"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." Anthony J. D'Angelo
Educators are firm believers of continued education - by nature and by design. If our general mission statement is to enhance our students' lives by presenting and engaging them in information, discussions, experiences and interactions to develop and furnish them with the knowledge, skills and tools to participate in and contribute to society around them, then we, too, should be equally involved in such a worthwhile and beneficial experience. This year, I have the great fortune of taking part in a wonderful program for educational leaders, YU Lead. Working with other leaders from around the country, I have an opportunity for continued learning, focused on topics that are so vital in today's educational system.
One of the requirements of the program is to detail, develop and address a particular area of personal growth as a school leader. I have chosen to focus on the ability to craft and direct positive school culture among all stakeholders - students, staff and parents. While this task appears to be quite a challenging undertaking, the benefits of an overwhelmingly positive school culture serve as the very foundation for all progress and success. And although a school may already possess a wonderful culture and atmosphere, there is always room for growth.
There are several components of a school's culture that must be considered in forming an approach to bolster it. One particular buzzword that I believe must be part and parcel of its culture is passion. Students must be passionate about their learning and growth, teachers must be passionate about their students, subjects and engagement, and parents must be passionate and positive about their school's role in their children's lives and its meaningfulness as a force in the identity of their community. The question is, however, how do we encourage, support and promote passion? Where does passion derive from, and how can we cultivate more of it?
According to a recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience, the part of the brain that is activated during motivated activities is called the ventral striatum, and it works in concert with the amygdala, the brain’s emotional hub. Researchers observed that the ventral striatum was activated in proportion to how motivated a person felt - the higher the degree of motivation, the higher the activation level. Following the concept of neuroplasticity, namely the ability to rewire our brains using behavior, we have the power to motivate ourselves by finding passion in life through our actions and our choice of behavior. Malini Mohana, a psychology graduate from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and researcher in neuropsychology, suggests that there are three key elements in self-motivation and building passion: finding the area for which you have a natural affinity, rejecting complacency, and asking the ‘why’ question. Perhaps, these are factors to utilize while moving forward in advancing school culture.
I hope to continue posting on the topic of school culture over the course of the next several months with reflections, experiences and details of progress.
"You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support." Sabrina Bryan
