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1. I will be completely honest the one moment that stands out to me is when a fellow classmate of mine died. One of my teachers let me sit next to her desk crying and talking about him. Everyone else in the class contributed to the conversation each having a different story about him in a good light.

2. A negative culture i have experienced, is actually my nephew's story. My nephew is autistic and has ADHD. in his class, his teacher was very old fashioned and believed there was no such thing. She swore he only had a discipline problem and sent home notes everyday complaining about him. I sent him with a worry stone in his pocket to rub when he got anxious or angry. She took every little thing i gave him to keep him calm away then complained about him having outbursts. I never want to be that kind of teacher and having my nephew experience this just makes me more detailed in ways i can help others stay active and calm.

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1 A positive culture I experienced was my 3rd teacher i had just moved to a new school and was very nervous but my teacher did everything in her power to make sure comfortable with her efforts of doing that it made me want to show up to school more because I was excited.

2 A negative culture I experienced was my first semester of college towards the end my mom needed surgery so I had to miss 2 weeks of school to help with my younger sister. I had talked to my teacher prior about making up work and being able to do work while I was gone but that teacher never fell through with their word. so when I emailed asking about work they told me to figure it out and it wasn't their issue therefore i failed the class.

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1: I experienced a positive culture when I was a high school student. While I was in high school I was on the cross country team, I was not fast or very good at running but for every year of high school I came back out for the cross country team because of the amazing positive culture and experiences that the coaches established. Whether you were the fastest runner on the team or the slowest person there, the coaches were always the nicest, kind hearted people, they truly cared about everyone and treated every person with the care and compassion necessary to be a great coach. In return the kindness and positivity spread throughout the team, we all felt like a family, helping each other out whenever we could and all growing together as people. So while I may have been a terrible long distance runner, I didn't care because I knew there would be people there who had my back and would always treat me well.

2: A negative culture experience I had came during my second year as a college student. I was a nursing major at the University of Louisville, as I was a newer student I was struggling with adjusting to college life and dealing with some mental health issues, so my classwork started to fall behind and I could not understand wat was happening in my Anatomy and physiology class. Since I was struggling I decided that I should approach the professor for help, when I did I was told by the professor that if I didn't understand the material it was not his problem and he did not care. Which hurt my confidence in said class even more, this attitude was consistent however among the class, everyone was vying for a limited spot in the nursing program so no one was willing to help anyone which just grew for an overall very toxic environment.

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1.) During my Senior year, I took an AP Literature course. This class was a smaller class with a relaxed teacher. Class time was taken seriously, with the room of engaging in conversations with students — who soon became very good friends. My teacher was very understanding and flexible. She allowed us to work collaboratively on our assignments almost every time. Ms. Reed made us comfortable — the seating arrangements, the way she responded to questions, any safety nets she provided, her clear expectations, all contributed to a positive environment! We all worked together, so we never felt alone. Instead, my classmates and I felt safe and appreciated.

2.) A negative culture that I have experienced was my Senior gym class. Overall, it wasn’t bad; I was just used to being in classes with students who valued education. The class was filled with a lot of freshmen and a gym/health teacher who didn’t really care. There was not really much structure — which would affect the behavior of the students and the opportunity to push boundaries.

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1- A positive culture I experienced as a student was in my high school JROTC class. My fellow students within this class were helpful and where very inclusive. In this class everyone supported each other and they did not judge. My peers can from different walks of life but we came together for a common interest.

2- A negative culture I experienced as a student was in my high school band class. Students often had miscommunications and judgements, this cause many riffs within the class. The instructor also had a more strict way of teaching, and that often lead to a lack of support from the director. When we had issues, and were not able to talk to the teacher, the students were not able to rely on each other.

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1) An example of positive culture I have experienced in school has been from my high school. In high school I had been apart of an organization where we strived to create a better environment for our school. We would do a monthly "teacher recognition" and do things like cleaning up the school, monthly student get togethers for kids to branch out and meet new people, and study sessions for all midterms and finals. The aspects of this culture that made a positive impact on students and staff members was it helped to grow people closer together and reward people for certain accomplishments. It helped students who felt alone to become more apart of my high school. I thought this was a very positive way to keep people in touch with one another.

2) A negative culture aspect that I have experienced and witnessed as a student has been when I student taught as a senior in high school for a second grade class. In this class there were two students who had behavioral issues and had a trouble time focusing in class. Instead of getting the help they needed, the teacher would constantly yell at them and send them to the office as "punishment" for not staying on task and not focusing. I think at that age it might be really hard to focus especially if there is more issues going on that have not been discovered yet. This is a negative culture aspect because it is affecting these students education.

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1.) In high school we used to have a class where we had to have class decisions once a week. Every time someone decided to speak out loud we had to show our support in either clapping for them or giving them feedback. The culture of the classroom was to show that everyone who was in it was there to support everyone.

2.) In Middle school we used to hold debates in my English class throughout the year. This was often a toxic environment. People who disagreed with one another often started yelling back a forth. Everyone was trying to prove their point but it ended up them shooting down someone else's ideas.

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1. My high school had a one hour lunch where students could go wherever they needed to for that day. This allowed students to get tutoring, participate in clubs, and form lasting relationships with their favorite teacher! As a student with a learning disability, this was incredibly impactful for me with getting extra tutoring because I didn't have time to go after school. It was also a nice brain break for students and teachers to take a breath.

