March 16, 2021- Resiliency, Mindset and a Positive Culture

Resiliency, Mindset, and a Positive Culture: The Important Considerations for Our Classrooms and Districts in 2021. 

By:  Lisa M. Harrod

For those of us in leadership positions during 2008-2010, we remember the uncertainty of our budgets, hiring practices, and all the lessons learned. At the time, I was Assistant Superintendent and a National Education Consultant working with districts on auditing SEL and Academic curriculum and reshaping culture and climate. Those of us in the field of special education saw a large increase in the number of students diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and other social-emotional needs. We spent our resources on additional social workers, who at the time in some states were a high-vacancy area and other mental health professionals. We watched our curriculum and programming include a stronger focus on character education, lessons on wellness, and attention to an individual’s mental health. Professional development in these areas began to spike. Families were exhibiting hardships that none of us could have predicted.

Now in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, we are working on scenarios and planning for what the fall may look like. Leadership is critical to the success and sustainability of our districts, and all the work we are doing with our teams to plan is being done with great hope but also great uncertainty. It looks different in every state, but one thing remains constant..our ability to collaborate and plan what is best for our students and staff. We pull from our experiences a decade ago to help us move forward.

Reflecting on the leadership during 2008 on and now in 2021 and beyond, we look at all of the shifts that have occurred and how we can provide continued high-quality education for all of our students, moving forward on plans to create opportunity in challenge, and building classroom connected communities during remote learning. At the heart of this emerges resiliency and reviewing climate and culture. Leading with questions from superintendent’s on whether we have the climate and culture we want to have. One of the toughest and hardest questions we can ask ourselves. How we can become even more involved in our classrooms? How can we become facilitators during a time where school social workers and psychologists are in high demand? Do we have the staff members in place to sustain the level of support needed over the next few years?

If there is ever a time to rebuild or strengthen our climate and culture in our schools and districts…. now is our golden opportunity. We have adjusted, modified, adapted…and our students and staff have done the same thing. Engaging in critical conversations about resiliency and how we can build up our ability to “SnapbackTM”. When I facilitate lessons in our unit district, I talk to students and staff about a rubber band and its ability to “snapback” under intense pressure. We use specific examples and then let the students discuss issues they are facing and how we can show resilience in our response. We talk about the future and challenges they may encounter and keep this at the forefront so it can be continually talked about. Helping our students and staff members insulate themselves from stress is a powerful and on-going life lesson.

These conversations set the table for expectations of gratitude, a positive mindset, and kindness across the district. It is a unified effort among our educators, support staff, and specialists in achieving an environment we are proud of. There are so many unknowns in our world right now, opening discussions about resilience is a foundation that will reap many benefits in combating and overcoming concerns about motivation and achievement. These conversations have catapulted our use of Mindset and Mindfulness as an important supplement to our curriculum and we have set the stage in our community asking them to partner with us in these efforts. There have been so many benefits to the work in these areas and they certainly prepared us for what we never could have seen coming this year. I did not see the importance of combining resilience, mindset, and reflecting on climate and culture when I began my career in education.

Building our resilience is a life skill and one that can change the trajectory for our students and staff, helping to insulate all of us from all the stressors in our lives. My hope is that by seeing the importance of this topic and reflecting on our climate and culture, we will be more prepared for 2021 and beyond. For those of us that are reading this and have worked to obtain the climate and culture we worked so hard on, I hope we can be mentors and collaborate with those who may reach out for the beginning steps. Every decision based on what is best for students is why we are all here.

Here's to celebrations over challenges!

Lisa M. Harrod is the Superintendent of Manteno CUSD No. 5 in Manteno, Illinois, and the CEO of Leveraging Excellence, A professional development company. 


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