Mentor December 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 08

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School Contextual Characteristics & Teacher Retention ProďŹ ling the Teaching Profession Research to Understand Teacher Dynamics We thank our contributors for their informative write-ups on Safe Schools: Safety in Residential Schools: Ms. Neeru Sharma Safe Sanitation and Health Education in Schools: Ms. Jaishree Rao Creating a Safe School Environment: Dr. Ravinder Singh Panwar

Share your thoughts as write-ups, videos and infographics on any of the topics above, and we’ll publish it Online! *

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School Pedagogy, School Governance, School Innovation, School Leadership or Writer’s Choice Email: info@lxl.in | Email subject:“Mentor Magazine�

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CONTENTS December 2017 | Volume 11 | Issue 07 | É 540

MENTOR THOUGHTS 5 Sultan Speaks Make a difference today

14

Inside The Mind Of A Leader -Ms. Meena Kak, Laxmipat Singhania Academy

33 Retaining Our Teachers A much-needed investment

34 Accomplished Teachers- A scarce Resource Road to teaching-learning optimisation

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 20 Changing Leadership Balancing teacher recruitment with retention

22 Teacher's Perception Of School Latent factor impacting teacher retention

SCHOOL PEDAGOGY 6 Ailing Teacher Education System Redesigning teacher preparation systems

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE 9 Addressing Teacher Attrition In Schools Time for effective remediation

11 Teacher Retention Is The Key Unraveling teacher shortage problems

24 Framing Smart School Policies Sharing best practises of school leaders

SCHOOL INNOVATION 27 Rewarding Teacher Career Pathways Developing and retaining accomplished teacher career pathways

30 Restoring Schools As Professional Workspaces Reorganising schools for teaching and learning success A Venture of

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What are Life Skills?

"Abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life." - WHO

UNICEF & WHO recommends LIFE SKILLS NCP Framework 2005 says LIFE SKILLS Education is mandatory School Cinema is a ďŹ lm-based module that makes learning lessons of life an entertaining experience.

As a ground-breaking pedagogical experince, School Cinema uses cinematic storytelling emotional connect and visual appeal to engage students, parents and educators. www.lxl.in

+919019111110

info@lxl.in

SULTAN SPEAKS

December 2017

Make A Difference Today sultan@lxl.in

that can give a reasonably accurate prediction if the individual has abusive tendencies.

Moreover the ones who interpret these tests would have to be supremely experienced to even remotely suggest that someone has a tendency to be abusive. All in all this is a futile exercise to calm the media and society till another instance occurs.

In LXL, our mission is to keep adding value to the life of students, parents and educators. As part of our ongoing efforts in the last two decades to understand the Indian educational system better our Research team carried out an extensive on the ‘Top Challenges Faced by School Principals Across India.’ The results in order of priority were as follows: Students’ Safety (Emotional, Physical and Social Safety, Awareness/ Training for Teachers/ Staff/ Students’/ Parents etc.)

Developing Students’ Life Skills, Values, and Attitude etc.

Improvement in Students’ Academic Performance Quality of Teachers (Teachers' Subject Knowledge, Communication Skills, Class Management etc.)

School Safety (Security Systems In School, Disaster Management Mechanisms, Mock Drills, Certifications etc.)

At LXL, we have put together the learning from our research into an interesting framework for ‘Safe Schools’. Making children feel safe in schools and ensuring the safety of all stakeholders like teachers cannot be a onesided affair, it has to have a holistic approach.

At the Mentor Conclave this year we will be sharing this study for the first time. The purpose of sharing this study would be to invite schools to join us in this quest of ours to make schools safer. We would want to work very closely with the schools who choose to partner with us in this long-term extensive study. Our goal is to bring out the learnings from these studies and share it with schools across the country. Taking this further we intend to White Papers that could be shared with the HRD Ministry to influence policy on Safe Schools.

The results say that Safety of Students is a prime concern of Principals these days. The recent gruesome incidences of school children being subjected to abuse and even murder explain the reason, why. Schools are gearing up to install CCTVs in premises, RFID’s on children and other band-aid solutions to ride the tide. However, our law-makers and the regulatory bodies are like always handling the situation in the worst possible manner by being reactive, shortsighted and shallow in their approach. The latest diktat of telling schools to do a psychometric test for all their teachers and staff is as obtuse as it sounds. For the matter of fact there is no psychometric test

As I pen this article I realise how quickly the time flies. Another year is bidding us goodbye with a lesson- ‘We only have today to make a difference’.

Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director, LXL Ideas 5

www.lxl.in

PEDAGOGY

Ailing Teacher Education System Professor Sunil Kumar Singh

P

rofessor Sunil Kumar Singh works as a professor in the Faculty of Education, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He is a teacher educator with M.Sc., B.Ed., M.Ed. and Ph.D. and more than twenty years of teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His areas of specialisation are Philosophical Foundations of Education, Contemporary Issues in Indian Education and Teaching Skills & Methods. Professor Singh has worked as a Coordinator of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) study centre and held positions in University level committees of Centre and State. Additionally, he has also worked as Visiting Team Expert in National Council of Teacher Education and has been a resource person for various programs in NCERT. Over the course of his career, he has published 77 research papers in various esteemed educational journals.

teachers? Are they not the two sides of the same coin?