2. One example of a negative environment I had in school was my second grade teacher. While it was not her job to parent us, she didn't establish a nurturing environment for her younger class. She was cold and strict and often took away recess for our entire class- which was a much needed energy releaser for what she called "rowdy kids". I believe empathy and grace are much needed attributes a teacher must have.

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1. An example of a positive environment I have experienced as a student is the classroom environment of my student body class. Being involved in the decision making of the school was empowering to see that students had an opportunity to express their opinions. The passion of the teacher to help make student ideas happen and the push to encourage students to speak up for their classmates created an overall positive environment.

2. A toxic/negative environment i experienced in a school was when my high school got a new principal. This principal was overbearing and did not honor school traditions. It was sad to see the push for teachers who had been at my high school for a long time to leave. This principal did not treat teachers in a professional manner and made them feel as if she did not trust them to do their jobs good enough. Overall this environment was toxic for teachers and students due to the principals neglect of student and teacher input.

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1. An example of positive culture I experienced throughout my time as a student was the positive student-teacher relationships I had and experienced from others. All throughout school the biggest parts were the staff and how supporting and encouraging they were of all of the students in their care. The staff all seemed to always get along great, and they tried their absolute best to support and encourage their students in their dreams and accomplishments. This overall affected the energy of the students and the staff in pretty positive ways, which decreased some conflicts and created a larger trust between everyone.

2. An example of negative culture I experienced during my time as a student was quite frankly a good majority of the schools culture that I attended. While there were some of he most encouraging and supportive educators and staff, there were also some that did not honestly seem to care about their job. Along with this, student input and opinion was rarely considered, and changes constantly occurred throughout the school years. Consistency and ritual were pretty much impossible to maintain, and disciplinary actions were honestly slightly lacking. There was severe divides between class groups and different types of students, plenty of issues involving delinquency, drug possession, violence both physically and verbally, all of which very negatively impacted the schools culture by a mass amount.

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#1 An example of a positive culture that I have experienced is as a member of a school. I work as a preschool teacher and every year we do a Fourth of July parade for all of the students in the school, they get to make shirts posters, and hats. All of the parents come to watch as the students walk through the parking lot to show everything they have made. The students love getting to do the crafts and the parents love seeing their children parade through the parking lot They also love to have everything their child made because it's a small piece of their childhood.

#2 An example of a negative experience would probably be in my high school algebra class when most of the non-honors students felt as if they were being treated differently by the teacher. They felt as if they were taught on an honors level, expected to learn everything in one day, and felt as if they were punished for not understanding the materials.

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1.) An example of a positive culture that I have experienced as a student is the "Current Events" class that was offered at my high school. This class was basically a way for students to interact with others within the school. They filmed monthly school news videos, interviewed students in the hallways, created content for the school social media, etc. All of these elements created a positive culture by giving students the opportunity to stay involved and have an effect on things going on around school. Students felt as though their voices were heard and that their opinions mattered.

2.) An example of a negative culture that I have experienced as a student was a classroom in which students' voices were not welcome. Personally, I find that classrooms that are teacher based often have a negative effect on the students because the students feel as though their input and thoughts do not matter. In this particular class, the teacher lectured the entire period each day and had very difficult exams. This lead to the atmosphere of the classroom to be negative, for the students dreaded the class and received no further help in studying for the exams.

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1. A positive culture that I have experienced as a student, specifically a college student, is being in an organization called ISEC. In this organization, we all thrive on helping each other out as much as we can. The organization leaders are very helpful, and I know that I wouldn't be as far in school without their help.

2. A negative culture I experienced as a middle school student, was having an unfair teacher. This teacher would always pick on me and other students of my race for no reason at all. She would call us out and make very disrespectful comments about us.

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1.A positive environment I have experienced was my AP Government class in High School. The people in the class were extremely helpful and everyone worked together on assignments to make sure that everyone understood was was going on. The teacher helped people with the research paper and pushed everyone to work as hard as possible.

2.A negative experience I had was a pre-engineering class I took in High School. I went into the class thinking that this might be my future career and I was positive that the teacher would be there to go through and explain everything we needed to do to succeed in detail. I was wrong, and the teacher gave us the program and the book to go with it and refused to help us. Also within this class we weren't allowed to work together and I ended up dropping the class.

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1-As a student, I experienced a very positive culture in my high school drama club. The environment was incredibly supportive and inclusive, allowing everyone to express themselves freely. The club leaders encouraged collaboration and creativity, making it a safe space for students to experiment with different roles and ideas. The positive impacts included increased confidence among students, a strong sense of community, and improved communication skills. The culture fostered mutual respect and the belief that everyone's contribution was valuable, which led to meaningful relationships and personal growth for both students and staff.

2- In contrast, during my time in middle school, I witnessed a toxic culture in our math class. The teacher was often dismissive of students' questions and concerns, creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. There was a clear lack of support and encouragement, and students were often afraid to speak up or ask for help. The negative impacts included decreased self-esteem, poor academic performance, and heightened stress levels among students. The lack of a supportive environment led to disengagement and a general sense of dissatisfaction and frustration for both students and staff.

