Working on Your Game Plan. This chapter described the overlapping symbolic elements that shape and define the organizational culture of a school. Among them are the myths and stories that people tell about the school, the heroes and heroines who are often recalled, the history and traditions of the school, and the rituals that are ordinary events in the school.

Consider a school that you know well and choose three of the following symbolic elements:

A. Heroes/heroines B. Stories C. Myths D. Rituals E. Traditions F. History G. Values H. Beliefs In a paragraph on each of the three elements you have chosen, describe how they are ordinarily manifested in that school. After writing your three descriptive paragraphs, compare notes with others who have done this exercise by reading what you and they have written and discussing the different observations that have been made about the organizational culture of schools.