Over-emphasis on the structure and sociopolitical traits of the teaching profession has resulted in a Teacher Preparation System lacking indigenous roots and a much-needed context. Control of regulatory reforms in teacher education programmes lies with bureaucrats and politicians lacking the required professional experience in the educational domain. It results in an illequipped teacher pedagogy and an incoherent and weak education system. For designing an effective teacher preparation system, our focus needs to shift from the institutional structure of the professional to its heart i.e. knowledge, methodology and epistemology.

The report of the National Commission on Education titled as 'Education and National Development' remarked that “Destiny of India i s b e i n g s h a p e d i n i t s classrooms”(D.S.Kothari,1966). This message carries an implicit meaning that to solicit the future of our country, we need to take care of moulding our present generation. And, this significant task depends on the student influencers i.e. our teachers and the preparation systems that shape them.

Rude Awakening: Pedagogy Is Political First efforts towards designing a holistic teacher preparation system were made in 1966.

Five decades have passed since then but we have failed to ensure a coordinated and efficient system of teacher preparation for all levels of education in India. An out-dated teacher preparation system is a result of making pedagogy political rather than professional.

Teacher Education And National Development Educational indicators in form of literacy rate, enrollment and drop-outs etc have long been used to measure the national development of a country. However, these indicators fail to capture a foundation element on which these other variables are dependent. It is Teacher Education. We as a country have become excessively one dimensional in our approach by focussing only on our students. What about our

The National Council for Teacher Education 6

December 2017

for the changing interface of classrooms.

Basic Eligibility For A Teacher Our contemporary teacher preparation system requires a minimum of bachelor's degree in your field of choice followed by completing bachelors in education (B.Ed.) separately for general and special education Recently the one year B.Ed. had been changed to two years, but again such changes have taken place without addressing the real needs and demands of student teachers The internship or practise teaching module in the education course initially of 4-5 weeks has increased to 18-22 weeks. The logic was the student teachers would get more time to practise their teaching skills on the field. But this step failed to address the situation that model schools are not ready to give ready access to teacher interns

(NCTE) in India has been functioning since 1973 and it was given statutory status in 1993.Similarly, Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is functioning from 1986 and was given statutory status in 1992. NCTE is a regulatory body for Teacher Preparation Systems from elementary level to Senior Secondary level for a general stream of education and RCI does the same for a special stream of education. It is noteworthy that segregating preparation systems on such lines is itself a problem and has created a variety of problems in the process of running recognised institutions in the country. Further, both these bodies have served more as political tools for handling problems and issues in the field of Teacher Education in India. The appointed chairpersons are usually not from an education domain reflecting the political indifference of Central Government in India towards Teacher Preparation System.

“ An out-dated teacher preparation system is a result of making pedagogy political rather than professional

Teacher Preparation Systems: At A Glance Five decades of indifference have resulted in our teacher preparation systems lacking indigenous roots on which we could have to build the needed educational system. Instead, we have teacher education and training prog rammes ill-equipped to meet the cognitive, socio-economic and cultural demands of our student communities. The result is that the teachers lack the skills required to help students learn and be prepared

Alternate Options Today an aspiring teacher can also opt for several integrated course options like B.A. /B.Sc. with B.Ed. which is 4 years and a B.Ed. and M.Ed. course of 3 years duration For Government schools, teachers are required to clear an additional exam i.e.

TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) separately

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PEDAGOGY

The Way Ahead The solution lies in the revamping of the overall Teacher Preparation System. It can be done only by the visionaries in the field of politics and profession. Now is the time to take some hard decisions for the top levels.The statutory bodies like NCTE and RCI must be merged together. The Chairpersons and the steering bodies should be of hardcore professionals in the field of Teacher Education.

Political interference needs to be stopped totally in recognition of institutions.

for central schools (Central Entrance Test) and for state schools (State Entrance Test) In addition to the conventional route, one has several diploma options available i.e.

Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Diploma in Elementary Education that operates under State Board of Education.

Segregating the Central and State Boards completely results in a lack of unified educational structure Today to address the grassroots needs of inclusive and quality education, we also see NGO's like Teach for India (TFI) emerging.

These organisations have their own set of professional trainers who are responsible for training young teacher fellows interested to work in remote rural areas lacking the most basic of educational infrastructure

T he Teacher Training and Education Institutions should have all essential resources with model schools compulsorily attached to them. The quality regulations must be strictly adhered to. Above all the innovative trends in teacher education should form the core of the programmes.

Recently Justice Verma Commission was constituted by an order of the supreme court to recommend regulatory reforms in the field of teacher education. Now a battle between National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) and Commission rages to how closely the teacher education systems in our country should be controlled. The people with professional degrees in the field of Teacher E d u c at i o n l a c k k n ow l e d ge o f p o l i c y formulation and our policymakers lack the domain knowledge. Thus, instead of effective remediations, we are slowly choking our teacher education systems.

Even the indigenous knowledge base and contextual needs are to be given due place to avoid elitism and alienation in the Teacher Preparation System. An integrated system for preparation of teachers from nursery level to senior secondary level is required to be developed with intellectual independence and coherence.The alumni must come forward to contribute to the improvement on the basis of their field experiences. Their involvement would help the teacher interns feel a sense of belonging to the teaching community as a whole.

We as a Country have always focused on the face value of the teaching profession and relied heavily on its structural, political and institutional issues. It is high time we pay attention to the heart that comprises of the knowledge base, teaching methodology and epistemology. Only then we would succeed in redesigning our teacher preparation system to meet the current needs and demands.

