Classroom Mission Statements
Another powerful strategy to encourage students to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning is the creation of a classroom mission statement. It is not the creation of the mission statement itself, but rather the deployment of the mission statement that provides substance to continuous improvement in the classroom.
Most organizations have a mission statement that cannot be recalled by its employees, customers or stakeholders. Many times this is due to its lengthy nature or the fact that there was no ownership in the process of its creation. Classroom mission statements, when created appropriately, can provide the framework for continuous improvement. When students actively contribute to its creation and when it is lived out on a daily basis, mission statements can contribute greatly to student ownership and accountability.
Classroom mission statements should closely align and support school mission statements (which in turn are aligned to District mission statements). Equally as important, is the individual student mission statement (which is aligned to the classroom mission statement and housed in the student data folder). Individual mission statements connect the learner to the classroom and provide meaning and purpose and direction.
What have been your experiences with mission statements in the classroom? Do you feel mission statements can have an impact on student ownership and accountability?
Comments
Jay,
Every classroom at Hillcrest has their own personal mission statement that is aligned to our school mission statement. In fact, if you go to our Chronicles page on the website you will see pictures of all of our mission statements down the page.
Last year was our first year doing this and I have found that the teachers did a much better job of getting the students involved in the process this year. While they did this last year as well, it was more mechanical that it was this fall. When students at Hillcrest do something that they are not supposed to be doing, I find my staff and myself reminding the students of their mission statements and having them reflect about how they can better meet what they prescribed at the beginning of the year.
We are not yet at the place for individual mission statements, but we are moving in that direction. Progress pads are getting under way here at Hillcrest so it will be important when the students do some goal setting to have individual mission statements they can draw upon.
To answer your question, mission statements can undoubtedly have an impact on accountability and achievement.
I had the wonderful opportunity to go up to Palatine this last week for their Quality Symposium. While we do have a long way to go at Hillcrest, I found their level of alignment (the key to everything in my opinion) to be inspiring. Every student I spoke with knew why they were there, why the school was there for them, and how they can achieve their goals.
Posted by: Kristin Humphries | December 7, 2005 10:09 AM
Jay-
I am in the process of creating a classroom mission statement and hopefully persuading my principal into allowing me to provide training in creating one for each classroom within our school. My question is where do I begin? How do I see examples like the ones mentioned here at the Hillcrest School? What are the best "bang for your buck" validators and how can tetsing data be used to monitor or verify the gains or monitor the success, if you will? Thanks
Bryan
Posted by: Bryan | November 7, 2007 06:50 PM