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1. A positive environment I have had in school is my math class I had in high school. She taught us geometry and I wasn't very good at it but she would also stop and let us ask questions. It was also very helpful to have classmates that were respectful and not laugh if your question seemed dumb to them. Overall everything about the class was a very positive culture and it made it easier to learn.

2. An example of me having a negative culture was my chemistry i took in highschool. The teacher expected us to already know so much and for us just to understand what she was saying and was not good at answering questions. Also the people in the class were very rude when you did have one. It was a lot harder to learn in the class because of all that and the expectations were too high.

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1. An example of positive culture that I have experienced as a student, is the environment of my high school Spanish class. My teacher was very kind and put not only her skills into her classroom but also her heart and soul. She was very kind but also made the classroom respect her by setting clear standards and expectations in the school. She had a set routine in her classroom and was excited to come and teach her class each day.

2. I have also had many bad experiences in the education system. I have witnessed many different aspects. I feel like some of the numerous experiences have similar aspects; these include, not stating clear expectations, working for the paycheck rather than the impact of your teaching, lack of organization skills, lack of consistency, etc.

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#1: A positive classroom culture I experienced as a student was my English class in high school. The teacher cared deeply about his students and made a point to form a relationship with each of us. He encouraged collaboration and empathy in students and wanted us to come out of his class not just as better writers but as better people.

He was also very understanding and flexible when we as a class felt we needed more time to complete an assignment etc. and when individuals had circumstances that prevented them from meeting a deadline. He made sure that the classroom was an inclusive, welcoming space for everyone and always tried to make his classes enjoyable and not stressful.

#2: A negative classroom culture I experienced as a student was my fourth-grade science and language arts class (one teacher would teach us language arts for part of the class and then switch to science for the second part of the class).

It was also a split-grade class, with the teacher teaching different lessons to/doing separate activities with third- and fourth-graders in the same room during the same class period. This meant that the teacher was constantly going back and forth between the two groups and was mostly just giving instructions for a task and then leaving the students to work on their own; she wasn't able to actually teach or answer questions or devote individual attention to students because she was too busy rushing between the two groups of students.

I believe that having one teacher trying to teach two subjects to two grade levels in one class period was very chaotic and overwhelming for all involved, and it prevented the teacher from doing her job effectively and the students from learning much at all.

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1. One of the positive experiences I had was with one of my high school's history teachers. He took on his job with the highest importance. He cared for students inside and outside of the classroom. He was "the" teacher to go to for academic help and personal advice. My junior year, I was struggling with a lot, and he made sure to keep me on top of my schoolwork without putting too much pressure on me or overwhelming me. The way he was impacted the school's culture most positively.

2. A more negative impact on my high school's culture was through my principal. He created many rules in his first year that he used for his middle school that were not productive to the learning environment. Certain technology rules, student section rules, and dress code were the main factors. The students could not trust him, and made them want to come to school even less. The faculty even agreed to our dissent for these rules, causing an overall negative culture.

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#1 A positive experience in the class room for me was having a welcoming teacher who made sure to check on student mental health and well-being. The positive energy brought to the classroom simply made school more enjoyable.

#2 On the other hand I have had negative experience's as well. I once had teacher who would get angry if the content was not understood and would degrade you. This create another issues with students, making school unenjoyable and declining mental health.

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1. A positive culture I experienced as a student was my 6th grade Social Studies class. My teacher was so passionate about everything he taught and you could tell he truly cared about everyone in that class. If you were struggling in your academics or with personal things, he was always there to help. He also brought light to many student's accomplishments. I remember one time I randomly wrote a poem in class and he asked to read it after the period was over. I thought I was going to get in trouble for not paying attention but instead he talked to me about the poem and told me he wanted me to share it with the class. I will always remember that moment and so many others I had in that class.

2. A negative culture I experienced was my high school choir teacher. I was in choir all four years of high school and I met my best friends in that class. My senior year I was in an a cappella group with them and met more of my closest friends in that group also. The first three years were fine with little bumps along the way like my teacher getting upset with certain groups more than others and favoring certain people. The last year is when it all went downhill. She started pinning us against each other by making it seem like my friends and I were cliquey, even though our whole group was very very close (we all hang out to this day) and we always put in effort to make sure everyone feels included. We are not the type of people to purposely leave someone out. She also would talk about many members of the group behind their backs, to us. After we graduated there are still juniors that are now seniors in the group. They told us that she still talks about us negatively to them, which in my opinion is very unprofessional and just weird. We all gave 4 years of our life to that program and had many many accomplishments throughout the way, especially towards the end. It was very hurtful that a teacher I, and many others, looked up to would say such negative things about her students.

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1. One example of a positive culture I have experienced as a student in high school is through my math teacher. My math teacher during my sophomore year and senior year was also my Ultimate Frisbee Coach. He made sure to greet everyone by name when they walk through the door, and started each day with a question that everyone gets to answer. He created a welcoming and positive culture in his classroom through his care for his students.

2. One example of negative Culture I experienced as a student was through lack of communication from Central Office. I was a student staff member for my district's Media and Event Services. The leader was put under too much pressure under the position and left, and Central Office gave the job to another person who was not told what kind of workload it would be. This miscommunication caused many problems and left an overall negative impact on the staff, students, and program itself.