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sunil.kr.edu@gmail.com

December 2017

Addressing Teacher Attrition In Schools Harsimran Kaur

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arsimran Kaur has a rich experience of nearly 21 years in teaching, including 10 years in administration as the Principal. Ms. Kaur holds an M.Sc. in Resource Management, an MA in English with a Bachelor's of Education (B.Ed.). Currently, she is the Principal of The Gurukul, a Senior Secondary, CBSE affiliated, co-educational school in Panchkula, Haryana. With an extensive experience in the teacher and administrative field, she strives to constantly evolve with the changing educational times and trends. Heading a highly progressive school whose motto is 'modernity with tradition'; she believes in giving wings of modernity to the students along with firm roots of tradition. Ms. Kaur has always been an active advocate for her teachers for she believes they hold the key to the progress and development of schools.

hampers the grooming and development of children.

This article shares the author's viewpoint on the ever-increasing attrition rate of teachers in Indian schools. While the causes of the same may be varied and region specific, the solution seems to be providing a financially, physically and emotionally safe and secure environment to the teachers. Creative freedom, respect, relevant training and good pay structure can go a long way in retaining our teachers.

Why Are We Witnessing A High Teacher Attrition Rate?

To know the possible answers to this questions, we need to look into the factors that a teacher would look for in a school for a long-term tenure.

Are We Paying Our Teachers Well?

Inadequate compensation comes across as one of the frequently cited reasons. Low salary structures, vast unemployment, factory-like churning out of prospective teachers by B.ED. Colleges, candidates ready to work for lowly wages, it's all a vicious circle resulting in teacher attrition. Government schools offer a lucrative and secure job but getting through the bureaucratic recruitment structure of government school is difficult. Private jobs are easier to seek but not all private schools offer decent salaries and job security making it a professional pain point.

“A teacher plants the seeds of knowledge, sprinkles them with love and patiently n u rt u re s t h e i r g ro w t h t o p ro d u c e tomorrow's dreams’’ A lot has been said and written about the greatness of teachers and the nobility of the teaching profession. It is also a stark reality that 'Teaching' is the only profession that teaches all other professions.

Yet, sadly, today we are facing a dismal situation with regard to retaining our teaching force in schools across the country.

The teachers are entrusted with the moulding of a country's future, its children. Therefore instability in a school's teaching system

Are We Providing A Happy Work Environment?

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SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

teaching. However 'demographic factors' and 'passion quotient' for teaching are highly influential in determining teacher retention.

Though quite unrelated, these two factors are the reason behind many lady teachers moving out of this 'profession of convenience'. For the more ambitious ones, nearly non-existent opportunities for vertical growth, coupled with dissatisfaction over personal and professional development, teaching career becomes stagnant and frustrating.

It is absolutely essential for schools to provide a safe and happy workplace for its teachers to give their best. Favourable working conditions, well-defined roles, realistic accountabilities and manageable class size would go a long way in retaining teachers in schools.

Are Our Expectations From Teachers Real?

We are already in an era that challenges the age-old 'Gur u Shishya' culture, where expectations from school teachers are unreal and to add to it, there's an all-time low respect in students towards their mentors. The everchanging and confusing exam system and the over interference of government in the running of private school just adds to the woes of the teaching fraternity. The recent horrifying incident of a students' gruesome murder in a renowned Delhi school has now put all the teachers on tenterhooks over their students' safety. And don't forget the 'Blue Whale' challenge for us, mentors! In a nutshell, teaching, which was once a highly rewarding and satisfying profession, now suddenly seems like a noose around the neck.

What Can Be Done?

When the reasons are so varied, then the solution cannot be 'one size fits all'. Cultural, social, demographic and other contextual factors would impact the degree of customisation of the solution.

But one thing is certain. A teacher's job cannot be ignored or overlooked. Every school, government or private, needs to introspect, look into its system and try to make the workplace a haven for the sculptors of tomorrow's India. Today teachers play multiple roles as a mentor, leader, guide, counsellor and much more to take care of the students under them. In return, it becomes a responsibility of State and Schools to give a stable atmosphere to the teachers so they can continue to play the roles enthusiastically and innovatively in the years to come.

Is Teaching Considered A 'Convenient Profession'?

The common notion that an '8 to 2' school job leaves you a good time to take care of your family responsibilities and gives you financial support too, attracts many candidates towards 10

principal@thegurukul.guru

December 2017

Teacher Retention Is The Key Amanpreet Kaur Bedi

A

manpreet Kaur Bedi has more than seventeen years of experience in the education sector.In addition to being a teacher, she has been working as a Principal since 2000. Ms. Bedi holds an M.Sc. in Child Development from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and a Masters Degree in Education. Currently, she is the Principal for Sri Guru Gobind Singh Collegiate Public School in Chandigarh. She believes everyone has the fundamental right to quality education and therefore she has been actively involved in working with the children of the neglected groups. These children are first generation learners having families who lack an awareness of the importance of education. For her efforts, she has been awarded many times by the Lions Club, Rotary International and other esteemed bodies.She believes that teaching is not a job but an embodiment of service to society.

The number of teachers leaving schools i.e. teacher turnover has been on a constant rise.

The high rates of teacher turnover are destabilising the learning environment and jeopardising the educational experiences of students. The solution lies in understanding the root causes of teacher attrition and taking concrete steps to end shortage by adopting strong teacher retention strategies.

rates of teacher turnover can destabilise the learning environment in schools, disrupting instructional continuity in classrooms and jeopardising the educational experience of students, many of whom are already at a disadvantage. Administrators may find it difficult to implement policies or make changes if the teaching force in a school is in constant flux.

