Trust in SchoolTrust in School

TrustHuman beings can fix anything with

enough time

and enough duct tape

Except Trust

TrustIf you had to explain trust to someone who had

not heard the word, what would you say?

• Write independently-5 minutes• Share with a partner-5 minutes• Make a list of the qualities of trust you identified

School ImprovementSchools improve when the staff shares the

common belief in the nobility of their profession and value the dignity of each other, students and student’s families.

Relational trust is essential to the development of these common believes and values

Changes• Make a list of 3-5 changes that you

have seen in the past three years at your school or in your district.

Differentiating Change from Transition

• Change is not the same as Transition• Change is external, Transition is internal• Transition is the psychological process

people go through to come to terms with the new situation

• Unless Transition occurs, Change will not work

-Based on the work of William Bridges

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Payoff

Payoff

Payoff

Payoff

Payoff

Payoff

Payoff

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

ActionPlan

Trust

Trust

Trust

Trust

Trust

Trust

Change

Sabotage

Confusion

Anxiety

SporadicChange

FalseStarts

Anger

Tradition does not imply trust of any kind, this is so because tradition,

as long as it prevails, may substitute

for trust…when tradition stops

playing a major roleTRUST BECOMES

CRUCIALPiotr Sztompka,1999

Relational TrustRelational Trust

Interdependent Work EnvironmentInterdependent Work Environment

Cooperation/CollaborationCooperation/Collaboration

TRUSTTRUST

Competence, Integrity, Respect, RegardCompetence, Integrity, Respect, Regard

The Importance of TrustThe Importance of Trust• Strongest Level Of Trust: 1 in 2 chances of making significant improvements in student learning

• Weakest Level of Trust: 1 in 7 chances of making significant improvements in student learning

- Bryk and Schneider

Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement

Structures/Behaviors that Structures/Behaviors that don’t build trustdon’t build trust

Distrust among parents, teachers, and Distrust among parents, teachers, and administratorsadministrators

Suspicion of “outsiders”Suspicion of “outsiders” Tensions pertaining to race, ethnicity, age Tensions pertaining to race, ethnicity, age

cohort--predisposition to factionscohort--predisposition to factions Generalized anger--patterns of withdrawalGeneralized anger--patterns of withdrawal ““Happy Talk”Happy Talk” Poor internal communicationsPoor internal communications Institutional inability to learn from experienceInstitutional inability to learn from experience Ego fragility/emotional fatigueEgo fragility/emotional fatigue Teacher isolationTeacher isolation

Trust becomes an indispensable

strategy to deal withthe opaqueness of our social environment.

Without trust we would be paralyzed and unable to act

Types of Trust in SchoolsTypes of Trust in Schools

ContractualContractual

OrganicOrganic

Social Social

RelationalRelational

Contractual TrustContractual Trust

Contractual trust is based on delineated Contractual trust is based on delineated agreements. People trust that others will agreements. People trust that others will follow the agreement. Because staff follow the agreement. Because staff members in a district work on contracts members in a district work on contracts there is some of this expectation in there is some of this expectation in schools. Because contracts can not schools. Because contracts can not delineate everything that happens in delineate everything that happens in schools this trust is commonly thwarted schools this trust is commonly thwarted when people hold differing views of what it when people hold differing views of what it means to follow a contractmeans to follow a contract

Organic trustOrganic trust

This form is described as a sense of This form is described as a sense of affinity between people who hold affinity between people who hold something in common that is bigger than something in common that is bigger than themselves. What is held in common may themselves. What is held in common may be beliefs, experiences, hopes, or other be beliefs, experiences, hopes, or other activities that provide meaning in their activities that provide meaning in their liveslives

Social TrustSocial Trust

This form of trust is based on the idea that This form of trust is based on the idea that trust has a value similar to money. It can trust has a value similar to money. It can accumulate or deplete. You can use it all in accumulate or deplete. You can use it all in one place or save it up. You can spread it one place or save it up. You can spread it over many people or hold it all for yourself. over many people or hold it all for yourself. While it is a way to think and talk about While it is a way to think and talk about trust it was not this form of trust that trust it was not this form of trust that mattered in improving schoolsmattered in improving schools

Relational TrustRelational Trust

This form of trust is discovered through This form of trust is discovered through interactions. Participants in the interaction interactions. Participants in the interaction either increase trust through the either increase trust through the interaction or decease trust through the interaction or decease trust through the interaction. If people do not interact there interaction. If people do not interact there is no opportunity to generate trust. is no opportunity to generate trust.

Relational TrustRelational Trust

Role expectationsRole expectationsPeople know what to expect of one anotherPeople know what to expect of one another Understanding of the characteristics of trustUnderstanding of the characteristics of trustDuring interactions participants demonstrate During interactions participants demonstrate

competence, integrity, personal regard and competence, integrity, personal regard and respectrespect

Demonstration in routine behaviorsDemonstration in routine behaviorsThe demonstration of the characteristics above is The demonstration of the characteristics above is

routine behaviorroutine behavior

Role ExpectationsRole Expectations

Clarify our core values is the first step in Clarify our core values is the first step in clarity of role expectations. clarity of role expectations.

Once we are clear about what we believe the Once we are clear about what we believe the goal of our work is we can clarify what we goal of our work is we can clarify what we expect from each other in achieving our goalexpect from each other in achieving our goal

RespectRespect

Genuine interest in the other person’s Genuine interest in the other person’s point of viewpoint of view

IntegrityIntegrity What you say, do and believe are alignedWhat you say, do and believe are aligned

Personal RegardPersonal Regard

Acknowledge your feelings and the Acknowledge your feelings and the feelings of othersfeelings of others

Own your partOwn your part Consideration of othersConsideration of others

CompetenceCompetence

Faith in your own abilities and in the Faith in your own abilities and in the abilities of othersabilities of others

Routine BehaviorsRoutine Behaviors

Creating norms in behavioral termsCreating norms in behavioral terms What does respect “look like”?What does respect “look like”? What does integrity “look like”?What does integrity “look like”? What does personal regard “look like”?What does personal regard “look like”? What does competence “look like”?What does competence “look like”?

Answering these questions creates a culture Answering these questions creates a culture which nurtures trust.which nurtures trust.

What are the elements of What are the elements of Relational Trust?Relational Trust?

Role Expectations clarifiedRole Expectations clarified RespectRespect IntegrityIntegrity Personal RegardPersonal Regard CompetenceCompetence

Creating a trustful environment will move your school from independent

practice to Interdependent Relationships

• From me to us• From some of the student to all of the students

• From my students to our students• From my classroom to our school• From my lesson to our lesson• From my way to our way