“Can our school be so welcoming, so inviting and so comfortable that every person who walks through our doors believes that the are about to have an amazing experience?” This is a question that is posed in the book How to Create a Culture of Achievement by authors Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Ian Pumpian on page 17. I believe that this is very true.
I always begin the fall semester speaking to my students about customer service. I always ask the question, how does customer service impact the fire department?
I allow the students to think about it for a few minutes, then invite them to discuss the idea or concept with a few others. When I ask what the students think, there are a variety of answers, but none really hit the nail on the head. When asked about customer service in the fire department, to me it is very similar to the customer service one would get when arriving at at a school. We want to show the patient or student, depending on the job, a welcoming and embracing caring attitude. If not, neither the students nor the victim will desire to be there or have the person aid tem.
In regard to the fire service, the fire department responds when someone is in need and tends to be having a really bad day. It ranges from a medical emergency, a fire or even a car accident. None the less, I arrive and ensure the patient/victim that I am here to help and that I greet them in a warm, caring, positive manner. I will do all I can to make everything okay. In my eyes, this can be a source of welcoming. Someone providing a service to someone, helping and reassuring that all is fine.
In regard to school, I am lucky as I get to spend the majority of my time outside, teaching fire fighting skills and techniques to my various students. At times, I or the students maybe the first point of contact to a visitor, student or staff, I take great pride in this idea. For example, whenever we see a staff member, the students and I always say hello. If Mr. Smith is walking from the middle school to the high school, everyone says’ “Good morning Mr. Smith!” I can see that the various staff members always enjoy the hello and feel appreciated. Moreover, the response from the staff to the fire science cadets is always noted. I know the students enjoy being recognized for their welcoming behavior and love when the staff member of HSHMC say “Hello Fire Science!”
In addition, as I previously stated, I teach outside and another benefit to this is that the community surrounding the school hears our welcomes and enjoys the good morning or good afternoon. Teaching fire science and working outside has allowed me to meet and befriend many of the neighboring residents to the school, who support and love the fire science program.
Ensuring that students, staff and the community feel welcome is important! This can be further emphasized through Dr. Pumpain’s lecture, as he discussed that choice is a necessary condition for engagement and engagement is a necessary condition for learning. By feeling welcomed and creating a positive welcoming school, students help further create a culture of achievement, as the choose to be attend school.
Answers to the following Prompted Questions:
1) How is the challenge of making stakeholders feel welcome to your school connected to your school mission?
At HSHMC, every morning the staff connects in a standing morning meeting. Various things are discussed, including student shout outs or spot lights, whether it be positive or negative. It allows the entire staff to be on the same page and if more attention is needed for one or more students, collectively we address the situation. At the end of the meeting, there is a team building activity. Currently, one staff member has been assigned to pin another staff member with a pin of excellence. While be pinned, the staff member highlights the other staff member via student and staff comments. It is an amazing way to feel appreciated.
2) What did you do to access which access stakeholder group could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find?
I believe the stakeholder group that could be more welcomed are the students who have great attendance and pass their classes, but have little involvement in the daily activities. These students tend to be shy and only communicate to a few and I think that as a leader these are the students who need to be made more comfortable. Not all people connect on the same level and I am sure there are a variety of reasons for these incredible students to be so quiet. I think time needs to be spent acknowledging them and in hope will bring them out of their shell, making them a more active member in the larger school community.
3) What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were their school leader?
To improve welcoming this smaller group of students, I believe that I may need to pull the students aside and focus more on restorative circles to improve student participation. Students elect to join my class so sometimes I simply ask them what their goals are? When I ask that question, typically some other students have similar responses and then I can re arrange the class to support that student and those who have similar goals.It helpes welcome the students via a common bond and typically helps me get the student to be more enagged in the fire science community.
4) What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders?
As I previously stated, I believe that restorative circles or even goal/team building will help aid in welcoming students who are not so vocal. I can think of a particular student now who thought he was invisible until about three weeks ago when he missed my class on Wednesday. I saw him on Thursday and asked where he was and he stated, “it mattered that I was gone!” Clearly I had failed to welcome him and have now actively sought to make sure he is more engaged in the class. I asked him to sit with me and explain to me why he was taking my class, as this would help me in teaching him. We talked for over an hour about his goals, fears and as to why he was so quiet. Ultimately, all of which he wishes to change. I have been actively engaged with the student everyday and he seems to be positively responding. It takes a lot of time and energy for a teacher to welcome all the students, but that is the best part of the job. Making that individual connection with each student.
5) Commit to 5 things you are willing to do to this semester that will make your school a more welcoming place.
I always begin the fall semester speaking to my students about customer service. I always ask the question, how does customer service impact the fire department?