The Facts Are In: Teacher Turnover vs Turnaround Today, the biggest challenge being faced by the academic leaders is retaining the talented and competitive faculty members. From a nationwide perspective, the number of teachers leaving schools frequently referred to as teacher turnover is becoming too high.

Between 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, for instance, 83.5% of teachers stayed in the same school, while only 8.1% transferred between schools and 8.4% left teaching (Report of NCTE). However, averages rates hide the fact that some schools lose teachers frequently, particularly due to the bad result of students which is often attributed to teachers. High

The Staggering Cost Of High Teacher Turnover Teacher turnover also has a financial cost.

Turnover can also hurt schools if the substitute is a new teacher since they tend to be less effective at improving student achievement than more experienced teachers. The most common strategy principals reported for removing teachers involves informing the teacher of her or his unsuitability for the job, and hoping the teacher decides to leave on his or her own.

As a result of high turnover, high-need urban and rural schools are frequently staffed with inequitable concentrations of under-prepared, inexperienced teachers who are left to labour 11

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SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

on their own to meet the needs of their students (National Commission on Teaching Journal, 2012, p. 9). It has now become increasingly ap p a r e n t t h at n e w t e a c h e r s w i t h n o pedagogical training and scant subject knowledge cannot accomplish what a fully credentialed, veteran teacher can accomplish.

Today teachers are also falling susceptible to burnout. A widely researched phenomenon among working professionals, bur nout primarily results due to psycho-emotional factors. The performance of teachers suffer and they e xhibit low involvement in performing job activities due to emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and inadequate personal accomplishment.

between the satisfaction level of teachers and their tenure in the field. Lack of school management providing opportunities for development of their core knowledge and skills, inadequate monetary compensation and delegating responsibilities beyond their capacity and time are frequently cited reasons.In addition to school contextual characteristics, they are external variables embedded in the educational system that is outside a school's and teacher's control. These are educational funding, unfavourable political views on education, inadequate state and federal policies etc. These factors ultimately have a high influence resulting in teacher attrition.

“ Past research has indicated a connection between the satisfaction level of teachers and their tenure in the field

Understanding The Root Causes Of Teacher Attrition To understand teacher retention, the causes of teacher attrition have to be understood. Some of the most common factors attributed to teachers attrition is as follows: Low paid salaries Working conditions Overburdened teachers Huge expectation Attritions based on low performance Attrition based on demand for good salary Unequal distribution of work Job satisfaction

Steps To End Teacher Shortage As a result of teachers staying in the classroom, the level of skill teachers acquire as they gain more experience will develop; student achievement will rise, and the resources lost to recruitment and other expenditures will be saved and can be reallocated to other areas that can directly impact school progress.

Pay is a critical component in attracting and keeping highly qualified teachers Public education has become a battleground and the authority of the teacher has diminished. Why should

Past research has indicated a connection 12

December 2017

nation's schools, a loss so very difficult to reverse.

“ School leadership should translate their position of power to empowering their teachers for enhancing retention

a nyo n e p u t u p w i t h r u d e , p o o r l y performing students combined with low pay and administrators who bully them? In addition, parents are challenging and often defensive about their child's negative behaviour. Providing autonomy to teachers in class room management will help them own their profession It is pertinent to understand the characteristics of stayers i.e. those teachers who are imbued with teaching skills must get the opportunity for rising up the ladder.

Teacher stayers already possess passion and the best way to keep them motivated is to empower them by providing a conducive environment for their growth Leavers category of the teacher must be appreciated and timely rewarded so that the cost involved in recruitment should not be again faced by the management of the school If the principal or co-ordinator finds teacher incompetent, then, at regular intervals they must attend the workshops o r p a r t i c i p at e i n t e a c h e r t r a i n i n g programmes

Moving Consciously Towards Enhancing Retention To conclude, highly effective teachers want to stay in the profession. They love what they do, and strive to expand their impact at the school, district, state and national levels. Retaining effective teachers requires schools, districts, and CMOs to implement specific strategies aimed at retention. In order to ensure that the most ambitious and effective teachers stay for years and beyond, school systems and more so, the principals should create career ladders that allow teachers to gradually earn leadership opportunities that meet their aspirations, provide them the time to serve, and compensate them appropriately. School leadership should translate their position of power to empowering their teachers for e n h a n c i n g r e t e n t i o n . T h e r e a r e m a ny specialised paths that school systems can create for teachers' various interests and strengths. Highly effective teachers are school systems' best tools for helping students succeed.

Understanding the needs of teachers while they are still in the classroom prevents another generation of teachers from leaving our 13

principalsggscpschool@gmail.com

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COVER STORY

INSIDE THE MIND OF A LEADER The world's simplest idea. The Golden Circle, coined

by Mr. Simon Sinek. A man who deciphered the minds of leaders, leaders like the Wright brothers, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King. He said exceptional leaders had a way of life, a way of doing things and realizing this gave birth to the Golden Circle.

It consists of 3 concentric circles. It begins with the why? How? And finally what? The purpose of this is to understand what a leader is made of in their core and what drives them in this dynamic world.

In this issue, Ms. Meena Kak, the principal of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy Kolkata, shares her beliefs on making a difference and what made her venture into the field of education.

