Culture Counts and Money Comes

I have a bone to pick this morning. I am tired. It is nearly the end of the term and man it’s been a big one. I have worked in so many different school and education environments this term. Last night I sat down to reflect on this. I asked myself what is it that’s making a difference in the schools that are on the pathway to making a bigger difference, and what are the trend of excuses I am privy to?

Yesterday whilst in transit I had a wonderful chat (thank goodness for handsfree!) with an esteemed flagbearer. Esther Whitehead, the Managing Trustee from the Dyslexia Foundation NZ shared her daily experience in this area and what she hoped for for our children. This chat sat with me for many hours. When Esther mentioned the word CULTURE, she hit the nail on the head to say the least.

When I reflect on the schools who have good intentions AND are making great impact for students with dyslexia or literacy difficulties there are two glaringly obvious trends.

1. In these schools culture not only counts. It is alive and well. It sits on a positive platform which includes; a can do attitude, a willingness to learn (no matter how long they have been in this game of education), true LEADERSHIP — not a facade of “yip we have got that covered here” and a willingness to COLLABORATE. To sit to the table with their knowledge and ideas, other peoples knowledge and ideas and to consider how we might mix this together and all walk away with increased outcomes, resources, knowledge and success for us and our students.
2. There is an attitude of Money comes. “I am not sure how we will fund that but we will find a way. We need to prioritise this as so many of our students are struggling in literacy.” These schools have the outlook that they will find a way to source the resourcing they need to, ‘excuse me’, “MAKE SHIT HAPPEN”.

So what I experience is those who BELIEVE THEY CAN — DO. Those who see every possible roadblock — DON’T.