What did it feel like to walk down the halls at your school when you were a kid? Was it safe, welcoming, inclusive? What’s it like for your children? Do they feel physically and emotionally safe? As a teacher, what’s it like to go to work? How do the adults at the school treat each other? As a parent, how accepted and valued do you feel?
Over the past two decades, educators and parents have come to understand that school climate, “ the quality and character of school life, fosters—or undermines—children’s development, learning and achievement” (National School Climate Center). A growing body of research demonstrates that positive school climate is critical for academic achievement, school success, effective violence prevention, healthy students, and helps retain teachers. It’s no secret that bullying is a huge problem in schools everywhere. While adults often minimize bullying concerns, according to the National School Climate Center, students consistently rate bullying as a “serious” problem. http://www.youmint.com/network-su01
So, it’s promising that schools are beginning to focus on school climate rather than merely anti-bullying programs. Educators now understand that only with systematic attention to developing a positive http://palmresearch.com/ref/1372161 school climate and to making social emotional learning a pillar of the school, will the problem of bullying be adequately be addressed. To focus on school climate, two factors are critical: 1) the school community needs to develop a shared vision, and 2) the school’s current climate needs to be assessed in a comprehensive and reliable manner. http://www.swapyourvoice.in/signup.php?ref=b8aab492250bb60e25d3876e795ca9da