WHY?

educators a strong sense of achievement.

Tell us about you, about your story.

Coming from a humble background I was brought up with values and also some strict family rules where deadlines and commitments were taken very seriously.

What made you embark on this remarkable journey and what keeps you going every day?

Teaching is a passion I discovered very early in my life. As a head girl I was asked to teach one of the classes in my school and was later told how good I was! This motivated me beyond words and I tried to make it even better with years rolling by.

I have done Masters in organic chemistry from Kanpur University and passed out in the year 1978. I worked as a chemistry teacher in Gomia's Pitts Model school for seventeen years and aimed at teaching chemistry through new ways making it simple and interesting. My parents also ensured that we read journals and publications on a regular basis, as knowledge goes beyond textbooks and rightly so. Working as a city coordinator for CBSE for seven long years helped me get an in-depth knowledge of

Teaching is a very challenging job as it allows one to meet people from different walks of life.

One interacts with support staff, parents, teachers, administrators and office staff. There exists a great camaraderie and bonhomie amongst all. It also is a wonderful feeling that one has the responsibility of shaping the young minds, our future citizens and gives the 14

December 2017

and owe a lot of my teaching experience to that place.

school procedures and understand the intricacies of the board. I have never worked for awards as I am a self-motivated individual.

The CBSE award by the HRD ministry and the National award from our erstwhile president Ms Pratibha Patil that followed later reaffirmed my belief in myself.

Teaching at grassroots helped me understand t h e c h i l d r e n a n d t h e i r p s yc h o - s o c i a l development as they grew. I was open to learning and readily took up new insights whenever the opportunity arose. I was inquisitive to know about things in curriculum or matter related to a personal regime which gave me an added experience to explore different avenues. It also made my work interesting. I knew then, teaching was what I will continue doing.

Tell us your core belief.

Grooming children on all the planes of personality development i.e.physical, mental, emotional and spiritual along with cognitive.I strongly believe in the potential of our students and that they are part of a global community with more or less similar requirements.

Share an instance that tested your strength and how did you overcome it?

In my teaching career, I have experienced instances where we worked under extreme pressure and stress. Sometimes I used to get really demotivated and demoralised. It was during this time the collaborative strength of my colleagues and spirit of fighting together helped overcome the situation successfully. One particular instance that tested me was handling students with anxiety disorder which was manifesting in their eating habits resulting in anorexia and bulimia. It was tough to deal with young children going through this psychological trauma. We called the parents, advised them for psychiatric intervention after regular counselling in school, had sessions and today the same children are on the right track doing well.

“ Microteaching session presented by the teacher is critically reviewed by all teachers with effective inputs Tell us about some of the instances that changed your life? The instance that you felt was your calling.

Some instances gave me a glimpse of my future and prepared me for what I am today.

HOW?

Post marriage, I settled in Gomia, a coal belt in Jharkhand, as my husband was working with ICI Explosives. Despite many odds, I made the best of what was available to me. I took up a job at Pitts Model School and worked towards my dream of imparting knowledge to the young minds. I was there for seventeen years

How have you translated your aspirations into reality?

I was ambitious and wanted to walk miles.

Hard work, perseverance, adaptability and perfectionism were my aids that stood by my side. My first Kolkata School after Gomia was a state board school, with little or modest means.

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COVER STORY

m a n a g e m e n t h ave m a d e L a k s h m i p a t Singhania Academy one of the best CBSE Schools in West Bengal.

The infrastructure was minimal, the staff was demotivated and they had not experimented with teaching pedagogy. I sat up and took note of the situation.

The greatest achievement has been getting selected by the Government to set up the Atal Tinkering Lab In the first phase among the 257 schools in India. The Academy has got a grant of 12 lakhs from NITI Ayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to set up this lab in our school to promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

What started as a small endeavour became a full time passion for me. I started with regaining the confidence of the staff and the labour. Salary structure was changed to suit the changing times, there was a digital makeover that was the need of the hour. I changed the façade of the school by renovating some dilapidated portions. Very soon I could see changes taking place. It was a pleasure to see the renewed enthusiasm of my teachers; thereby helping us enrol more and more children. After that, I worked in a CBSE affiliated school where we introduced worksheets, which meant doing away with the same repetitive usage of the textbook. It was a creative experiment wherein a teacher devised and designed work methods substituted the less vibrant textbooks. I joined Lakshmipat Singhania Academy as the principal in 2007. I was ready for a new role and a bigger challenge.

Our school won the International School Award for the 3rd consecutive time for the period 2015 -18 from the British Council.

Besides academics, we also have progressed in creative and art field. Our school won the Cyber Platinum Award in category 8: Local Music and Art form. It was an online platform to showcase talents of our school students inclined towards technology and Indian heritage. We also got Life empowerment awards by Expression India in art culture health and physical wellbeing, excellence in counselling services and inclusive education in 2015 and in 2017.

How have you channelled your passion into your present role as a leader?

I h ave a t r e m e n d o u s a m o u n t o f j o b satisfaction. To understand children today is a big challenge, especially with negative influences prevailing all around. So, I have channelled my passion in untapping the interest and energy of our students in constructive ways. I also believe that one should not allow complacency to set in and one should always lead by example. A true leader should value work at all levels and at some point explore the unknown.

Academics and art are supplemented by school's vigorous support to training our students in sports. We provide them flexibility in study time and after-school classes for them

How have you impacted your school's growth since your joining?

