MLS Jan 2018 Local Attachment MLS local report final | Page 44

the long-run, we can take a leaf from Kidzania, where the element of ‘win-
win’ is clearly evident.
Another point of reflection for me at Kidzania is the caring and
supportive culture which contributes to the high sense of commitment and
belonging the employees have towards the organization. One can easily
sense and see the high level of support rendered by the management. The
General Manager and other key management personnel ‘walk the ground’
during the operating hours, ensuring the smooth running of the daily
operations and to support their employees whenever necessary.
Conversations with the staff of Kidzania show that they feel motivated and
empowered to do their best for the organization due to the knowledge that
the management would always have their backs, especially when facing
unreasonable demands or complaints. As a middle manager, it dawned
upon me how sometimes, we may focus too much on the ‘hardware’ and
neglect the ‘heartware’. We tend to increase teachers’ sense of attachment
to the school through acts like lightening the teacher’s workload or
improving the physical amenities so that teachers have a more conducive
environment to work in, but we forget the emotional aspect that can make
a teacher more committed to the school. The sense of support and
empowerment, be it actual or perceived, can go a long way in helping
teachers develop greater confidence in their work and greater sense of
belonging to the school. A simple act such as increasing my presence and
visibility can go miles in assuring the teachers, especially the newer ones,
that they can work in a safe environment where if the need arises, there’ll
be help rendered. Conversations will sound different, working
relationships will look different – and don’t all these little things make a
change to the culture?
Mrs Chan, the principal of Fernvale Gardens School, shared that many
of her students, while struggling in academics, are talented in the aesthetics
such as art and crafts, dance and music. As such, they actively seek out
opportunities for their students to showcase and shine in these aspects, as
a way to develop their self-confidence and self-worth. A key direction for
the school is that they aim to set their students for success, and not failure.
This high level of student-centredness in all that they do struck me as I
reflected about how much of this student-centredness do we truly have in
our mainstream schools. The phrase ‘setting them up for success, not
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