By : LEAH MURO ROMBLON
School Head ? What does it mean ? How does one become a School Head ? What necessary traits or ideas should he possess ?
As defined in Republic act No. 9155 ,known as the “Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, “ a School Head is a person responsible for the administrative and instructional supervision of the school or cluster of schools.
On his shoulders ,therefore, lies the great responsibility of improving not only the physical facilities of he school, but also the realization of a quality education where every learner is privileged to learn in a safe environment that is conducive to learning. To be a school head, then, is never an easy task.
To be a school head is to be a leader. To be a leader entails extra time and effort in order to be effective and efficient. Just like a leader, a school head is not born, but made. To be a school head is a choice, never by chance.
To be an efficient and effective school head , he should possess the governing ideas of vision, mission and core values by which the people he works with are to live by, translate these core values into policies ,strategies , structure and organizational decisions. A good school head is polished with the passing of time as he faces and overcomes difficult situations , makes wiser decisions and gains broader understanding and insights for the organizational end. It is the prime responsibility of the school head to create and maintain a work environment to ensure effective and efficient functioning of people towards the attainment of the school mission .He should also possess a vivid picture of the vision he has for the school and knows definitely where the school is heading so he has a firm and strong grasp of what success is and how to achieve it. But having a vision is not enough .As a school head of his staff , he should share it and work for it. He should articulate the vision so he can communicate it to his followers in such a way that his followers will buy into it. How many ,then, of our school heads possess the vision of what his school will be like in five or ten years?
Integrity is a distinguishing mark of an effective school head. It involves the integration of outward actions and inner values that he is the same on the outside and on the inside. He sets an example his followers and students will follow. Honest dealings ,predictable reactions , well-controlled emotions and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all marks of integrity.A school head who is integrity-centered will be more approachable by his staff.
People who spend time or effort to accomplish the task at hand are what we consider dedicated people. Teaching needs dedication , so dedicated teachers need a school head who can inspire them to do the same. Setting an example will show the teachers that teaching is not an eight-hour job but offers plenty of opportunities to achieve something great.
Have you ever been under a school head who doesn’t know how to give credit where credit is due? There are those who do not know how to speak success as widely as possible.
Magnanimity is another mark of a school head -who knows how to take personal responsibility for failure but spreading the fame and taking the blame is a hallmark of one who manages things effectively.
Humility is not self-effacing but rather shows the desire of a school head to elevate everyone. Such a school head never begrudges his teachers the opportunities to succeed but rather encourages them to move forward and not remain in their positions forever. A humble superior does not consider himself a god,neither is he afraid that one of his teachers will attain a higher position than he has.Rather,he is proud to have contributed to the success.
I can go on and on enumerating what I consider are the characteristics of an effective school head.However,the marks I have mentioned are enough to start with.Let us start from small things and progress to bigger ones as time marches on. For as the axiom says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