This Academy has been under my leadership for the last one decade, and I have seen tremendous growth since then. The efforts of m y d e d i c a t e d s t a f f a n d s u p p o r t i ve 16

December 2017

children with special needs into mainstream education. Robotics, integrated system of teaching, research methods in microteaching, quality circle time to build a rapport amongst children are all ways to ensure an informal and an interesting way to bridge the gap between the children and the educators.

to catch on their missing lessons. We strive towards achieving and maintaining a right balance between curricular and co-curricular activities. There are concentrated efforts to train our children to become global citizens by giving them a right blend of eastern and western culture.

Recently, we also increased our efforts to make our students environmentally conscious. Our school won 'The Green Initiator Award' at The Bengal Chamber of Commerce for implementing various energy conservation programmes in 2016- 17, thereby vindicating our mission statement ,that strongly believes in environmental wellbeing of the globe. Our students as young g reen ambassadors undertake regular audits of electricity and water usage for judiciously managing our limited natural resources.

WHAT? What activities does your school offer that hones children's skills, holistically For us education is very much beyond the curriculum. The conceptual building is the forte of our academy. We realised that pressure to perform from home puts a lot of academic stress on the children. So we give them awards on the basis of their personality traits like Vishisth Samman, Sadarchar Puruskar, Samman, CertiďŹ cate of Appreciation for regularity, conduct, good and positive behaviour, awards for integrity, honesty and general life skills. We have gender sensitisation sessions in classrooms. Owing to the presence of some differently abled children, regular sensitisation sessions are carried out. We believe in exposing our students to rich cultural heritage by taking them to various heritage sites. Artisans are also invited to school to give hands-on training to students on different art and craft forms.

We want to know what your leadership strategy is in the ďŹ eld of education and how you implement it.

We start by thinking that each child is a winner and we try and build a strong bond between teachers, students and parents. Giving freedom to teachers to explore research and experiment with teaching pedagogies gives a new dimension to the teaching-learning process.

We also encourage children to be creative and think out of the box. Their ideas are lauded and they are asked to write, talk or express in their chosen medium. We encourage students to take care of underprivileged and old.

Donating a large sum to HelpAge India and sending children to slums to educate them about healthy living conditions, helps them appreciate what they have.

What have you brought about in your school that was parallel to your beliefs for a better future for children?

Regular experimentation with teaching methodology and doing away with chalk and talk method was the ďŹ rst step. We have smart boards and language laboratories, research and micro teaching areas. We maintain a Question bank for high order thinking questions. We organise regular workshops and orientation sessions for parents /teachers, based on the effective handling of children. We encourage

Our students have been having story sessions with the children of the jail inmates, thereby emphasising on building empathy and compassion in the children. We try and induct 17

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COVER STORY

to instil in children?

I firmly believe that a good start to a day leads to a well-lived day. Our morning assemblies are designed to provide a stimulus to our students minds and keep them happy and at peace for the day. Our morning assembly gives an equal attention to the daily news, spiritual and physical exercises, chanting of mantras/ shlokas from different religious scriptures, yoga, thought for the day etc. Post assembly, children are ready to face the day with vigour and energy.

an innovative streak in our children. Our Robotics and Tinkering laboratories are a step towards this.We encourage learning by doing – project work and activity based learning like rooftop gardening supplement the theoretical knowledge. We try and encourage good reading habits and have allotted a specific time to reading, a time when everyone reads in school.

There is a lot of emphasis, as I believe in this, to develop our own resources –out of newspapers, CDs and videos for curriculum building.

I also devised worksheets as a new way to design work for our students in place of textbook teaching. So each teacher now creates and designs new and model ways to help children do their work.

What did you do to bring to life your aspirations for your school?

I worked hard to execute my principles of teaching based on building a child's holistic personality; to give my children confidence and equip them with right values so that they can deal with any situation anywhere in the world.

What have you done in your school that represents the belief system that you would like

What is the future you want for your school?

What future do you see for your school? What will you do to bridge the gap, if any?

I e nv i s a g e my i n s t i t u t i o n t o b e t h e fountainhead of meaningful education which is beyond textbooks, beyond prejudices of race, caste, colour and creed and that which strengthens the young minds with harmony and compassion towards the deprived sections of our society.

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Chai time chit-chat What made you embark on this journey of school leadership?

My strong willpower to make a change in the education space If you could pen down your mantra for managing a school into words, what would it be?

Even the best can be improved upon.

What was one of your most deďŹ ning moments in life?

When my granddaughter was born.

Do you think you chose this profession or did it choose you?

I think we both found each other together.

Share one of the ďŹ nest advice you have been given that you still carry along with you today.

Always remember that you are unique just like everyone else!

As a leader what kinds of changes do you aspire to make in the future of education?

Creative thinking; out of the box solutions and a free will!

What is the most unexpected thing you've learned along the way as a leader?

That goodness even though mistaken as a weakness stands by us always. Never shy from being good and honest.

How can schools understand the concern of teacher attrition better?

Understanding the personal needs of the staff and guiding them to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives plays an important role.

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According to you, what are the main factors that contribute to the high rate of teacher attrition?

Teachers cite increasing workload, limited professional development and stagnation, poor working conditions and remunerations, transfer of spouse or other family issues are factors that contribute to teacher's attrition.

Do you believe active recruitment is an answer to teacher shortage faced by schools today?

To certain extent it can but there is shor tage of quality teachers so professional training can help to solve the problem.

