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Guruvani: ‘Principals must be strong, motivated’
This forum provides school principals/ teachers a chance to share their views and insights on a wide range of subjects with students
What is the biggest professional challenge that you face in your role as a principal?
Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. It is a high stress job where as a leader of the school you have to set a vision and objectives. You have to stand as the one who creates the space that fosters teachers’ professional and personal development and encourages students’ personal growth and creativity. Running a school efficiently is a challenge. A principal’s decisions are important for institutional performance. As a principal the biggest challenge is ensuring a high level of student achievement, building relationships with parents, students, teachers and staff. But if the principal is strong, motivated and a good manager who clearly outlines expectations for staff and students, then the school tends to make progress.
Success has become obsession nowadays? Comment
Obsession is the fuel for success. Success is synonymous with winning. People who are obsessed with success are people who are obsessed with winning and the good things that come along with it. There’s nothing wrong with being obsessed with success if you have enough control over your senses and discern right from wrong. What makes people succeed is obsession.
What is Gen Next’s biggest strength? Which are the key areas of improvement?
The biggest strength of GenNext is confidence and efficiency. They are standing with laptops instead of desktops, cell phones instead of landlines, telecommuting instead of polluting commuting.
Changing social values, joy of teamwork, critical thinking, curiosity, social intelligence, leadership, creativity, perseverance, love of learning, self-regulation are the other key strengths of Gen Next.
The key areas of improvement are wider generation gap, increased desire for work-life harmony, blend of high-touch and high-tech, lack of moral values and adverse use of technology.
What is the role of media in education?
Media has played a vital role since Independence. It played a key role in the Independence movement. Media also plays a vital role in education. Newspapers are important for increasing awareness about the world, developing language skills, IQ, Mathematical and scientific abilities. Media keeps us updated with the latest technologies and inventions.
Online teaching caters to thousands of students even in remote areas. ELT classrooms give learners confidence. Media helps us to prepare students for a better tomorrow.
Once a teacher, always a teacher. Do you agree?
“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge and wisdom.” If people remember a good teacher, it will be a great honour for him or her. A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instil a love of learning. The influence of teachers extends beyond the classroom. The teacher is the heart of the education system. True teachers use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross and encourage them to create bridges of their own. A teacher always finds the way to make his/her contribution to society.
What emphasis do you put on teacher’s training?
We need to teach students according to their verbal, writing and mental proficiency. Just delivering lectures cannot meet students’ needs. We should talk to them, give questionnaires to fill, and engage them in activities. Parents and teachers can help in meeting a child’s needs. Teachers training based on an old framework will not work now.
Dr Satvir Sharma, principal, Vidya Bal Bhawan Sr Sec School, Mayur Vihar Ph-III.
