Lesson Plan
Culture Health Check Plan
Engage all school staff in assessing our current culture, identifying strengths and challenges, and co-creating actionable steps to boost connections and well-being.
A healthy school climate relies on staff buy-in, shared awareness, and collective ownership. This session surfaces real-time data, fosters open dialogue, and secures personal commitments that drive lasting improvements in well-being and collaboration.
Audience
All School Staff
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Data-driven reflection, collaborative mapping, and personal commitments.
Prep
Session Preparation
15 minutes
- Test the live polling platform and verify staff access
- Load and review School Climate Snapshot Slide Deck
- Familiarize with Live Poll & Reflection Activity Guide
- Print or digitize Commitment One-Liner Reflection Sheet
- Review Shared Priority Mapping Discussion Guide
Step 1
Introduction & Objective
5 minutes
- Welcome participants and state session objectives
- Emphasize importance of staff well-being and collective ownership
- Share agenda and ground rules for open, respectful dialogue
Step 2
School Climate Snapshot Presentation
10 minutes
- Launch School Climate Snapshot Slide Deck
- Present key data points and survey results
- Encourage staff to reflect silently on insights
Step 3
Live Poll & Reflection
10 minutes
- Guide staff to access the live polling platform
- Facilitate questions from Live Poll & Reflection Activity Guide
- Display real-time results and pause for brief group reflections
Step 4
Shared Priority Mapping Discussion
10 minutes
- Divide staff into small groups (4–6 members)
- Provide each group with the Shared Priority Mapping Discussion Guide
- Groups identify and map their top 2–3 priorities for improving culture
- Post and briefly share mapped priorities on a central board
Step 5
Commitment One-Liner Cool-Down
5 minutes
- Distribute Commitment One-Liner Reflection Sheet
- Invite each staff member to write a concise personal commitment
- Optionally share select one-liners aloud or display on board
Step 6
Wrap-Up & Next Steps
5 minutes
- Summarize shared themes and highlight common commitments
- Outline follow-up actions, teams, and timelines
- Thank participants and encourage continued engagement
Slide Deck
School Climate Snapshot
• Purpose: Surface real-time data on staff well-being, belonging, and communication
• Source: Anonymous staff survey conducted last month
• Goal: Reflect on strengths and areas for growth
Welcome everyone. This slide deck provides an overview of our recent staff survey on school climate. Walk through key quantitative and qualitative findings to set the stage for our next activities.
Belonging & Connection
• 68% of staff report a strong sense of belonging
• 22% feel somewhat connected
• 10% report low connection
• Trend: Connection highest in teams with regular check-ins
Highlight the sense of belonging metric. Define “belonging” as feeling valued and connected. Invite staff to note whether this aligns with their experience.
Well-Being Indicators
• 60% experience moderate work-related stress weekly
• 25% report high stress frequently
• Top stressors:
– Heavy workload
– Tight timelines
– Lack of planning time
Review stress and well-being indicators. Emphasize that moderate stress is common but high stress is a concern. Note top stressors uncovered in comments.
Communication & Collaboration
• 55% are satisfied with internal communication
• 30% want more regular district-level updates
• 15% feel siloed from other departments
Discuss communication and collaboration data. Acknowledge positive notes and spotlight areas for improvement, particularly cross-team information flow.
What Staff Are Saying
“I love our morning huddles but wish we had more time to debrief as a full team.”
“I feel heard in my department, but I don’t always know what other teams are working on.”
“It would help my well-being to have more flexible planning blocks.”
Share representative qualitative feedback. Read each quote aloud and let staff absorb the voices of their peers.
Reflection Prompt
Take 1 minute to think: Which data point resonates the most with you, and why?
Pause to let participants reflect individually. Encourage them to jot notes or discuss quickly with a neighbor.
Next Up: Live Poll & Reflection
• Open Live Poll & Reflection Activity Guide
• Grab your device and navigate to the poll link
• We’ll respond to 3 quick questions together
Introduce the upcoming Live Poll & Reflection activity. Direct participants to the guide and ensure they can access the polling link.