Can research in schools help understand the problems schools face in retaining teachers? How? Teachers' feedback during appraisals helps in understanding the problems faced by them so that they can be addressed and curbed to reduce their stress. Research in schools would help to know the root causes of the problem so that management can take appropriate remedial measures.

How can school leadership help in retaining teachers?

School authorities should adopt an approachable attitude towards staff and give a patient ear to their grievances In order to break the monotony of day to day affairs, schools can organise destressing activities like picnics, social gatherings Recognising staff contribution by celebrating major milestones

lsa_kol@rediffmail.com

SCHOOL LEADERSSHIP

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Changing Leadership Subina Chopra

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ubina Chopra is the Director of The Aryan International School in Varanasi. Ms. Chopra started her career as a designer and changed her profession when her family started a school in Varanasi. Ms. Chopra has done honours in Economics, a Diploma in Interior designing and a course on computer programming. She is also a certified biometric analyst She entered the teaching profession in 2003 and now with fourteen years of experience, teaching has also become her passion. She teaches English literature to class twelve and is an active part of the school management. Being a teacher, administrator and a school leader, she understands the complexities of each role and aims to provide a favourable niche to all. As a leader, she gives personal attention to her teachers and students for their personal and professional development.

hence their selection should involve a meticulous process.

As work is worship, the workplace has to be a temple where love and compassion exists and happiness thrives.To make employees happy and ensure the longevity of their service, relationships should be maintained through respect and understanding bringing in contentment. The management needs to be broad-minded to understand their problems and provide immediate solutions. The teacher can be made to believe they can be right and the management can be wrong at times. If gratitude and appreciation become the attitude of the management, the institution is sure to flourish.

Besides having a pleasant demeanour, teachers need to have a positive attitude to create an affirmative environment for a healthy growth of a student. For this purpose, teachers need to incor porate a high level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills having the capacity to effectively influence the new generation into learning.

So during the entire machinery of selection, the first question that is asked of a teacher is if he/she is a teacher by choice or chance.

They are bound to excel if the profession is their first love Teachers have to be a humble being, receptive and ready to learn. Flexibility with creativity has to be mandatory traits to alter teaching strategies to the response of the class The children sitting in the class are either high in visual, kinesthetic or in the audio quotient, therefore the teacher has to explicate keeping the three traits in mind While recruiting teachers, besides the

Building A Strong Foundation For Recruiting The Right Teacher Freedom is essential for any kind of growthintellectual, kinesthetic, aesthetic or physical.

Hence required is a school emphasising on good grooming, quality education and a conducive learning environment thereby leading to a rewarding career and developing strong character of the students. It is thus a big responsibility on the management and teachers. Teachers are the pillars of the school, 20

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credentials, the attitude of the teacher is important to decipher Evolvement through involvement to enhance the creativity of a student is the true meaning of education Making Strong Teacher Retention Strategies The social skills of the management and teachers have to of high quotient so as to deal with diverse personalities coming from different backgrounds.

The management has to be very sensitive and considerate in discerning the strengths and weakness and allocating the nature of jobs to the teachers. Expecting beyond their capabilities proves to be detrimental to their growth Another aspect of vital importance is to act and conduct in the manner expected out of them. Today's era is not of dictatorship but of companionship and to build collaboration and get the team to work together in harmony

“ Evolvement

through involvement to enhance the creativity of a student is the true meaning of education

The interpersonal relationships of the teachers of a school have to be congenial so as to make them honest to the profession Teacher's feedback should be solicited and used in decision making with due acknowledgement There is a need to maintain a sense of well being, transparency, non-diplomacy and a direct connection with the management Too many hierarchies and coordinators sometimes bring in a lot of politics, intimidation and nepotism It is important for teachers to believe in themselves, in their profession and in the institution they step in and not always feel suffocated under strict surveillance

Reaching A Perfect Amalgam To enliven and enthuse the spirit of dedication and contentment among teachers, the management must remain emotionally less attached but psychologically connected with the team. When teachers feel secured and attached to the management, the school becomes theirs. To attain this, physical and emotional efforts have to be invested in order to maintain a happy and a long-lasting relationship. Power comes with knowledge and what strengthens it, is happiness.

Balancing Recruitment And Retention Teachers need support and assistance on a regular basis which brings in a good team spirit exuding cheerfulness thereby building a collaborative relationship.

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bina_chopra@hotmail.com

SCHOOL LEADERSSHIP

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Teacher's perception of school leadership S. Nalini

s

. Nalini is an educationist with 32 years of experience and has worked in various capacities in different schools. She has been a recipient of the Best Teacher Award twice in different schools. Ms. Nalini has headed various committees in schools and at present, she is working as an Academic Coordinator for the Senior Secondary classes in Senthil Public School, Salem, Tamil Nadu. As a coordinator, she designs strategies for smooth implementation of the school curriculum and identifies areas of improvement for staff as well as her students. Her hobby is expressing herself through writing and speaking. Ms. Nailni has conducted various workshops for the teachers in different schools to help them hone their skills. She is a forward thinker and believes that the teaching fraternity should be allowed room for mistakes for their learning and growth.

major reason is the millennial generation of teachers demand freedom in their working ideologies and in most cases it is misunderstood by school leaders. This results in a friction between the two pillars of any educational institution. How teachers perceive school leaders ability to understand and satisfy their specific needs impacts their retention in the institution.

