By: Juvy P. Cuevas, Principal I
Dr. Ananias Chavez Elementary School
SDO Batangas Province
Leading is not a piece of cake, especially if one has to spearhead an entire community of people from different walks of life with different attitudes and perspective. So what does it take to be a school head?
First and foremost, they should understand the importance of building a community. In doing so, a perspective head must be someone who knows how to mingle with people. It is important that a leader must possess a superb interpersonal skill, so it wouldn’t be difficult to learn more about how things are inside the premises that they are responsible in. If a leader doesn’t know how to talk to people, the chance to get cooperation from them might be little to none. Aside from that, it is also important for a leader to be all ears on the concerns of not only the teaching force but also that of the students and other school staff in order to for them to have a harmonious working environment.
Secondly, they should empower teachers and cultivate leadership skills. Once a leader, always a leader, and it means that one must be the role model of the community they have built. Giving the educators the power to handle their class well and encouraging them to keep up with their good deeds is one of the ways which will help them be more productive and inspired to perform their duty as the second parents to the learners while being the source of knowledge at the same time. Cultivating leadership skills is also essential because if in the teachers’ minds what is instilled is they are just to follow orders, it won’t make them better decision-makers. School heads must motivate the teaching staff how to deal with issues inside the classroom, so they won’t be dependent once problems arise.
Finally, they should also know how to utilize data and resources well. It is because one can’t make impulsive decisions that might inflict harm to the learning environment. Using data wisely can lead to leaders to plan ahead what must be done to make sure that everybody gets the best out of their jobs. Data are bases of school rules implementation that are helpful to better the quality of teaching and services offered. Likewise, being keen on utilizing the resources a school have could also help to enhance the facility itself as it may be economical for the school.
