Navigating a school out of danger

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday September 18, 2023 06:00

The reasons why it can be a tall order to navigate a school out of danger are many and varied. One of the factors affecting negatively the overall health of a school system is absence of a shared vision and clarity of purpose.

A vision should not exist in the head of a leader or management. Shared dreams and aspirations promote unity of purpose and mind while lack of clarity of purpose sows the seeds of discord and misunderstanding.

Discipline issues among staff and students are mainly caused by lack of a shared vision. This is because there is no compelling reason to come to work and perform as expected.

Disagreements or varying perceptions about the underlying issues responsible for the dismal performance of a school system could be another problem delaying interventions and change. It is quite healthy for an organisation to engage in debates on the identity of the causes of underachievement. The quest for answers has the potential to unlock opportunities for systemic renewal and regeneration. However, if not guided by evidence, debates could degenerate into a prolonged and unceasing contestation of ideas or a blame game.

If any blame has to be apportioned on anyone, it must be anchored on evidence.

Opinions based on guesswork may not be helpful in speeding up the process of dedicating the resources and attention to the real problem standing on the way of change. Lack of collective ownership of the problem(s) can also be an impediment. A school divided cannot stand. When the school system is mis-firing, everyone in the team should demonstrate readiness to crack the problem.

It is unfortunate that it is a daunting task to build and achieve a collective response overnight. Some members of the team may sit on the fence, remaining indifferent and unconcerned. Withdrawal attitude deprive a school an opportunity to benefit from everyone’s wisdom. Children can benefit if all teachers in a school collectively commit their whole selves to school work. It does not serve the students well to have students in one class subjected to a strong and inspiring teaching regimen where feedback is given on time while other classes are facing weak and ineffective instruction characterised by delayed student feedback.

Power is also another big stumbling block. How those wielding power exercise it either at the central ministry or school can make or break a school. Some powerful people may not yield and allow sound ideas from the less powerful to stand.

Accepting ideas from junior members of staff should not be seen as a sign of loss or weakness. A team thrives in an atmosphere of equals permitting a free flow of ideas. Humility encourages productive and constructive engagement. Rachel E. Curtis and Elizabeth A. City confirms how power can derail an organisation: “People are identified by the position they hold and the authority that they wield; asking them to work collaboratively implies loss of identity. They may give up making the final decision. And they lose control and a sense of competence.” In spite of the road blocks identified, it is possible to accelerate student learning outcomes.

The possibility for change is most likely when schools make the right choices and avoid placing emphasis on less critical areas. Most struggling schools hardly create time to address classroom issues.

Tinkering at the edges of the instructional cores is their undoing. Low achieving schools are easily derailed by powerful distractions such as long, unplanned and poorly coordinated meetings. Distractions if not properly handled can completely overwhelm a school system and successfully steal the limelight from issues worthy of the attention of a school.

Schools should guard against permitting peripheral matters from assuming centre stage to the detriment of instructional core matters. There should be a common understanding of how effective instruction looks like.

Any school worth its salt should have a model of instruction and frequent classroom visits should be made to ensure compliance with the standard set. School management should develop a plan to gauge the pulse of instruction in every classroom and those falling short of meeting the required level of proficiency should be assisted accordingly.

Classroom visits should not be sporadic and far between. Targeted interventions can be arranged after gathering evidence from real classroom situations. Classroom visits should primarily focus on how well students are learning, how well teachers are doing in the classrooms and how well schools are governed.

Governance creates a good climate for effective teaching and learning. Leadership qualities of school principals define how high teachers and students can jump. Students do well if made to believe in their leadership and armed with a positive mind set. Managers should never set small dreams for students.

Those who set non-negotiable lofty standards inspire their charges to apply and bring their best selves to work but those who set low expectations are likely to get partial commitment. Focus should be placed on improving the relationship and interaction of the three elements of content, student and teacher involved in the teaching and learning process.

Teacher quality is a key component in the learning process. It is a game changer. The charisma of the teacher is everything. Different teachers interact with the same content differently. Some teachers navigate the content in an exciting, fun-filled, engaging and thought provoking manner while others can be cold, indifferent and less engaging.

The former mode of delivery encourages active student involvement in the learning process and high retention of content and skills acquired while the latter promotes students disengagement and boredom.

There is justification why students prefer one teacher over the other. To be effective, teachers should equally demonstrate a genuine interest in the wellbeing of their students. They enjoy some modicum of respect from their teachers. A learning environment where students are reduced to free passengers in the system of learning limits their potential. So schools should strive relentlessly to prioritise building instructional excellence. This is because the biggest challenge confronting school systems principally stems from the classroom practices. Any focus on anything outside the classroom Instruction cannot yield desired learning student outcomes.