Good Things Happen Here: Building a School Culture

★★★★★

Mark Kurtz August 18, 2017

In this video, Mark Kurtz describes the steps his school takes to build a positive culture. Culture is difficult to create, he reminds us, but we should not ignore the value of traditions and repeated practices.

Beyond simply preventing bad behavior, we want to give students the sense that school is a place where good things happen. Rhythms can offer students a sense of security, and doing things together outside the normal classroom makes teachers more accessible.

Mark also encourages schools to focus on “something bigger”:

a school theme or a student’s sense of life purpose, can bring meaning to daily assignments.

Mark says, “We want to have a place where it’s safe, where we can become more fully human, and in that we’ll find joy and fulfillment.”