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1. One of my most positive classroom culture experiences in school was when my band teacher would have us play our solos, duets, and trios in front of the class and clap for us. It made us feel proud of our accomplishments and made us want to get better and perform better in bigger crowds.

2. One of the most negative classroom culture experiences I had was when I had a teacher who had her kid in her class. She would always yell and get on to the students around him but not him. It made me hate the class and I honestly skipped the class most days.

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#1 - An example of a positive culture in school I had was my orchestra teacher in middle school. I always wanted to be a part of all district orchestra but I didn't make my 6th grade year. So during my 7th grade year my teacher would stay after school and help me practice the excerpts and get better at the violin. I finally made it that year and it's a huge thanks to that teacher. The aspect of this was I wasn't the only student who he did this with. Anyone that wanted to improve their playing he would help them out after school which made for a positive and better orchestra for us.

#2 - My 7th grade English teacher played favorites extremely too much. On days we had homework, she would allow her favorite students to get an extension, but for other students such as myself, we were sent out in the hallway and would call the principal to talk to us. This caused for an unfair classroom that cause a bit of tension between the students.

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Positive culture I have experienced at school is when teachers and other staff care about their students and show that up front. The school stem I attended for 13 years was a very positive environment and left lasting impacts on not only me but many others, I had many connects and relationships with my teachers that impacted me and made me want to become a teacher. Some toxic and negative experiences that I was left with after being a student was the other students. We had many problems with fighting, drugs and unfortunately threats made to students and the school. Though, as a school we were able to overcome these things though they did leave some negative impacts on the students that were there.

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An example of a positive culture I have experienced as a student was my English class senior year. My teacher was very comfortable to be around and made it easier for the class to be able to ask questions. There was a time for jokes and laughs but also time for work. The students were respectful to him which made it easier for him to respect us.

An example of a toxic culture I experienced as a student was my sophomore year chemistry class. My teacher wasn't great at explaining things and punished us for the littlest things. She would also be annoyed when we asked questions or messed up, so students were scared to talk to her. This made it harder for us to understand the material because she wouldn't help us.

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1. A positive experience I had as a student was a good school culture where the teachers truly cared for the students. I had to go to the hospital and when I got back to the school and teachers welcomed me back and were checking on me. My guidance counselor made a poster that all of my classmates signed, and they delivered it to my hospital room. My teachers created a positive and hopeful environment. If you ever struggled, they would take time to go step by step and ensure you were grasping the concept.

2. A negative concept I saw as a student was teachers not respecting the other classes. I had a math teacher who thought her class was the most important one and she would assign large amounts of homework and would not coordinate with the other classes to ensure that a healthy balance was given.

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1. There are lots of ways that teachers can make their classrooms and the school a positive environment, by being a positive role model for students and maintaining a positive environment where they feel safe to learn. My senior year of high school I had a math teacher who I adored, I hate math, and he class was the highlight of everyday. She had me first period and second period she had my younger brother, and she would always tell us how much she loved having us in her classes and how she liked us as people in general. She wrote my senior sendoff note that I got at graduation and I invited her there too, she made a huge difference in the school environment overall.

2. I have had teachers who make the day miserable as well, one example was my forensics teacher who I had my senior year as well. She was just the worst and showed zero interest in her job or teaching, she never showed interest in anything school related. She would just yell at all of us whether it was warranted or not. I was never one to argue with my teachers or say anything that could get me in trouble but she needed it, and her and I had it out a couple of times. She made students and other teachers be in a bad mood.

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1. One of the most positive experiences I've had with classroom culture was in my High School Marketing classes. The teachers really made the space a safe place to learn, grow, and have fun. They not only acknowledged our academic achievements, but achievements in our work ethic and the connections we made along the way. They gave us the resources we needed to accomplish both in the classroom and life in general. They continued to work closely with each group to ensure the best possible outcome both academically, but also competitively. They truly made learning easy and fun. One of the best parts about being in their classes was that we weren't coddled, but if we had questions they would help us find the answer instead of outright giving it away.

2. One of the worst classroom cultures I've experienced was not in my own class or a teacher of my own but rather, teachers who made their classes feel unintelligent. There are several teachers I have encountered who hold themselves at a standard so high it makes students feel inadequate. Either they claimed they were "preparing us for college" or judged students and other teachers for the way they preferred to learn/teach. This inevitably made students feel like they couldn't succeed in that class. It also made teachers feel like they needed to do more or be stricter, some just completely saw them for what they were, because of how they treated their students and coworkers. Due to their mindset, it created a less productive space for students to learn, and a viod between these teachers and others.

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1. One positive cultural moment I experienced as a student was in a class where the teacher encouraged and fostered mistakes. In doing so, students felt more open and comfortable participating in class.

2. One negative cultural moment I experienced as a student was teachers holding students to unrealistic expectations and treating them as machines meant to do only school work. The teacher did not take into consideration life outside of school for the students which added extra pressure.

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1. An example of a positive culture I have experienced in the classroom is a teacher recognizing the acheivements of their students. I have been in classrooms where the teacher not only acknowledges academic achievements but also personal growth, acts of kindness, leadership, and resilience. This could include awards, shout-outs, or bulletin board displays that highlight students' efforts.

2. A negative culture that I have experienced in the classroom is inconsistent discipline from the teacher. For example, I have had teachers who would give students harsh consequences for minor misbehaving. However, other students would receive little to no consequences for major misbehaviors. This creates an unfair and toxic classroom environment.

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The most positive experience I ever had in a classroom was my AP Lit class I took my senior year of high school. What made it so positive was that it was a smaller class and the content was very interactive and involved a lot of discussion so everyone was able to get really close with one another and open up.

The most negative experience I had in the classroom was my public speaking class my freshman year of college. What made it so negative was that the teacher would give very inconsistent feedback and didn't take the time to know or connect with his students. There was also a large amount of students that spoke English as a second language and would never repeat instructions leave many students confused and lost on many assignments.

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1. If I had to give just one example of a positive classroom culture that is still relatively fresh in my mind it would be my AP US history course when I was a junior in high school. In my high school, you could take both AP US history and AP English at the same time as special year-long courses that met every other day (in our block scheduling typical classes met every day for a semester) and as part of that you got to go on the "skinny block" field trip to Boston. The college credit and the field trip was the reason that most people took it, but we had an amazing history teacher that made what could have been a very boring and dense course about a subject that most high schoolers do not care about the highlight of a lot of students' time at my high school. He always had engaging and creative activities for us to learn the content, and when he had to lecture he did not just talk; he would do things like dress up in full costume as historical figures to teach the content in-character as that person (often complete with accents). From a high schooler's perspective he could be perceived as "dorky" or "corny", but he had absolutely no sense of embarrassment about it and his lessons were always memorable and funny, which truly helped us remember the content later on without needing to cram before tests with traditional methods of studying. It was not just a class, it was a once-in-a-lifetime school experience that me and my former classmates still reminisce about to this day. When a teacher is truly passionate about teaching a subject and engaging their students, that passion is often transferred to the students.

2. While I cannot think of a specific instance since this mostly occurred in elementary school for me, something that I still dislike to this day is the practice of collective punishment. I think a lot of people have had experiences as a child of getting recess taken away as an entire class because a handful of students were too loud all day, or getting in trouble just because they were in the general vicinity of a group of students who were misbehaving. I disagree with the practice, both because it just seems lazy to discipline students as a collective instead of looking deeper to into the actions of individuals, and because it creates animosity between classmates that can last long after the punishment is over. As a history buff, I like to make the semi-joking comparison that collective punishment of a civilian population by an occupying army is against the fourth Geneva Convention (1949). While taking away the whole class's recess for a day obviously is not the same thing as brutalizing civilians, the logic to me is that if something is against international law in a war, it is probably not the best practice in disciplining young children in a classroom, and we can do better.

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1. One of the most positive classroom cultures I have been a part of was when I did long-term substitute teaching a few years ago. In 2019-20, I covered various classes, but one of the most memorable was a freshman world geography course. I taught the course for about 4 months (which led into online instruction due to Covid) while a teacher was out on maternity leave. It was a smaller class of about 15 students. Everyday felt like a positive and exciting day. We would spend a little bit of our day just talking about life and the rest of the class was great discussions about different parts of the world and how geography impacts everything from our accents and personalities to our food and living style. After taking a break from school, it was my memories of this class that brought me back to wanting to finish my degree.

2. When I was a junior in high school, I had a statistics class that was just downright awful. I was a junior and the rest of the class was seniors. Almost every class, the teacher would fly through the notes in about 10 minutes. Then we would do some problems out of the textbook, and she would leave the answers on the podium for us to check. This just led to many students taking the easy way out and copying the answers and turning in the homework. Naturally, the tests were difficult for the ones who did not actually do the work, and very easy for those who did it. The teacher did not foster an environment that helped us learn and grow.

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1) The most positive experience I had of a classroom's culture was my zoology teacher's classroom. He was an amazing teacher who made a point to show how much he cared about his students often. He would comfort us and give us advice anytime we were struggling. As a student, you felt cared about. In return, his students were extremely respectful and were willing to help one another. We created an environment where we all felt welcome and heard.

2) A negative experience I saw was a teacher who seemed like they were only there for a paycheck and nothing else. We did not feel cared for or heard we felt disconnected from our teacher and each other. They did not make an effort to talk to their students outside or in the classroom and in return their classroom was tense and none of us students connected or even knew each other's names.

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1. One positive culture experience I had in the class room was in third grade, I moved schools and had to meet all new friends and teachers. I was so scared but that teacher went out of her way to make me feel welcomed instead of just blowing off a new student. I still remember how she treated me to this day and and she's still my favorite teacher that I ever had.

2. A negative culture experience I had has happened many times, where teachers are just there to get paid and they do not care if you learn or retain the information nor do they try and make it the least bit fun. This is the worst for students who enjoy being at school and want to learn because the teacher is normally not very nice and puts as little effort into it as possible.

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Katie Singleton

1. One of the most positive cultures I experienced as a student was during my time in choir. We had a great relationship with both our director and any student teachers that would come to our classroom. The leadership in the choir was highly respected and chosen by vote as well, so we knew that decisions were being made with us in mind. New faces in the choir were not only welcomed enthusiastically, but actively sought out, and everyone integrated very well into our environment. Everyone in the choir uplifted and were kind to one another, and it truly felt like a much closer knit group than any standard class. Our shared passion for music allowed us all to work well together and support each other, and for many of us, choir was a safe space.

