ABSTRACT
The nature of work experienced by staff is a key factor in developing culture.
Physical basics – buildings, printing, timings of the day – do these work for staff or are they broken? Meaning – do the tasks that staff carry out have a good purpose that actually helps makes the world better? Or are they doing things to prove they are doing things (and therefore not spending time on the thing!)? Or processing or presenting things to make something “look good” or “for consistency” without actually making education or pastoral care any better? Some people dye their lawns green to “improve” them – others water and nourish them. Which model fits what staff do at your school? Accountability – without accountability, culture suffers as no one expects anything to get done. It’s vital that there is accountability in the school system, and yet many things that staff are typically held accountable for are actually subject to factors outside of their control. As leaders we need to first look to the systems and structures in our school and ask what it is reasonable for staff to be accountable for. We should approach accountability in a developmental way, seeking to understand obstacles staff face and ensuring all barriers are removed so that people can do their jobs. If accountability is wielded like a weapon, healthy culture is a casualty.
Workload – we need to ensure that the demands placed on teacher time are reasonable.
Information flow – the flow and communication of this work should support healthy working. Agency – we need to identify the areas where consistency is needed, and where teachers should be able to draw on their expertise and contextual knowledge to refine their own unique approaches.
Working times – we need to consider how our management of the semi-flexible nature of teaching impacts on staff experiences and behaviours.
Switching off – we need to actively support and encourage switching off in a sector that is predisposed to stay switched on. Questions for personal reflection and/or group discussion.
