Staff turnover. Low morale. Lack of pride or investment. These are all signs of a culture needing a new approach! Our school culture affects who we are as a school, the relationships within our community, our goals and values, and how people feel in and about our organization. Ultimately, our culture defines the success of our community perhaps more than any other factor. Yet most of us do not know how to create a culture that inspires a sense of belonging, promotes staff engagement, and results in greater longevity.

There is no magic to creating a successful culture, but a clear pattern emerges from high functioning schools and organizations. Great teams have clear strategies and actionable steps for creating strong models of safety, vulnerability, and shared purpose which are incorporated throughout their organizations.

So how do we bring these strategies to life in our schools? Join Tamara Sheesley Balis for this workshop series designed to help you build a vibrant culture of belonging and ownership in your school community.

You will walk away with clear strategies and actionable steps for improving that culture, including how to:

• Increase staff satisfaction
• Foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity
• Improve community engagement
• Boost innovation and creativity

Tamara developed these tools and strategies after struggling mightily to create a strong culture and high staff morale in three different school communities. Tamara studied systems and has used these steps to successfully transform her own school community to a healthy, vital community where team members regularly share their gratitude for the school and community, saying, “I’ve never worked anywhere like this before!” Join us to learn both tools and strategies to support and grow your community.

On Day 1, What does a culture of belonging look like? And how does it elevate organizations and schools? We will delve into the human brain and how we establish belonging, the power and “how to” of belonging cues, how to create psychological safety for your staff, and more.

On Day 2, Explore how to develop a community where people feel safe sharing mistakes and their areas for growth, allowing your community to become a “learning community”. What are the active ways in which we can build investment and ownership from all members of our staff community?

On Day 3, We explore the Pillars of Belonging including communication, leadership, onboarding and practices that most impact retention.

This is an interactive workshop designed for self-reflection and connection while providing you tools to use immediately.

About the Presenter

Tamara Sheesley Balis

With an extensive background in Montessori education, school administration, and childhood development, Tamara’s life work is to support and cultivate cultures of belonging in families, schools and organizational communities. With 24 years as a Montessorian, she has served as the Head of School at Greenspring Montessori School in Baltimore, Maryland since 2012.

Tamara’s passion for cultures of belonging led her to Montessori education and the study of leadership practices, effective communication, and positive psychology. She is currently studying for her MEd in Integrative Learning with an emphasis in Montessori School Leadership at The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES) through Endicott College. She has presented at national Montessori conferences and is a Montessori classroom consultant. She has been a contributing author for Washington Families Magazine, publishing articles on Montessori education, child development, and parenting. She also wrote, narrated, and produced an educational video on using Montessori principles for the care of infants in the home.

Tamara lives with her family and is the proud parent of two Montessori children.