Who creates a school’s culture? Given that the first tenet of modern psychology is: “Human behavior is consistent and predictable,” school culture has traditionally been created through decades of consistently modeled student behaviors. But what happens when culture cannot be observed or modeled?
“We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by society.” — Alan W. Watts
High school and college administrators recognize there is an opportunity to create an entirely new school culture every four years. Administration can strategically guide and encourage the behaviors of entering freshman who will be role models for the next year’s class. Rinse and repeat for three years and you can develop a new school culture. But what if upper classmen are not present to model the accepted, promoted, and perpetuated cultural norms?
“Cultures grow on the vine of tradition.”– Jonah Goldberg
Here’s a thought: What if schools are unable to open in 2021? Given the current trends, this is not inconceivable—actually, it is more probable each day. But what would that situation look like and what kind of impact would it have on school culture?
A majority of this year’s college freshman will not “go” to college. They are experiencing college academics virtually, without any exposure to campus culture or traditions. In addition, last year’s freshman were on campus for six months or less. That wasn’t enough time to find the best grilled cheese sandwiches and gelato, yet alone learn why a class starting before 8:00 a.m. is a rookie mistake. For all intents and purposes, in September of 2021, half of all college students will have no personal experience with the culture of the school they have “attended” for two years. In addition, upper classmen will have been absent from the campus for two years and clueless about what upper classmen are supposed to do, because they haven’t had anyone model those behaviors for them. Then—hopefully— there will be a full reboot of colleges and universities in September of 2022.
“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”
— Albert Einstein
In 2022, three years of students—freshman, sophomores, and juniors—may join seniors on campuses. However, many seniors will have been absent from campus for two years and be completely unpracticed in modeling the ways of the school and its culture. Juniors were only on campus for six months, and then away from the school for two years. And freshman and sophomores will be completely ignorant about the school’s culture. Also keep in mind that most sophomores and freshmen never even visited their school for a campus tour during COVID. What do you call this? An opportunity.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost
Never before have students had such an opportunity to develop the culture of their schools. This cultivation will be happening at nearly three thousand schools across the United States—and in other countries. Untangled and freed from the shackles of tradition and circumstance, the question is…who creates a school’s culture? Who will lead? Administration? Professors? Students?
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay