by Dr. Michael Ford, Principal
If culture is the deep root system of your school, climate is the weather. Both matter, but they operate on different timelines. While culture takes years to build or rebuild, climate can shift in a matter of days — for better or worse. And as a leader or coach, you need to be able to “read the room” and respond quickly when the climate changes.
Climate is the mood, the tone, the day-to-day emotional temperature in your building. You feel it in the staff lounge. You hear it in the way teachers greet students at the door. You see it in the energy of a faculty meeting. The good news? While culture is hard to move fast, climate can be influenced almost immediately through intentional leadership.
Why Climate Checks Matter in Coaching
When you coach teachers or teams, the immediate environment influences how receptive they are. A positive climate creates openness, while a negative one shuts down dialogue before it begins. As a coach, part of your job is to sense that climate and either leverage it or work to shift it.
I’ve walked into schools where the climate was heavy — teachers avoiding eye contact, staff conversations happening in whispers. And I’ve walked into buildings where the energy was electric, with collaboration buzzing and laughter spilling out of classrooms. Both climates impact learning, but only one fuels it.
Practical Ways to Take the Climate Pulse
Observe interactions — listen more than you talk in common areas.
Ask intentional questions — “How’s the week going?” often reveals more than you expect.
Acknowledge the current mood — don’t pretend everything’s fine if it’s not; address it honestly.
Create quick wins — small celebrations, notes of encouragement, or acts of service can lift a climate almost instantly.
The climate is the part of school life you can change today, and it often gives you the breathing room you need to work on deeper cultural shifts. Coaching without climate awareness is like teaching without lesson plans — you might get through the day, but you won’t maximize the opportunity.