Reconnect: Building school culture for meaning, purpose and belonging. 

Lemov, Lewis, Williams and Frazier 2023.

Chapter 1. How we're wired now

"the beauty and tragedy of the modern world is that it eliminates many situations that require people to demosntrate a committment to collective good."

1. Key information capture.  What key information did we get from this chapter? what struck a chord or resonated? 

• the book seems to articulate what we are all saying about what is happening in schools and that this all started pre-COVID so we can't keep blaming COVID - there is more to it than that. 

• Belonging is not about huge initiatives and big strategies, it's built through small things like making eye contact and saying hello. 

• love the quote, "But they tell the story with pride because it represents a time when someone thought they were worth investing in", whch speaks to the importance of students knowing that they matter. 

• liked the idea of diffuse reciprocity - that kindness shouldn't be transactional and is more powerful when it isn't. Being able to recognise moments from classrooms and staffrooms when people have worked together as a team and been less transactional and the impact of this on the whole group. 

• we did think that the social connectedness thing would be more of an issue coming back from COVID and this book supports that idea. 

• few things i picked up include how the example of the 'stoning' technique and how a few people working together as a team can be effective against larger foes (something discussed in the book about how humans evolved to become the most successful predators because of their ability to work together to achieve a common goal); also that belonging requires a level of coordination between the group - the example given of a studnet who makes a mistake but her peers affirm her in class so she feels comfortable to adjust her thinking in the moment publicly); spaces where it is easy to act in ways to enhance a sense of belonging like fist bumps in the sports areas with teams etc. 

• the a sense of belonging is developed through the little things but consistently and frequently messaged. How we need to teach young people societal norms and expectations in a deliberate way. that the trust in institutions has been strpped away through COVID and other things and that we need to rebuild this trust up as an institution. 

• that humans have a basic need for connection and that we are wired this way (some really good data in the book about this and th negative impact that social isolation can have on people physically).. We need the village and for some kids, their village is school and so it is especially important for them to feel as though they belong here. 

• there are a lot of parallels in this book to what we are trying to achieve through adopting School Wide Positive Behaviours and Supports (SWPBS). 

• mobile phones - feels like we are culturally winning but then how much have we let computers and laptops just fill the gaps? the use of laptops sometimes in classes has taken over how phones were being used prior to the ban (i.r. to avoid interaction). 

• the use of the term Eusocial (eusocial organisms are those that are willing to give up thing as individual for the benefit of the group. Humans are the only mammal or primate species known to be so - bees and ants are the most commonly thought of species. Altruistic is another term that has similar meaning). 

• its the small things that help students feel as though they belong - example brought up of student valedictory speech and the reference to knowing that every staff member they saw in the morning would say hello - this makes HC a great school to be at. 

• need to reteach civility and actively teach positive behaviours. 

2. linking - how does this information link to what we are doing / seeing and the work that we have started around school improvement? 

• the micro things that we are already doing - reinforces that these things are important (using names, greeting students as they enter the classroom etc). noting too that if everyone is doing these things, whilst they are small things, the impact can be huge - its all about making sure that everyone is doing it. 

• the importance of trust and that this is built over time through consistency

• school wide teaching of social norms - links to the SwPBS matrix that we have developed and are implementing. we need to make sure that the interpersonal elements of behavior are included in this matrix. 

• the peer mentoring programs specifically address a lot of what is discussed - students have to engage directly with other students, they can't hide behind a screen. it provides challenge to all participants in a rewarding way. 

• you can feel it when you walk around the school - the onus is on all of us to make sure that we actively seek to engage with all students - even those we don't teach or haven't met yet.

• everyone needs to be putting in - its so simple. 

• antidote activities - fewer choices can lead to better engagement 

• best antidote is a well structured classroom - discussed this with reference to the H Model for classroom instruction - consistent application of this will ensure well structured lessons. 

• having a whole of school 'be nice to people' approach 

• our value are really hitting the mark with this. 

3. how does this link to our AIP? 

• belonging - developing a belonging policy

• thinking about the relational side of what we do and the need for psychological safety as well as physical safety for students. 

• being known by teachers is key to feeling as though you belong

• every child every day (japanese term for this....)

• our student leaders (captains) are articulating this - don't want people to feel lonely at school. 

• want a community where they have choice but can be their best and pursue their dreams - develop their own passions and interests 

• developing and engaging students in the work is imperative. 

• fear of performing in front of other students is on the rise. 

• Differentiation is key to developing a sense of belonging for students. it is a clear signal to a student that they are known. 

• the job of leadership is not to do what is popular but what is right

• process vs outcome fairness - it is more important that people see that the processes used for making decisions are fair than for the decision to be what they woudl have preferred.  individualistic societies will emphasise 'outcome fairness' (the outcome of a decision is one that is desired) and collectivists societies value 'process fairness' (where the process used to make a decision is fair) more. 

• note about organizations gain trust through information quality - speaks to the trust in institutions, we develop this through making sure that we are putting out information and being honest and open in our communication. 

• we welcome push back as this shows that people feel that they have a voice. it is important that we listen and value the voice as it is important for people to be heard but this does not mean that we always have to agree or change our directon - we just need to communicate the reasons for our decisions so that it can be understood. the example of the mobile phone policy is the big one used in the text but it can apply across many areas and with both staff and students. 

4. Next steps. what do we need or want to know more about? what might we do differently?. 

• in my classroom - i want to figure out how i can make it feel like we are all one. I feel like the students are with me but there are factions among them and i don' think they are as committed to each otehr as they are to me. i like the idea of everyone using each other's names and will look for ways to make that happen. 

• part of it is talking to the students about belonging and finding out what helps them to feel as though they belong. 

• the year 11 mentor training supports this work - the belonging quesitons would be a good one to start this training with. get the students thiking about how they encourage a sense of belnging in each other and for ynger students. 

• common purpose - in the classroom , how do you get this? it needs ot be about the learning - for individuals and for the group as a whole. creating a sense of team in the classroom. 

• look at the new HIWS (high impact wellbeing strategies) for wellbeing on the Department website  

• would be good to discuss some of these ideas in our PLCs with staff as belonging directly impacts on attendance 

• `we need to address or consider the role of technology as a disconnector - perhaps talk to the students about why we have a mobile phone ban and show them some of th eevidence base around it especially the evidence about things beyond just impact on learning (health and wellbeing data for example). the impact of screens and their substitutes on studnets more broadly. 

• can we find a way to include screen time in our belonging policy - we minimise it to enhance belonging or something. 

• there are contradictions in how we talk about technology with students - sometimes our behaviour overemphasises the importance of technology. we need to look for ways to de-emphasise the reliance on technology. more classes where laptops are not needed. perhaps we try some technology free days or weeks and make these whole school so that it is easier to consistently manage. teachers also go tech free in lessons - no powerpoints or note taking but activities which involve kids looking at and interacting with their teacher and each other. 

• we need to make plans for students without laptops rather than sending them to the library to get a loan laptop. off line materials and resources for those that can't access the online work. 

• future skills are not actually about computers - there is more an emphasis on the interpersonal skills (collaborative problem solving, for example). 

• loss of everyday skills like talking on the telephone and there is now a need to rebuild this. 

• we could share our learning with staff and talk about this with them too. maybe have these discussions in PLCs.