| “The power of culture is measured by the degree in which it is taken for granted.” Wow. What a bold, but also very true, statement. Just this morning for example, my kids did not not tell me thank you when I woke them up on time, handed them their full lunchboxes, or made them breakfast. I wasn’t offended though, because I was never expecting a thank you for these things…as they are such an ingrained part of our morning routine that they are taken for granted. I did get a thank you though last week, when we went to Sweet Frog, because that was something that was very much out of the ordinary and not a part of our daily culture. So what does this look like at our schools? What kind of things would we like to see so deeply ingrained in our school culture that they are taken for granted? On the flip side, what are some things that currently are taken for granted that we would prefer not to be? The other question I found myself contemplating this weekend was in regard to how something becomes ‘taken for granted’. While there are many examples of strong cultures throughout history, I kept thinking back to the culture of the first church that we find originating in the book of Acts. Over two thousand years have passed since those early days of Christianity and yet our churches today still align with the culture of the first church! Our churches today still value strong teaching, prayer, communion, and fellowship; all of which were valued in Acts chapter 2. When I thought about why this could be, I landed on three things: conviction, commitment, and consistency (y’all know every great speech has three alliterative points). The first church were convicted about what they were creating. They were certain that what they were establishing was true and good. Paul and the disciples were committed to what they were doing. They recognized that it was incredibly important work and therefore it was worth the struggle and effort that it would require. Finally, the early leaders of the first church were consistent. Whether they were encouraging the Ephesians, or visiting Philippi, their narrative never changed. More than that, their own example was consistent with what they preached. What kind of things would we like to see so deeply ingrained in our school culture that they are taken for granted? Once we determine what those are, how are we displaying conviction, commitment, and consistency to these values with the hope that these values will truly become ingrained in our school’s culture. |
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Can you measure culture?
What we’re all about
Pai·deia (noun) – The upbringing of a child
Prac·ti·cal (adjective) – Concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with simply theory and ideas
Paideian – A paideian is an individual shaped by or committed to the principles of paideia,
How can we help?
- Black History Month
- Catechisms
- Chapel
- Encouraging Struggling Students
- Five Common Topics
- Instilling Wonder and Cultivating Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrating the Bible Well
- Latin
- Lesson Plan Examples
- Ordering Our Affections
- Practical Ideas for Grammar School Teachers
- Practical Ideas for Humanities Teachers
- Primary Sources
- Ratus and Viridis
- School Culture
- Student Engagement
- Teachers Need Encouragement Too!
- The Art of Argument
- The Art of Persuasion and Strong Rhetoric
- The Seven Laws of Teaching
- Virtue in the Classroom
Practical Paideia 
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