Activity
Live Poll & Reflection
Objective: Gather real-time staff perceptions on key aspects of our school culture and prompt individual reflection to inform our next discussion.
Duration: 10 minutes
Materials:
- Device with internet access (laptop, tablet, or smartphone)
- Polling platform (e.g., Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere)
- QR code or shortened URL displayed on screen
Preparation:
- Create three poll questions in your chosen platform:
- Scale question (1–5)
- Open-ended text question
- Multiple-choice question with 4–5 options
- Generate and test the QR code/URL
- Have reflection prompts ready to display after each question
Instructions
1. Set Up & Launch (1 minute)
- Display the poll link/QR code on screen.
- Briefly demonstrate how to join the poll on any device.
2. Question 1: Connection Scale (2 minutes)
- Prompt: "On a scale of 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very connected), how connected do you feel to colleagues in other departments?"
- Launch question and give 60 seconds for responses.
- Display live results chart.
Reflection Prompt: What surprised you about these results?
3. Question 2: Well-Being Challenge (3 minutes)
- Prompt: "What is your biggest well-being challenge at work right now?"
- Launch open-ended poll and allow 90 seconds for responses.
- Show word cloud of answers.
Reflection Prompt: How does this align with your own experience?
4. Question 3: Priority Area (2 minutes)
- Prompt: "Which area should we prioritize to improve our culture?"
- Options: Communication; Collaboration; Workload Management; Social Connection; Other
- Launch multiple-choice poll and allow 60 seconds.
- Display bar-chart of results.
Reflection Prompt: What one action could address the top priority area?
5. Quick Share & Transition (2 minutes)
- Invite 2–3 volunteers to share brief insights (15–20 seconds each).
- Thank participants and transition to the small-group mapping activity.
Discussion
Shared Priority Mapping
Objective: In small groups, identify and cluster our collective priorities for improving school culture and map them to inform action planning.
Duration: 10 minutes
Materials:
- Large chart paper or digital whiteboard
- Sticky notes or virtual note cards
- Markers or digital typing tools
- Shared Priority Mapping Discussion Guide
Preparation:
- Arrange seating so groups of 4–6 can collaborate
- Distribute chart paper and sticky notes (or set up shared digital workspace)
- Display the axes you will use for mapping:
• X-axis: Effort (Low → High)
• Y-axis: Impact (Low → High)
Instructions
1. Reconnect & Review (1 minute)
- Remind groups of the poll and reflection insights from the Live Poll & Reflection.
- Clarify that “priorities” are key areas where focused effort can improve culture.
2. Individual Brainstorm (2 minutes)
- Ask each participant to write down their top 2 culture improvement priorities on separate sticky notes.
3. Share & Cluster (3 minutes)
- In turns, participants place their sticky notes on the chart paper and briefly explain each priority (10–15 seconds).
- As a group, cluster similar/synonymous ideas together.
- Label each cluster with a concise heading.
4. Map by Impact & Effort (3 minutes)
- For each cluster, discuss:
• How much impact would addressing this area have on our culture? (High/Low)
• How much effort/resources would it require? (High/Low) - Place each cluster in the appropriate quadrant of the map.
5. Select Top Priorities & Prepare to Share (1 minute)
- Identify 2–3 clusters in the High-Impact/Low-to-Moderate-Effort quadrant.
- Write the cluster heading clearly and choose one volunteer to share.
Next: Oral sharing of each group’s map, followed by distribution of the Commitment One-Liner Reflection Sheet.
Cool Down
Commitment One-Liner
Objective: Write a concise personal commitment that supports our shared goal of a healthier school culture and greater staff well-being.
Instructions:
- Reflect on today’s discussions and the priorities your group identified.
- Decide on one specific, achievable action you will take.
- Complete the following statement in one clear sentence, starting with “I commit to…”
My Commitment:
“I commit to ___________________________________________________.”
(Optional) Share your commitment aloud or post it on our commitment board to inspire others!