Staff members set up students for success by being aware of social subtleties, teaching social skills, having class conversations around the social dynamics of the classroom and school, and creating opportunities for all to experience social success.

• Because we want to set students up for success, we do not simply let students pick partners as a general practice because we know that those most socially vulnerable will seldom be picked (and that self-selected groupings will most often not provide the best groupings for learning).

• We pay attention to who does not naturally connect with others, and ensure we assist them in making those connections. One teacher adopted the practice of, at the end of each week, asking students who they wanted to sit beside in the next week’s seating plan. She did this to identify students who were not on anyone’s list, and then took extra care to nurture the social connections of those students.

• We put in place programs such as a friendship finder program at lunch or a friendship bench on the playground. We might provide structured opportunities for students to build relationships with others, such as student clubs, lunchtime games and optional organized play at recess.

• We plan community wide event where families and staff can interact and build relationship.

• Staff take advantage of multiple opportunities to connect and build caring relationships (staff meetings, books clubs, social events, etc.)