In one of the lectures on leadership, the lecturer threw a challenge to everybody in the lecture theatre.
He said," This weekend, I want all of you to send an encouraging note via email to encourage your school leaders. It is not easy for them to lead a school . Demands are everywhere. You can help to brighten their day and show them that you stand with them and to run the school together. If the whole cohort of 170 of you each send out an encouraging email to your school leaders, there will be 170 of them who will be encouraged this weekend."
There was a bit of silence in the lecture theatre, I turned to my friend sitting beside me and he shook his head and said," I am not going to do it. It is so unnatural."
As I made my way home that day, I pondered on those words that my friend said to me.
" What's wrong with encouraging our school leaders ?" To extend it a little more, " What's wrong with eating together with School Leaders in the canteen ? Are they so fearsome to be shunned?"
This brings me to my topic of Appreciation. Before I became a head ,especially in my early days in the service, I would criticise many things concerning school life ( in my earlier ex schools of course, not here...must put disclaimer first).
"Hey, why this P like that one ah? How come she make us to do this and that ? How come the HOD want this and want that? Can't they leave me alone?"
But when I became a head, I realised I can't laugh off or criticise things easily because NOW I have to make those kinds of decisions that would have impact on staff, pupils, parents and sometimes the reputation of the school. I began to appreciate the challenges that school leaders face ( I am also talking about Heads also) in their daily work.
Many times , we may be quick to criticise certain decisions or why a certain initiative have to be put in place. Instead of shooting it down, why don't we give ourselves the opportunities to know the rationale, the thinking behind why these decisions have to be made in the first place. Perhaps , we will then understand that very often, if not 100% of the time, decisions are made for the benefit of the pupils. It is time that we put pupils' interests above our own interests and do what really matters -
"Make everyday count for our pupils"
Some years back, I used to work for a boss in my ex school whom I looked up to as a Mentor. Whenever I have the chance, I would engage him in meals. Not because I wanted to gain his favour but I wanted to learn from him as much as I could. I was hungry for knowledge. So whenever I had a chance to lunch with him, I would ask him many questions -"What are your views on this matter?"" How would you approach such a situation?"," I have this idea for school improvement, do you think I can have your support?" Of course, it was not always work-related, we did chat about family , hobbies and this was when I realised that school leaders are also like us. They face the same problems (maybe more than us), have the same concern for their own children which we also have. It gave me an opportunity to see the other side of my ex-boss.
Through such interactions, I found that I have grown in wisdom, my thinking was sharpened and at times I found encouragement. So next time when you see the school leaders in canteen, lunch with them, talk to them. They are as human as you and me.
Let just say this weekend, we do a bit of role play. Imagine that all of you are in MLS right now and I am the lecturer . I will give you a similar challenge -
" Guys, let's send an encouraging note to our school leaders, our Heads or EVEN to a fellow colleague . Let this person know that you are walking this journey together with him or her."
"Let's build a "Care Bear Culture"
( Source: http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/1449/1/1/how-to-draw-a-care-bear,-tenderheart-bear.htm)
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