HAPPIER SCHOOL THROUGH CONNECTION-A missing factor.

Connection is often a missing factor in a school system. If your son fails to fathom your intentions, your values and belief, he can fail to perform to the caliber of your expectation. This is also true if father do not connect to what and who his son is as an individual.

Bridging connection between individuals within a school system is critical to aligning direction and purpose of our service. Connection can be living the belief system of our managers, and managers drawing on the belief systems of every other individuals. Everyone in the school must attain a shared understanding of school vision, mission and goals. How a principal relate to the school vision must not be different from how teachers and students encapsulate the vision. Similarly, school principal must attain understanding of how teachers relate to the school vision, to the mission and values system. The leader must constantly articulate his expectations, his belief and vision to ingrain in others the direction and purpose.

When I joined Dechentsemo Central School then on May 2017 as a principal after 5 years of working as Vice Principal, I was began to take responsibility of nurturing future citizen of our country. It was a beginning I proudly recall having drawn my aspiration for school and for myself to reform and bring change in the school performance. Drawing from the name of the school ‘Dechentsemo’ I drew my vision to create direction in my leadership, and articulated it on the first day and constantly emphasised over the last five years.

My visions translate to creating school as a pinnacle of happiness-De-Chen-Tsemo. The happiness to attain through:

1. Academic learning and transformations
2. Rapport building and collegiality
3. Aesthetic change in school ambience

The continuous self-reflection on our beliefs, personality and behaviour ignites transformation and ignite shift in our value systems. The constancy of self-reflection draws out ingenious knowledge and ways we function as leaders. This strengthens our directions, bringing change in our ideology and philosophy. In my leadership model, I fastened my work ideology to a personal life maxim, that is ‘ Small Things Matter, and what matters is never small for any individuals.’  This was communicated to teachers over several meetings in five years. Teachers have begun to imbibe the philosophical understanding of this motto and make references in the work process. This vibrancy in the connection of ideas, beliefs and philosophy between individuals in the system is a driving factor for transformation in how we perform for a purpose bestowed upon us.

Over the last 5 years, teachers have imbibed this philosophy I have lived and worked with as an underlying factor for guidance. The school leader must express his aspirations with precision and clarity for teachers to imbibe his vision, to translate their vision along the similar motto. This leads teachers to connect to ideologies and aspiration principal have for the system.

My role as a principal is called upon must constantly been driven by areas of focus that are intended to fulfil the aspiration of His Majesty the King. After almost 5 years of service as principal at Dechentsemo CS, I reviewed my vision for  even more responsibility. These are to entertain my focus of thought and work for few more years:

I have envisioned to:

1. Systematise school working machinery
2. ICTtisation of working modalities
3. Manage Manpower and Mindset change
4. Enhance Connectedness and Competencies
5. Strengthen Professionalism, Punctuality and Work Discipline

What is more important than is how each of these missions are going to be lived by working in close connection with my teachers. Each of these are explained in detail and shared with staff to explain what is behind the manifesto. This is connecting to our aspiration first and then to a greater purpose.

The connection in two way traffic between principal and staff, among staff, and with student is critical to creating direction and momentum in our work. I believe that for school to thrive, or any organisations, into a vibrant and harmonious working system, the soul of vision must be understood by every member of an organisation through a similar wavelength of understanding. A vision on the wall has no purpose until we connect to its meaning, charter our plans and efforts towards living it and accomplishing in a framework of time.

The vision is the soul, the key to school culture. The principal is the driver of the school system, and he represents the life of school culture. The principal’s personality, psychology, morality, character, skills and knowledge become lifeblood for the school machinery. The vision and goals, aspirations and value system of the principal cannot be alienated from the vision and aspirations of the teachers. The teachers must know the vision with which principal works, and remain connected to his aspirations and expectations.

The connectedness within the school is an important factor for school achievement. This connection must be built through active engagement of everyone in all activities. This connectedness provides a sense meaning, hope and trust in a system. The harmony within the school in a significant to wellbeing of its members, and wellbeing is a foundation on which learning with happiness takes place.

The father-son relationship becomes a fulfilment like a good marriage, only when they are connected to aspirations of each other. Someone put this perspective right a very long time ago, that ‘no man is an island unto himself.’