2. A negative culture I have experienced as a student was due to a teacher who on the surface tried to seem overly enthusiastic, who in reality was always talking with other teachers in the hallways and being extremely, extremely critical of her students. She also acted extremely prideful of her "disciplinarian" tendencies toward her students, which made her uncomfortable to be around. I understand talking about the way that things have changed throughout the years, especially after a long career, but her demeanor made it seem like she no longer enjoyed what she was doing and, frankly, enjoyed the aspect of being an authority figure more than actually helping her students to learn. I am a firm believer that though teaching may be difficult, you should never make your frustration that some students cannot grasp certain content the fault of the student, and it felt as if she never considered the outside environment of students in recent years.

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When I was in high school there was this thing that we called Cultural Extravaganza were a lot of different other cultures got together and celebrated each other's culture. Then students from the school goes around each booth and talk about each culture that booth is representing, and we got to try some good national foods! This had a big impact on me because I didn't realize how many cultures was in our school. When you first look at some you see their skin color and not their culture.

One thing in high school is that there are different cultures, and some cultures still do arranged marriages, and I knew this kid that when he went back to his home country his grandparents already had girls lined up for him to marry. He didn't want that he wanted to stay in America, but he had to because that was his culture. And I knew someone that I worked with at taco bell back at home and he had two wives and three kids, and he was happy. So, with that being said I learned that arranged marriages can be happy and it can be sad it just depends on who you are and how you view your life.

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1. I found a positive culture as a student when my teacher showed a genuine care for who I was. The teacher didn't just how I was doing in the classroom, but how I was doing as a person. She cared about my sports, friends, family, and my overall well being. Having someone I felt truly wanted to know me. It made me feel like I had someone who was my cheerleader, and overall gave me a positive experience.

2. I had a negative culture experience as a student when my didn't even know I existed. This teacher came to class, called role by last name, taught the lesson, and then we left the class. Nobody in the class had ever had a real conversation with him. It was a funny joke around the classroom at first, but then when it sets in you realize you're invisible. On the last day of school I asked him "Do you know my name?" He responded with "No I'm a last name guy" I asked what my last name was and he just started laughing. The rest of the class asked him, and he didn't know anyones name. This created a negative experience because he didn't care about us just his job.

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1. My high school principle is a good example of positive culture. She always made an effort to get to know as many students at the school that she could. I think that made students including me feel welcomed and at home.

2. A negative/toxic culture I have experienced was one of my professors. She was always negative and degrading students instead of trying to help when someone was incorrect. That environment made me not want to even go to class.

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#1. An example of a positive culture I have experienced as a student was a good majority of the teaching staff would put in the effort to connect with their students and be supportive and encouraging to them. Not only in school but would be supportive of students extracurricular activities and sometimes even attend sporting events to cheer their students on.

#2. An example of a negative culture environment that I have experienced as a student was when I had a teacher who just really didn't enjoy teaching anymore and didn't bother teaching material at all. He would assign assignments and allow us to get all the information straight off of google. Although this made the class very easy and seemed awesome at the time, it had a negative impact on us as students because we didn't actually learn anything within that class.

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1. One positive culture moment that I have experienced as a school member is when a teacher asks how everyone's day was every single day. I think that is something so small that has a huge impact because it truly started my day off better by just asking such a simple question. Also, it gave the classroom a whole different view and filled the air with such good vibes. She really made it a point to express how much she cared about us.

2. A negative culture moment I experienced is when a teacher does not care about you. I hate when the teacher is not able to meet with you when you are stress and walks into the room and creates this environment of lets just get this over with. You can tell this person just wants their money and then wants to leave. It made that class truly so unenjoyable and hard to learn. That is exactly the opposite of the atmosphere I want for my future classroom.

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#1 - One of the most positive cultures that I have experienced as a school member is one of open and genuine care. I had the pleasure of working with an educator at North Warren Elementary School and seeing the change that she brought to a young group of girls that needed someone to rely on. She was able to bring each and every individual together into a group where they may have never met each other otherwise but are now best friends who have a better grasp on their own worlds.

The specific aspect of this culture that was so impactful was this educator’s open-door policy. It all started with a student feeling cared for enough to fearlessly approach this educator and ask for a place to eat lunch. This educator surrounds her students with love and makes it clear, with boundaries, that she is going to support them.

I have yet to experience a more powerful culture or student experience that has truly touched the lives of more students than I can count. You can walk right into the classroom and feel the safety and joy that these students create for themselves, none of which would be possible without this educator’s dedication to creating a positive environment.

#2- I grew up in an extremely competitive school system. There were very few decorations or colors on the walls and creativity was never emphasized as much as academic achievement. Surrounded by students who were constantly competing with ACT scores and AP courses and college acceptances from middle school through the end of high school, there was a sense of never being a good enough student. This environment was harmful but encouraged by staff and educators as test scores were put above true learning and comprehension.

The negative aspect of this culture from a student perspective is the extreme competitiveness that was emphasized. Going beyond a level of healthy self-improvement, this was a culture of constant stress and achievement beyond what was necessary on a high school level. It is only now, halfway through college where I am understanding the impacts of this culture including an inability to set boundaries and advocate for myself. I was taught science and advanced reading but was never taught how to be human.