I allow the students to think about it for a few minutes, then invite them to discuss the idea or concept with a few others. When I ask what the students think, there are a variety of answers, but none really hit the nail on the head. When asked about customer service in the fire department, to me it is very similar to the customer service one would get when arriving at at a school. We want to show the patient or student, depending on the job, a welcoming and embracing caring attitude. If not, neither the students nor the victim will desire to be there or have the person aid tem.
In regard to the fire service, the fire department responds when someone is in need and tends to be having a really bad day. It ranges from a medical emergency, a fire or even a car accident. None the less, I arrive and ensure the patient/victim that I am here to help and that I greet them in a warm, caring, positive manner. I will do all I can to make everything okay. In my eyes, this can be a source of welcoming. Someone providing a service to someone, helping and reassuring that all is fine.
In regard to school, I am lucky as I get to spend the majority of my time outside, teaching fire fighting skills and techniques to my various students. At times, I or the students maybe the first point of contact to a visitor, student or staff, I take great pride in this idea. For example, whenever we see a staff member, the students and I always say hello. If Mr. Smith is walking from the middle school to the high school, everyone says’ “Good morning Mr. Smith!” I can see that the various staff members always enjoy the hello and feel appreciated. Moreover, the response from the staff to the fire science cadets is always noted. I know the students enjoy being recognized for their welcoming behavior and love when the staff member of HSHMC say “Hello Fire Science!”
In addition, as I previously stated, I teach outside and another benefit to this is that the community surrounding the school hears our welcomes and enjoys the good morning or good afternoon. Teaching fire science and working outside has allowed me to meet and befriend many of the neighboring residents to the school, who support and love the fire science program.
Ensuring that students, staff and the community feel welcome is important! This can be further emphasized through Dr. Pumpain’s lecture, as he discussed that choice is a necessary condition for engagement and engagement is a necessary condition for learning. By feeling welcomed and creating a positive welcoming school, students help further create a culture of achievement, as the choose to be attend school.
Answers to the following Prompted Questions:
1) How is the challenge of making stakeholders feel welcome to your school connected to your school mission?
At HSHMC, every morning the staff connects in a standing morning meeting. Various things are discussed, including student shout outs or spot lights, whether it be positive or negative. It allows the entire staff to be on the same page and if more attention is needed for one or more students, collectively we address the situation. At the end of the meeting, there is a team building activity. Currently, one staff member has been assigned to pin another staff member with a pin of excellence. While be pinned, the staff member highlights the other staff member via student and staff comments. It is an amazing way to feel appreciated.
2) What did you do to access which access stakeholder group could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find?
I believe the stakeholder group that could be more welcomed are the students who have great attendance and pass their classes, but have little involvement in the daily activities. These students tend to be shy and only communicate to a few and I think that as a leader these are the students who need to be made more comfortable. Not all people connect on the same level and I am sure there are a variety of reasons for these incredible students to be so quiet. I think time needs to be spent acknowledging them and in hope will bring them out of their shell, making them a more active member in the larger school community.
3) What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were their school leader?
To improve welcoming this smaller group of students, I believe that I may need to pull the students aside and focus more on restorative circles to improve student participation. Students elect to join my class so sometimes I simply ask them what their goals are? When I ask that question, typically some other students have similar responses and then I can re arrange the class to support that student and those who have similar goals.It helpes welcome the students via a common bond and typically helps me get the student to be more enagged in the fire science community.
4) What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders?
As I previously stated, I believe that restorative circles or even goal/team building will help aid in welcoming students who are not so vocal. I can think of a particular student now who thought he was invisible until about three weeks ago when he missed my class on Wednesday. I saw him on Thursday and asked where he was and he stated, “it mattered that I was gone!” Clearly I had failed to welcome him and have now actively sought to make sure he is more engaged in the class. I asked him to sit with me and explain to me why he was taking my class, as this would help me in teaching him. We talked for over an hour about his goals, fears and as to why he was so quiet. Ultimately, all of which he wishes to change. I have been actively engaged with the student everyday and he seems to be positively responding. It takes a lot of time and energy for a teacher to welcome all the students, but that is the best part of the job. Making that individual connection with each student.
5) Commit to 5 things you are willing to do to this semester that will make your school a more welcoming place.
- Reach out to more parents, to let them know what we are studying and how well their students are doing in Fire Science.
- Create more digital videos of training with the students.
- I want to bring my bbq down and make some food for the fire science cadets to say thank you for their hard work. Things that are home made are more appreciated than store bought.
- More publicity via social media to show the growth of the program and feature what the students are doing.
- I already do a student survey, but possibly look at a family survey to see if the parents have noticed a positive change in the students behavior.