Edward T. Hall in his work, Beyond Culture, gives the reader an apt metaphor for describing what we see when we examine the culture of an institution: The iceberg.
The cliche, “the tip of the iceberg” is often not meant to depict what people think of as the whole but of a small part. We often consider the iceberg as this mammoth mountain of ice and snow and, well, the tip is what sits on top, a small portion of something much larger. The truth of the expression, I believe, is what Hall alludes to -- that the tip of the iceberg is this very small portion of what we see on the surface of the water, barely noticeable or worthy of mention, and if we were to look below the surface, we would see this massive structure undetectable to the human eye. And, if we are honest, we spend a good deal of our time avoiding what lies beneath the surface. Out of sight and out of mind.
Schools are notorious icebergs. And, because we are not in the business of building toys or airplanes or producing fast food, but in the development of human beings, school cultures are often found within the assumptions, the explicit and implicit thinking and perceptions of the people who work and run them. As much as the culture of an institution sits below the surface, schools largely are a byproduct of what sits below the psychologically accepted norms of the people who work in them. The school iceberg is often merely a reflection of teachers, educators, and school leaders.
...we spend a good deal of our time avoiding what lies beneath the surface. Out of sight and out of mind.
And, there is often no better place to see the larger cultural natures of our schools than in the most notorious space of a school -- the faculty lounge.
To say that this is a place where teachers unwind or let it all hang out would be a radical understatement. I am sure other private and public institutions have spaces like this, but just mention the faculty lounge to a school person and you will see much eye rolling and shaking of heads.
Teachers spend most of their day trying to stay as composed as possible. It does not always work, but for the most part, teachers do take seriously the idea that they are supposed to model and mirror adult, dignified behavior. By the time they are on break, sequestered amongst their colleagues, it can feel like a dam breaking.
In faculty rooms, there is lots of the personal sharing you hear in any workplace, but there is also an extended narrative around other teachers, the school administration (i.e. “the school needs to…”, or “the school is run like…”) and, of course the students.
Sometimes, discussions regarding students are important ones, where faculty share their extended learning/educational experiences regarding a child, and the conversation supports the educators’ abilities to tackle issues or concerns. Or, the conversations can be super inappropriate, ranging from complaining, idle gossip or the more damaging characterizations that stigmatize and give students reputations that they may carry with them from class to class or year to year. Instead of students being seen as constantly growing and changing and evolving, they become typeset and categorized early on.
Teachers spend most of their day trying to stay as composed as possible...By the time they are on break, sequestered amongst their colleagues, it can feel like a dam breaking.