Achieving quality education
EDUCATION must be accessible to all. No matter how far schools are, no matter how many mountains and bridges children have to climb and cross, education should be the priority.
To achieve quality education, we must have quality school leaders. Hand in hand with an effective leader are effective teachers.
The key to building a relationship that will strengthen an educational leader’s vision is being highly accessible and spending quality time talking and listening to teachers and support staff.
This might seem like old news to veteran educators, but with email and social networking as the prevailing ways of communication it is worth reminding leaders that there is no substitute for there is no substitute for pressing the flesh.
Here are four suggestions toward becoming a more effective leader.
Make the Rounds. Be a presence in schools each day.
Make a point to start the morning in the hallways and then conduct walks before the day gets ahead.
An educational leader’s work clock runs at least seven hours. Just by cutting one to two hours out of office day to spend a few minutes in each classroom and hallway of school.
Open, relaxed conversation. Invite a school leader’s cabinet to an early takeout dinner once per month. A conglomeration of parents and teachers sitting around local food can lead to the same open, relaxed conversations we might have on the town soccer fields.
A wonderful way to learn about what’s really happening in the local community is to sit in a casual setting on a regular basis.
Barangay Hall accessibility. Hold vision town halls during which you share your short-, mid- and long-term goals in a conversation style gathering. The meeting could be held in a classroom to set the context. You want to make it absolutely clear that your vision is all about children,
Established extended office at home. Use it as your second office to entertain visitors and listen to grievances as well as pep talk. The relationships are key to showing everyone that you care about them, their successes and their challenges. Relationships are key to engendering trust and respect for the vision that you believe will help your school “go world class.” KAREN A. ANCHET
Raniag Elementary School, Division of Isabela
