Do The Right Thing … Even When No One Is Looking
I love thinking about my purpose in life. I think that’s why I appreciate mission statements and mottos. Having words to live my life by always keeps me focused on my purpose. A personal mission statement is on the wall in my house to remind my family of what we stand for and what we value. When we walk by it each day it’s a simple reminder that we will
“Live on Purpose” and “Believe There is Good in the World,” but most importantly we need to …”BE THE GOOD!”
The same is true for any school. Most schools develop a mission statement. It’s on their website, in their handbook and usually embedded in their school improvement plan.
Your school’s mission statement needs to be a constant reminder of how everyone should act based on their values. It’s a reference point and a reminder of what you stand for, for all to see. It tells everyone, “This is who we are, this is what we believe, and this is what we value.”
Many schools have mission statements that have no practical meaning to staff, students or parents. They are often unclear in stating what their school stands for and values. In other cases they are clear, but the actions of the staff and students don’t align with the school’s mission.
If no one knows or believes your mission statement, it is ineffective. To bring your school’s mission to life, all stakeholders have to live it and act upon it every day. You must embed it in the classroom, students lives, and the local community. Every decision the staff, students, and parents make should align with your mission.
One reason staff and students do not know, understand or act upon a school’s mission statement is because they have no voice in creating it. If you give students, teachers, and parents a chance to create, it they will take greater ownership of it. Schools without a mission statement should ask staff and students to list core values and beliefs they want the school to stand for. Have students and staff generate ideas and let all stakeholders vote on the mission. Students will be creative and rise to the challenge if you let them have a voice in the process. Allowing all stakeholders to have voice gives them greater ownership and will enable the vision to shape the culture of the school.
If you have a mission statement, but no one knows it, you must find a way to embed it in the culture of your school. Ask students and teachers if they believe and value it. You may find that you need to alter or completely change it based on the opinions of your students and staff.
Once you finalize your mission, students, teachers, and parents need to interact with it during daily activities. Allow opportunities for them to do quick writes about it in core academic subjects. Engage families in creating their mission statements and share them at school to express family values. Through this activity, students will make connections to the school’s mission and their personal families’ missions. There will likely be similarities and connections that can be made between the two that students can reflect on.
Another idea for enabling your mission to come to life is to create a mantra, motto or pledge that captures it in a few words for students and staff. Give staff and students opportunities to interact with it by creating hashtags, songs, pledges, etc. to continually remind and reinforce the values and beliefs.
One school that is living example of its mission is Union Academy, a K-12 school in Monroe, North Carolina. Their mission statement reads,
“Union Academy is a K-12 preparatory school dedicated to educating the whole child, providing challenging, high-quality instruction, strong character development in all of its students, and collaborative family and community involvement.”
They made character and community a vital part of their mission. They also captured their mission statement in a pledge that all teachers, students, and parents know and live by.
Their pledge is simple, yet profound…
“At Union Academy, we do the right thing even when no one is looking.”
Their pledge is easy for students, staff and community members to remember and encompasses what they value and believe. The staff, students, and parents at Union Academy all had a voice in creating it. Therefore this philosophy of having good character and doing the right thing when no one is watching is embedded in their school’s climate and culture.
I too am often reminded of Union Academy pledge in my personal life when no one is watching me. You know… those little life moments when you are in the grocery store and decide you no longer want the sugar, but don’t feel like walking back to aisle six to put it back. It’s those quiet moments in a dressing room when no one is watching, and we all have decisions to make. Do you hang all the clothes up and put them back where they belong, or do you leave them hanging in the dressing room? Although no one is watching, it’s up to me to still do the right thing. It’s that point of reference and constant reminder that a successful mission statement will help shape and mold a positive climate and culture for your school.
The students at Union Academy can be seen helping each other, picking up trash, engaging in random acts of kindness, and simply being good citizens because they have developed intrinsic motivation to do the right thing. It’s built in their mission, and they understand what it means to live, breathe, and do it every day.
If you would like to change the climate of your school the first place to start will be your mission. It’s your foundation that supports and guides EVERYTHING else. A mission that comes to life will help your school have a positive climate and culture. It will be a constant reminder to students, staff, and parents of how we should think, act, and do.
Should you be successful, it will even permeate through the hearts and minds of visitors just like it did for me at Union Academy. I am always thankful for Union Academy’s mission and pledge that serves as a constant reminder to me to “Do the right thing even when no one is looking!”
