Creating a Culture of Redemption

What is one thing that teachers who achieved the greatest amount of student growth in an Alabama school district have in common?

They created a culture in the classroom that allowed for failure and mistakes to be a part of the learning process, according to Betty Winches, an assistant superintendent of Homewood City Schools, and Jodi Newton, an associate dean of education at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

The two collaborated on an analysis of what top teachers in the Homewood schools did to cultivate success. They found a culture of redemption was key and offered tips during a session at the ASCD Annual Conference for educators to replicate a similar culture in their schools.

Creating a culture of redemption incorporates five aspects:

• Combining rigorous standards with multiple ways for students to succeed. "[Teachers] were negotiable about how you got to the end goal, but not negotiable about the end goal," Winches said.
• Provide encouragement to students, but also accountability.
• Offer specific feedback. "Great teachers are clear about what needs to be accomplished next in order to be successful," Winches said.
• Share progress with students visually and in kid-friendly terms. Winches said students don't always know what their grades mean. "These teachers strive to eliminate confusion about performance," she said.
• Partner with students for success. Homewood City Schools establishes specific learning targets for each grade and sends home booklets at the beginning of the school year outlining what students will be expected to know by the end of the year.

Learn more about the district's learning targets.

Post submitted by SmartBrief education editor Amy Dominello.