Every organization has a culture — especially schools. Leaders should be asking, “Is this the culture I want for my school?” There are several indicators of a positive and healthy classroom culture, but two of the most important are trust and risk-taking.

Trust is the result of a safe community in which students believe that someone has their back. Do your students trust you and one another? Do they work well together in groups? Are they open with their thoughts, feelings and ideas?

We are born taking risks. A toddler’s first step is a risk as well as a cause for celebration, even if the toddler falls. At some point, cheers for risk-taking dwindle and the focus shifts to winning results. Students fear not having the “right answer,” so they quit raising their hands.

Teachers should ask themselves: Is risk-taking rewarded or discouraged in my classroom? Do students participate even when they aren’t 100% sure of the “correct” answer? Are there social consequences when students take risks? What can I do to promote risk-taking in my classroom?

Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a curricula created by the Flippen Group to provide strategy and training for teachers and administrators to achieve success in the classroom. HCDE’s Teaching and Learning Center provides classes at our headquarters at 6300 Irvington, Houston, Texas. Upcoming class at HCDE June 7-8. Download the registration form.

(Contributed by Debi Lokey, Leadership Development Senior Strategist, Flippen Group, http://www.flippengroup.com.)