School climate initiatives often get shelved because they are not meeting everyone's needs. If we begin to use mindful communication strategies, we will intentionally be focusing on the perspectives and needs of staff, as well as our students and parents. In my work with schools, I've discovered that successful school climate initiatives include a few important components. Leaders:
- work with a defensible, positive framework, such as Invitational Education,
- choose like-minded strategies that support the core foundations of the framework, and
- meet staff needs by providing them with two rationales for adding yet another school initiative to their already full plates: humanistic reasons as well as scientific reasons.
When I share this with school climate teams, I find myself saying, "Some people are moved by the heart, while others are moved by the science. Including both is a recipe for school change." We need to reach all staff, including those who rely on strict rules, often support punitive discipline policies, and believe it's someone else's job to deal with disruptive behaviors. Trying to work without them on board is an uphill battle. You may not be able to gain their support with a heartfelt approach. Yet, if you also provide scientific proof that relationships shape the way our brains develop and emotions are actually biological interactions that trigger our choice of actions, they may become intrigued and want to learn more.
After every workshop I do, there are people who tell me how moved they are by this work. The ones that remain with me are the people who were hardly paying attention, except for when I talk about Dan Siegel, emotional triggers, and how relationships alter brain development. They are suddenly curious. A little morsel of science provided a rationale for behaviors that have frustrated them and caused them to believe they needed rigid rules. Defenses come down and they are often eager to learn more and even help to lead the initiative. This may not happen right away. So, we need to always leave the door open for everyone to join our efforts.