Healing Broken School Communities: Practicing What We Teach

You would think that educators – highly trained in creating functional, supportive classroom communities – would naturally build equally healthy school and district communities. You would think.

And yet, across the country I hear story after story from educators not struggling with teaching itself, but with the dysfunctional school communities in which they work.

How does this happen? How do people who successfully nurture trust, belonging, and collaboration in their classrooms fail to create the same environment among adults?

The short answer: we don’t practice what we teach.  The longer answer: while complex, it comes down to leadership, self-reflection, and accountability.

Below are ways we can begin to heal struggling schools.

1. Strong Leadership: Knowing How Teachers “Tick”

Everything starts with leadership. Just as teachers must know their students – their developmental stage, how they learn best, and what motivates them – leaders must know their teachers.

Teachers are not just deliverers of content. We are complex individuals juggling multiple responsibilities, balancing strengths and weaknesses, and often working in roles that stretch us beyond the classroom.  And we exist among a dynamic community of classroom teachers, special educators, counselors, nurses, paraprofessionals, coaches, and more.

For schools to thrive, district and building leaders must:

• Understand the daily challenges educators face.
  
• Recognize both strengths and struggles of staff.
  
• Provide support that is practical and empathetic.
  

Without this relational understanding, leaders risk creating environments where teachers feel unseen or undervalued. And just like a student who feels overlooked in class, educators in such schools become frustrated, and sometimes disengage.

2. Motivation and Encouragement: More Than “What’s Your Why?”

If some educators hear the question, “What’s your why?” one more time at a workshop, they may roll their eyes, feel insulted, or even think about quitting. Why? Because the question can come across as condescending, implying teachers don’t know why they do what they do.  And if we somehow rediscover this “mystery”, we will immediately function better, and therefore our students will immediately function better!  

And yet, the heart of the question is valuable. At its best, it is meant to spark reflection and reconnect teachers with their original sense of purpose. The problem is not the question itself, but how it is used:

Motivation and encouragement matter. Teachers need leaders who:

• Inspire without belittling (directly or indirectly).
  
• Remind staff of their impact without questioning their worth.
  
• Provide a sense of support, reminding teachers they are not alone in their work.
  

Just like a restaurant cannot serve happy customers if its staff is miserable, schools cannot serve students well if their teachers feel overworked, unsupported, and undervalued. Healthy staff create healthy students.

3. Building School Culture Like We Build Classrooms

The same principles that guide us in building classroom culture should guide leaders in shaping school culture.

Think about the first six weeks of school in any classroom. Teachers intentionally:

• Establish routines and expectations.
  
• Build trust with students.
  
• Encourage buy-in so students feel a sense of belonging.
  
• Set boundaries and address negative behaviors before they spread.
  

School leaders must mirror this same process with staff. Just as we don’t overload students at the beginning of the year, leaders should avoid overwhelming teachers with unrealistic demands. Just as we treat students fairly and give them second chances, staff members deserve patience, grace, and restorative approaches when mistakes happen.

Negative behaviors – gossip, disengagement, unfair treatment – can be just as destructive among adults as among children. If we wouldn’t allow it in our classrooms, we cannot allow it in our schools.

4. Teachers’ Responsibility: Practicing What We Teach

Of course, culture does not rest solely on the shoulders of leaders. Even the strongest principal can have their efforts undermined by toxic staff behaviors. Teachers have a responsibility to practice what they teach.

And too often, we don’t. Teachers gossip in staff rooms, criticize leaders unfairly, and cut off colleagues over differences in opinion, background, or beliefs. We may whisper about coworkers in the parking lot thirty minutes after reminding our students not to bully or gossip!

We expect our students to forgive one another, to give second chances, to practice restorative justice. And yet, we often refuse to extend the same grace to our peers.

This is hypocrisy, and it damages school culture. Just as teachers can be incredible and still have classes that struggle with behavior, leaders can be strong and still have staff that resist growth. Healing schools requires both sides – leaders and teachers – working with integrity.

5. Lifelong Learning Includes Character

As educators, we often say we are lifelong learners. But too often, we limit that to professional development in content or pedagogy. True lifelong learning must also include character.

We must be willing to:

• Look honestly in the mirror at our own growth areas.
  
• Ask trusted colleagues for feedback on how we can improve.
  
• Model the patience, grace, and resilience we ask of our students.
  

It takes time to grow behaviorally, emotionally, and socially, not just for kids, but for adults. A thriving school culture depends on teachers and leaders who are committed to their own growth in character as much as in craft.

If we focus on developing our own integrity, humility, and patience, the ripple effect will strengthen our schools and our students.

Conclusion: Healing Schools by Practicing What We Teach

Schools heal the same way classrooms heal: through building trust, establishing relationships, exhibiting fairness, providing encouragement, ensuring accountability, and giving grace when appropriate.

Yes, leadership matters. Yes, teachers matter. And yes, change takes time. But the path forward is not complicated. It comes down to one simple principle: we must practice what we teach.

If we do, healthier schools and stronger communities will follow.

Closing Words from Educational Leaders

“A culture is strong when people work with each other, for each other. A culture is weak when people work against each other, for themselves.” – Simon Sinek

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Ken Blanchard

“Humble. Compassionate. Knowledgeable. Honest. Fair. Respected.  Strong leaders promote a culture that subordinates want to be a part of. They invite feedback and collaboration, encouraging those around them to be the best versions of themselves.” – Starr Sackstein