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#1 a postive expirence that I have had was in a chem class senior year werr are teacher would let us come in durring her planing and she would go over topics that we didnt understand or needed extra help on. durring this time she would as let us go over test an correct some or are misttakes to get extra points. This made a postive impact because by her givin up her only planning/ free peroid Iknew that she truly cared about how we were doing and wanted use to succed.

#2 a toxic/negtive expirnce that i have had was a teacher getting mad when we as a whole class didnt understand the content and would get mad when we asked questions or would say infront of the whole class that your question was dumb. Also She would answer emails about are homework because she said that she taught it in class and we should know how to do it .

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1. A positive experience I have had in classroom culture is when a teacher lets us reflect on our work. I believe that being able to make corrections after turning something in helps students to see their mistakes. It can teach them how to fix their mistakes for next time!

2. A negative classroom experience I have is teachers not caring. I have had many different situations of a teacher not caring about their students and only caring about their pay check. They wouldn't teach the class, only give out busy work, and not grade fairly. They had a negative impact on the students because teachers are role models, and they are teaching them to not care.

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1. One of the most positive cultures I have experienced in a school was in a high school history class. Unlike many teachers, this teachers goal was not simply to present the class with information and assess them on how much they learned. This teacher strived to make learning enjoyable for every student. No two lectures were identical even if they were they were different classes. The teacher was very engaging but was also aware of students who did not want to be put in the spotlight. They were also understanding and able to adapt to different situations for each student instead of having a no exceptions blanket policy. It was an environment where all students felt they were treated fair and wanted to learn.

2. The quickest and unfortunately most common way to create a negative culture is when the teacher cares more about presenting their subject than they care about the students themselves. At every level of education teachers are in a unique opportunity to help students not only in the classroom but in life. Negative cultures appear when teachers do not treat students with respect and do not go out of their way to help students. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "Intelligence plus character, that is the true goal of education." All too often I fear that is forgotten.

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#1. An important factor that plays into the classroom culture is the teachers themselves. As many have said, a teacher's personality and attitude is a pivotal factor in students' success. I have had teachers who have made even the dullest of subjects very interesting and fun. Math is my least favorite subject, yet my General Math professor from last semester made the time spent in class feel like a breeze. Charisma goes a long way when it comes to teaching, as you are more likely to pay attention and enjoy the work if you're being taught by someone who captivates you.

#2. Contrast this with a teacher who hands out busy work and hides in their shell all year. I've had many teachers who have simply passed out buckets of work and refused to establish a connection with any of their students. Why teach a subject if it's gonna feel like a drag? Why learn a subject if it adds misery to your learning experience? Aloof and disengaged teachers are the reason many become disenchanted with learning. I have had many teachers who have simply come in for their paycheck and displayed no signs of passion for their subject. These teachers are part of the reason there are subjects I dislike.

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1. Positive culture that I've experienced in the classroom is where the teachers motivate students to feel comfortable to ask questions and engage in discussion that is student-led. It also creates a positive environment for students to be the best

2. Toxic/negative culture that I've witnessed is when students don't feel comfortable to speak out because of criticism making them feel like they don't fit in.

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1. A positive culture i witnessed as a student in school is how teachers took students into consideration when teaching. Every student learns differently and teachers have started incorporating more teaching strategies to try and form their lessons to be more effective to students. When teachers listen to students and adapt to their needs, the culture of the school and that classroom improves.

2. A negative culture I witnessed as a student in school is complacency. A lot of times teachers would see a negative behavior, especially in high school, and would just ignore it. Not assisting a student who is acting out or struggling can affect their learning and negatively affect them as a person. When a teacher just accepts a bad behavior or pins a kid as a bad student or a problem, that student will start to have a lower sense of self and will continue to act out. Not only does this affect that student, it affects everyone in the class. The teacher will also become burnt out and irritated with the behavior and wont be able to teach as well as they could.

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Carmine Cook

1. When it comes to students learning and enjoying schools for me it all really comes down to the teacher and what kind of atmosphere they create in the classroom. For me the classes I learned the most in were with teachers who developed a safe and respectful environment with their students. One of the main teachers that comes to mind was My public speaking teacher that I had when I was doing dual credit classes during high school. Having to get up and speak Infront of a crowd can be very stressful especially when you don't really enjoy what you are presenting. So, one way the teacher created a positive environment was by giving us freedom on our topics for each speech he also went out of his way to talk to each student and tell them how good they did and what they could work on. For me seeing a teacher put in even a little extra effort helps me respect them thus pay more attention in class.

2. A negative culture I have experience was when my fifth-grade teacher made me stare at a brick wall all of recess. I am not going to lie and say that I was very well-behaved student back then, but she went out of her way to give me another mark on my behavior sheet so that I didn't get recess. she claimed that she had forgot to add one a couple days prior and made up some random reason. While this isn't a groundbreaking thing it still stuck with me and changed how I viewed the teacher and honestly didn't make me want to act any better.

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1. One positive culture I have witnessed as a student and/or in schools is the shift to becoming more focused on student growth rather than initial grades and/or testing scores. It is very important to meet students where they are at and focus on their individual growth instead of expecting all students to be on the same level. Different students need different supports and learn at different rates, this should be embraced to maximize their experiences as a student, which will also maximize the experience of an educator.

