Gossip- the destroyer of culture

E. Nevenglosky

I attended a seminar for classical schools earlier in the year. As I was listening to the keynote speaker, I was struck by his comment that nothing destroys a school culture faster than gossip. As we went through the rest of the school year, I paid special attention to this with my teachers. I had honest conversations when needed, but also encouraged them to talk with me before entertaining any gossip as truth. For example, a teacher saw my SperanzaEd page and told two of my other teachers I was planning to leave the school. Not true! It could have been put to rest sooner if they would have come to ask. But the damage was done in a short amount of time because one teacher had a gossip problem.

I also paid special attention to gossip among parents this semester. I was amazed and disappointed to witness how one parent choosing to gossip could level an entire grade level without any fact checking. Have we all not been told throughout our lives that there are ALWAYS two, sometimes multiple sides to a story or situation? Many things could be remedied and avoided if people were willing to have an honest conversation verses hiding behind screens and spreading gossip without accountability. Perhaps this bothers me more because it impacts children in an unhealthy way. It teaches them a destructive method for dealing with conflict or problems. The exact opposite of what we want for our kids.

Gossip will metastasize rapidly to the detriment of the school. It causes fear, doubt, and even panic. Give one another a healthy platform for discussing and addressing gossip openly with problem-solving solutions at the heart of the conversation. I encourage anyone who has been sucked into drama and gossip to disengage and seek out the proper avenue to resolution. SperanzaEd consultants are no stranger to this issue and continue to work to provide practical strategies for combating gossip within the school environment. Do not go it alone- reach out and let us help to create a stronger and healthier culture.