How School Culture Slays Chronic Absenteeism

#Culture Read time:
The more the merrier when it comes to creating school culture. When students aren’t in attendance, their particular contributions to school culture are greatly missed.

However, we know there are tons of valid reasons students are unable to get to school (and that schools are always helping solve these issues of access for students). Beyond full tummies, clean clothes, and transportation, there’s also the question of whether students feel like going to school.

Hold on now, we think as adults. I might not feel like going to work, but I go anyway. So true. Now consider the reasons we as adults go anyway: perhaps a good connection with a coworker, or the recognition we get from a job well done at work worth doing. How can we ensure students also feel this belonging and esteem?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs gives us a helpful vision of what makes human brains engage, tick, and grow. After our physical needs for health and safety are met, we’re naturally programmed to pursue connections with other people. Let’s dive in and explore the cycle of belonging and esteem that can get more students to engage and contribute to their school’s culture.

 

I belong here

It’s really not enough to invite the child to belong—they must decide they belong. Four tactics can help this decision emerge.

Messaging lets students and their grown-ups know they’re welcome. Educators really get to unleash their creativity here, and this is what is memorable for students and families. This emotional labor of not only creating materials but lovingly arranging them gives people the message: “I see you. You see me. We belong together.”

Climate of the school is related to school culture. It’s the embodiment of the culture, the feelings left when school culture is done well. A positive and cohesive culture can foster a welcoming environment.

Equity is acknowledging and meeting each student’s unique needs.

Warmth, emotional connection, and a friendly smile go a long way. This is work—emotional labor is still labor—and it matters so much when educators put in this overlooked effort. The process of creating belonging is less coercive than it is simply a sincere invitation.

If you are a dreamer, come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by the fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
–Shel Silverstein

 

I am here

Do we give kids (oh, and teachers) enough credit for coming to school in the first place? A child in attendance has decided: I’ve chosen to come here today ready to participate. I prepared to get here, and got help when needed.

When we think about it this way, how heroic is it for a relatively new human to get to school? Though the goal is to limit absences and get students involved in creating their own school’s culture, getting students to attend can be tricky. Children who feel they belong—that is, they’re welcome into the group just as they are—are more likely to attend than those who dread spending hours in a place hostile to them.

For families who need a nudge to ensure their child’s attendance, pair behavior science and automation to deliver letters designed to inspire action.

 

I contribute here

A student who belongs feels safe enough to make their own creations, ideas, and assertations in the classroom and school. Such psychological safety permits productive failure.

Failures can be some of the most valuable contributions to the group if we learn from them. Showcasing your own failures from a leadership perspective models the non-linear nature of growth for students only just learning how to learn.

The more student choice and agency are worked into the day, the better. From building schedules to designing their own projects, students are energized by doing their own thing (even if adults think it’s pretty out-there).

 

My contributions are recognized here

When I contribute, I gain recognition and esteem from peers, teachers, staff, and other adults in the building.

Another labor of love teachers are famous for: showcasing student work for many eyes to see. It’s not just a design choice; it’s the feedback and recognition that students crave once they achieve that feeling of belonging. The next step in Maslow’s Hierarchy nudges humans to seek esteem—respect and admiration—from others and themselves.

Part of the learning we do in schools is to learn how to be humans together. Tools like Maslow’s Hierarchy can’t solve every problem (and definitely not chronic absenteeism in the post-pandemic era), but it’s possible to take inspiration and make incremental change for the better.

And after all, that’s all that learning is.

 

Follow-up resource: Chronic absenteeism meets its match

See how to automate attendance letters to get families to act in this one-page pitch: How Attendance Letters Improve Absenteeism.




 
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