As the head of the School, I begin by articulating a clear vision to the staff. The consensus has to be that every student can and should learn. Getting the entire staff to embrace this concept is at the heart of effective leadership. In order to promote the embracing of new ideas, strategies, and techniques we need to collaboratively work with staff to transform traditional classroom environments into vibrant learning communities where all students are authentically engaged. I strongly believe that engaging staff in a brainstorming session needs to be frequently conducted to develop a collective vision in order to transform the Poddar Brio International School for the betterment of all students.
A vision begins with talk, but will only become reality with action. As society evolves due to advances in techno logy, we as Principals must ensure that instruction follows suit or we run the risk of our schools becoming irrelevant, in terms of our ability to prepare students with the skills to think critically, solve problems, demonstrate learning through creation, and compete in a global society.
I believe that as instructional leaders, it is our primary responsibility to observe and evaluate instruction. With this comes the responsibility to ensure that teachers are provided with the freedom to take risks, with the knowledge of effective practices, with the resources to make it happen, and flexibility to incorporate innovative teaching strategies in all lessons. With these parameters in place, we are able to consistently identify, foster, support, and promote the twenty first century pedagogy.
I feel there is a tremendous need to re-evaluate the curriculum as the real-time web and information age present new challenges to instruction and student engagement . The time is now to lay the foundation to ensure that our students evolve into critical consumers of content, understand the importance of digital citizenship, as well as possess the ability to create, analyses and interpret an array of media messages. The staff is given some control, so that their passion fuels a transformation of the teaching and learning culture at school.
I conclude by the following words of Grayson Kirk
"The most important function of education at any level is to develop the personality of the individual and the significance of his life to himself and to
others."