Peterson also recalled shadowing a principal who found ways to blend administrative tasks with opportunities to influence attitudes in his building. This principal had to provide central office with the total number of ceiling tiles in his building. Rather than assign that task to a maintenance employee, the principal assumed the job himself. The principal's arrival in each classroom was, of course, a big event to both students and teachers. Although principals are enormously influential, they alone cannot shape the culture of a school, Peterson said.
Culture is the accumulation of many individuals' values and norms.
It is a consensus about what's important. It's the group's expectations, not just an individual's expectations. Teachers are especially important in influencing the direction of a school's culture. Teachers connect with other teachers, with their students, and with the parents of their students. When teachers are sending a shared cultural message, that message reverberates throughout the entire school community.