The Serpent Tongue in School Culture

As I sat in church today and listened to the sermon on the power of words, I found myself pondering leadership roles and why anyone would choose to put themselves in a position to be constantly under scrutiny. Leadership is tough and not for the faint of heart. You are faced with countless numbers of decisions to make every single day, and in the end, you won't be able to please everyone. You seek out as much information as possible to make an informed decision, but nevertheless, the critics will still be clamoring. No matter the issue, there are people on both sides and they are waiting for you to make a decision that will inevitably please them or disappoint them. This is the never ending cycle that people in leadership positions face.

As I continued to listen to the sermon, the pastor spoke of all the body parts working harmoniously together to develop a complete person of faith. There was, however, one body part that served a dual role. That body part is the tongue. It is a body part that can do many things, but one of its primary goals is to put together words that can either lift people up or tear people down. We, as human beings, get to choose if we are going to use our tongues for good or for nefarious reasons. Such is the duality of the tongue. As I left church, I knew that I had to write about this duality as it pertains to leadership and how we can use the message to further our schools and cultures that we create in them.

Each of us have a choice in the words that we are going to use and power these words can have on the people that we work with or lead. What if we chose to use our words in a way that will make our schools better without tearing people down in the process? What if we chose to use our words to disagree with a decision and not include personal attacks on the person who made the decision? In one scenario, you would be able to share why you disagree and provide valid points as to why a different direction should have been chosen. The alternative would be to share why you disagree and then point out the flaws of the person who made the decision. In both of these instances, you have the opportunity to share your displeasure, but then you have a decision to make. You can use your tongue to build the person up who made the decision or you can damage the relationship by using language that attacks their character and integrity. The direction you choose has a direct impact on the culture in your school.

I have yet to meet an administrator, teacher, or a support staff member who wakes up every morning thinking of ways to make the day ahead the absolute worst for a colleague. The people I get to work with on a daily basis are consummate professionals who continually put the needs of others ahead of themselves. These individuals are selfless and only want the best for students, parents, and  the community. Why is it then, that many school cultures are suffering? Why do we continue to have schools that create an us vs. them mentality within the ranks of hard working individuals that only want the best for kids? The answer may be found in the words that we use to describe our schools and the people that work in them. If we all make an intentional effort to use our words in a fashion where we can openly disagree without casting in doubt the character and integrity of our colleagues, we might just create a school culture based on trust and teamwork.