2. A negative culture I have witnessed as a student and/or in schools is the idea that students are not redeemable. This is more often associated with students with behavioral challenges, but it can also apply to students who are just not understanding academically. It isn't fair to label students that way because it is essentially giving up on them. All students deserve any and every chance to have support and grow no matter where they stand. This idea is harmful for the student in more ways than one, but it also negatively impacts the relationship between the student and the educator.

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1. A positive example of culture I experienced was witnessing a team of English teachers at my high school work together as a team to make each other's lessons and teaching styles as effective as possible. This created a professional environment in the school as well as reassured the students that there was not only one teacher looking out for them but a whole team keeping their best interests in mind.

2. An example of a negative culture I witnessed was in high school when the school theatre teacher would belittle all the female students including body-shaming them and telling them they were too big. As a result of this many female students developed poor mental health and body image issues. This created a negative environment in the class since nobody really wanted to be around her or in her class.

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1.) A positive culture that I have experienced as a student was during my junior year of high school. My high school has a SBDM Council also known as a school based decision making council. My high school had two non voting student members to represent the student body. This allowed us to bring awareness to the question and concerns some students were afraid to ask about. We tried our hardest to make sure everyone had a voice. This made students feel more comfortable and heard.

2.) An example of a toxic/ negative culture that I have experienced as a student was in the seventh grade when our social studies teacher reminded us on a daily that our class was the reason he was moving to a new profession. His behavior affected the way all these students performed in his class and some stopped coming all together.

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1. One of the positive aspects I have seen as a student was when I was in High School. Every year, teachers and students would put on the "Scottie Games'' which was basically a smaller version of the Olympics for those students with special needs. Everyone from school would show up to cheer them on as they competed in different challenges. It made a difference for those students who never had opportunities to participate in different activities. Everyone had so much fun watching them laugh and have a good time, and it overall made the school have a happier environment.

2. A negative aspect I have seen is the times when teachers easily get annoyed with students when they ask questions. There have been many times I have witnessed students asking simple questions, or not understanding the topic which then leads the teacher to being hostile with the whole class for the entirety of the class. This negatively affects the students because it creates a sense of fear for that particular subject or teacher, and does not build good relationships between students and teachers.

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1. Teachers often make or break a class. They can turn the hardest of subjects into the most fun all year, or they can make the easiest of subjects into the most grueling of subjects. My Spanish teacher made Spanish fun to learn as she became a second mother to the entire class.

2. The opposite of this is teachers that will make your head spin by the end of the first week. Nothing makes me more irritated from an educational aspect than a teacher who doesn't seem to care. This can kill the learning vibe of a classroom and leave students feeling more frustrated than a college level calculus course.

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1.) For three years in High School I had to take a foreign language so I took German. The teacher did a good job of making her classroom a fun and safe space. I enjoyed every moment in that class and you could tell that everyone else did too because the way we would only positively interact with each other during class.

2.) A negative culture I experienced while in school was when I was in middle school. It was the beginning of the year and my English teacher was doing roll call. She called my name and pronounced it wrong and when I corrected her she got very verbally upset with me and told me to go out in the hallway for speaking out of turn. Being twelve years old I didn't really understand why she had to get upset with me in that moment and I still don't to this day, but that was something negative that I will hold with me in the back of my mind.

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1. I've witnessed many culture changes and topics throughout school, the positive culture experience was by far a core memory to learn about my peers and classmates diversified cultures compared to mine. The show and tell day that happens yearly at my middle school enlightens everyone on a deep dive into their specific culture, the many items that was brought in would even clarify as being that same object used for the same thing but being names different and shaped or built in a different way.

2. A negative culture experience of this day is two students who will have the exact same object but will have different names for the piece. The conversation turns into student 1's object is the correct name and student 2's is not but in summary the culture name for each object is the same. This can lead to bigger problems such as busted friendships and hurt hearts for weeks on end.

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1.)A positive school culture I have experienced in school was when I felt that I had safe space that allowed me to share my thoughts and ask questions while being suppoirted by my teacher and peers. The expectations were set and everyone followed creating a positive environment. It was positoive because it allowed everyone to be comfortable woth whos around the, and build better relationships without any feer of failure or anxiety or disappointment.

2.) A negative culture I have experienced is bullying. When someone is putting another person down for no reason and causing a scene in a school setting it doesnt create a safe and friendly environment. People shouldnt bully others for any reason and it causes more harm than any good. This results in students getting in trouble and hurt and the teachers have to get involve in order to help stop these acts.

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1. An example of a positive culture I experienced as a student was a culture food day in middle school. Everyone brought different dishes that came from a different culture. This allowed students and the teacher to experience foods from other cultures. Understanding how these cultures may eat different types of foods compared to their own culture.

2. As a student, I've witnessed disrespect through name-calling related to certain cultures. This can create a toxic environment, where students and staff are made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe. This is an example of negative behavior, as it is hurtful to those individuals.

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Make sure to start your post with your FIRST and LAST name.

Only do ONE post with answers to each question listed below.

#1 - Describe an example of a positive culture that you have either experienced as a student or witnessed as a member of a school. What were the aspects of the culture that made positive impacts on students and staff?

#2 - Conversely, describe an example of a toxic/negative culture that you have either experienced as a student or witnessed as a member of a school. What were the aspects of the culture that made negative impacts on students and staff?