MIDDLE EAST SCHOOL LEADERS AND TEACHERS DISCUSS HOW TO BE MORE AGILE
BY : BILL TURNER
Can you move your body quickly and easily , even after a couple of months in lockdown ?! Is your pandemic-fatigued brain still thinking quickly and clearly ? Do you understand the importance of making changes the moment they are needed ? You must be agile ! Interesting synonyms for ‘ agile ’ include everything from supple to nimble to frisky : I won ’ t ask if you are any of these !
I asked a group of Middle East-based school leaders and teachers , with whom I work , how they have had to exercise their ‘ agility muscle ’ in order to be successful during the pandemic . What is interesting is that , outside the obvious area of developing one ’ s hard skills in manipulating new IT media , a broad area of common ground is ‘ communication and relationships ’.
An Administrator ' s View
“ Prioritise relationships ”
Graeme Scott ( Head of School , Fairgreen IS , Dubai )
“ Leadership is all about relationships , but in these uncertain times , the personal touch is more important than ever . As leaders , we need to break from our normal routine and focus less on the management of things , and more on the leadership of people . So far , morale is really positive , but we can never let our guard down . There will be short-term compromises when we need to make for the long-term health of our school communities .”
“ Be ready for a swift change of plan ”
Simon Herbert ( Principal of GEMS International School – Al Khail )
“ One can plan , plan and plan again , for all manner of scenarios , in the end , a swift volte face might be the order of the day , based on growing COVID rates , local pressures or changing directives . Schools are notorious for being slow moving oil tankers , changing direction extremely cautiously and gradually . However , the best schools have now learned to react , to respond and adapt to the ever-changing environment extremely quickly . This has to be managed with care , or the emotional fallout will damage wellbeing , one ’ s own and that of staff .”
“ Be creative ”
Monique Flickinger , Superintendent of the American Community School , Abu Dhabi says :
“ Being nimble during the COVID crisis requires educators to be creative and find new ways to deliver a quality educational experience . As a superintendent , I now connect with parents in online meetings much more frequently and I no longer think twice about creating a short video to share with staff , parents or students . I ' ve been able to pop into live online classes digitally and have enjoyed getting to meet students in that environment .”
“ Be in the moment ”
Dr . Zak Palsha , Director at Al Bayan International School in Kuwait
“ I don ’ t think the pandemic has forced us to lead differently , but I do think it has shed a light on how we lead and highlighted different aspects of our leadership style to ensure that our school culture and community are being taken care of . This year at Al-Bayan International School we have really focused on being flexible , inspirational and being in the moment . As we navigate with staff members , families and students via zoom those three words have resonated with our leadership team and have trickled down to how we approach our faculty , and in turn how they approach students and the larger community .”
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2021 Class Time