Creating a Positive School Culture : How Principals and Teachers Can Solve Problems Together

"This book is outstanding. It addresses a definite need in schools today and will be very effective in helping people understand some of the school climate-related issues. If educators understand problems and their causes and have potential methods for solving them, only good can come from it."
―Charles F. Adamchick, Jr., Teacher, Blairsville High School, PA
Educational Consultant, Learning Sciences International

"This book is a great resource for those interested in creating an enriching and inspiring school environment. At a time when so many of our schools are in crisis, it is so refreshing to read a book that demonstrates how teachers and administrators can turn a school into a safe and caring community. Beaudoin and Taylor consolidate the expertise of teachers and administrators who know how to realistically build nurturing, constructive, and positive relationships."
―Gerald Monk, Professor, Department of Counseling and School Psychology
San Diego State University

Create and cultivate a supportive, respectful, and positive school climate!

Principals and teachers have very different perspectives, pressures, and struggles. As a result, problems of negativity, isolation, or censure often develop among staff members. This may cause principals and teachers to spend a tremendous amount of energy addressing these issues instead of focusing on their primary goal―improved student achievement.

Creating a Positive School Culture provides strategies for understanding and solving staff problems, preventing conflicts, and enriching school climates. By combining therapeutic knowledge with day-to-day educational experience, the authors offer innovative solutions for overcoming many energy- and morale-sapping problems, including gossip, cliques, negativity, and competition.

To help engage and inspire readers, this volume includes:

• Teacher and principal interview excerpts
• Concise case examples of school culture problems
• Step-by-step guidance for school culture interventions
• Best practices culled from the authors′ extensive research
• Ready-to-use tools, including school culture surveys and staff development exercises

Based on more than 200 surveys and interviews with principals and teachers, this practical guidebook clearly explains how administrators, teachers, parents, and staff can all work together to solve problems and build a culture of caring and respect.

Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, Ph.D. is the Training Director of the Narrative Therapy program at Bay Area Family Therapy Training Associates (BAFTTA) where she supervises the counseling of doctoral interns in schools from three school districts in Silicon Valley, California. In her private practice, she enjoys working with young people, their families, and their schools, on a wide variety of issues. Marie-Nathalie values bringing forth people’s own wisdom and knowledges, through respectful, creative, and collaborative conversations.  She has published numerous professional articles, has been featured in several magazines such as the California Educator and Educational Leadership, and is known internationally for her entertaining, thought provoking, and inspiring workshops.  She was recently invited to produce three videotapes with Alexander Street Press (one which is specifically on school work).

Marie-Nathalie has won several grants and awards, with the most recent one focusing on the effectiveness of narrative therapy based group activities.  She is the author of several successful books such as Working with groups to enhance relationships (1998), Responding to the culture of bullying & disrespect: New perspectives on collaboration, compassion and responsibility (2004, 2009);  Creating a positive School Culture: How principals and teachers can work together (2004); and the popular paperback for parents, teachers, and therapists titled The SKiLL-ionaire in Every Child: Boosting Children’s Socio-Emotional Skills Using the Latest in Brain Research (2010)  (sample at www.skillionaire.org). She has been the recipient of several prestigious awards such as a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grant (SSHRC), a Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Research grant (FCAR), the John F. Kennedy University best psychology professor award (JFKU), and more recently the Shine A Light narrative research fund (SAL).

Also availabler from the author: "From Bullies to Buddies"

Maureen Taylor is an educator in Northern California. Her background includes teaching preschool through sixth grade and being an environ­mental educator. Her main interests lie in teaching science and writing, two subjects that gently unfold for the learner. Taylor is currently devel­oping a program for children blending art, environmental education, and social issues.