Teaching Fraternity expects the School Leadership to have,“Passionate minds with Compassionate hearts.” This aforesaid phrase could give the reader a glimpse of this article and its content. The niche of this selfless community has to be improvised for their well being. It lies in the ability of the School leadership to manage all the micro and macro staff issues in an efficient manner. Teachers should perceive school leaders as somebody they can rely and depend on.

Te a c h e r s A n d L e a d e r s - A S y m b i o t i c Relationship The school ecosystem survives on a symbiotic relationship between their teachers and the leaders. This relationship can survive only if the teachers and leaders mutually benefit each other. School leadership as pioneers should help teachers accomplish their professional goals. A compassionate working environment with inherent staff welfare schemes will definitely inculcate a reciprocating approach ultimately benefiting the students' community.

Leadership's Ability To Understand And Satisfy Teacher's Needs For a teacher, job satisfaction is imperative to continue in an institution. This depends on two needs namely, higher order needs and lower order needs. The higher order needs are applicable to the intrinsic aspects of work such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and opportunity for escalation in the career. The lower order needs correspond to extrinsic aspects of work such as working conditions, supervision, work policy, salary and interpersonal relationships. The rate of retention is low especially for young teachers. A

A fraction of staff welfare schemes could be designed by envisaging the future of the teachers who are working with them. The 22

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involvement with every staff member. They should instil integrity and solidarity in their teachers. This could be accomplished only when the school leadership expresses an unconditional trust and faith in their teachers.

If the school leadership possesses preconceived notions about the employment policies then that might bring in a detrimental attitude in the teachers adversely affecting the rate of teacher retention. The personal care & concern revealed by the school leadership will bring an attitude of gratitude in the teachers.

School leadership should assure a stress-free atmosphere which is free from P hy s i c a l / E m o t i o n a l / M e n t a l a bu s e o r harassment for its employees to work in. Let the school leadership not carry an air of superiority around them instead their humility will ease relationship fostering good interpersonal skills.

cluster of welfare schemes could include, Pension policies, Leave/Permission policies, Maternity leave & benefits, Provident Fund Scheme, Staff children education benefits, Promotions, Awards & Rewards, In-house training programs, sponsoring higher studies, employment policies etc.

The school leadership has to empathetic and not sympathetic to the welfare of the teachers.

All the teachers expect to be consulted by the school leadership. In case of issues, they should be heard of also. Consequentially, teachers will feel that they play an important role in the welfare of the institution. This feeling should promulgate amidst all the teachers in an institution.

Adequate Staff Enrichment Program (SEP) should be planned and implemented in a biasfree manner. Any error or mistake committed by the teacher should bring in the corrective measures and not punitive measures by the school leadership. Corrective measures bring realisation without making the teachers feel humiliated. These days teachers choose this challenging profession not by choice but by chance. School leadership could change this attitude in the teachers and make the teaching profession as their choice by portraying a staff friendly attitude. School leadership should embody all positive traits that it expects from its teachers. This will result in both the parties working and progressing together. One should always remember that an Autocratic School Leadership commands, “Go and do it” whereas a Participative School Leadership says, “Come on let's do it”. It is in the hands of the school leadership to resort to the kind of leadership they desire and accept the outcomes that are attached to it.

“ School leadership should embody all positive traits that it expects from its teachers Influence Of School Leadership On Teacher Retention School leadership should have a personal 23

snalini1964@gmail.com

SCHOOL LEADERSSHIP

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Framing Smart School Policies Bikram Singh Yadav

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. S. Yadav is an academic leader, educator, administrator and a seasoned public speaker. His foray into education began with teaching in Delhi Public School R.K.Puram, New Delhi, in 1982, thereafter he was associated with few more schools before he took over as the Founder Principal at General B.C. Joshi, Army Public School in Pitthorgarh in 1997. Currently, he is the Director and Principal at Delhi Public School Jodhpur. In recognition of his contribution to the field of education, he has received the National Award for Teachers in 2005. An avid learner, he has been awarded Certificate of Advanced International School Leadership in July 2017 for successfully completing eight advanced components of the 'Essential skills for Principal Program' at The Principal Training Centre (PTC) for International School Leadership. Mr. Yadav champions teacher motivation, coherent work settings and collaborative learning.

retention policy is the need of the hour. This policy should be dynamic and flexible, covering a wide range of issues and providing better opportunities to teachers so that they feel like they are an integral cog in the working system of the institution.

This ar ticle shares the best practices implemented for teacher retention and put forths the successful retention strategies with their comprehensive analysis of broad points.

The prime focus is not to prepare a set of formal rules but to frame flexible strategies oriented towards the overall well being of the teachers the knowledge imparter and maintenance of a healthy relationship between the members of teaching fraternity for the overall growth of teaching-learning process.

A smart retention policy in schools should cover a l l t h e fi ve a r e a s m e n t i o n e d b e l ow comprehensively:

Growth-oriented Work Environment: S e m i n a r s a n d wo r k s h o p s : Re g u l a r Characteristics Of Smart School Policies workshops/seminars on subject enrichment, Teachers are the backbone, facilitators and per sonality development, skills torch bearers of any educational setup. They enhancement etc. should be conducted for play a pivotal role in the holistic development the teachers. Also, schools should encourage of students and help them transform into in-house training programmes conducted by future responsible citizens. staff members as an integral part of these enrichment programmes. This encourages Traditionally, teachers in our country were held team building and bonding in high esteem and most of them would continue working in the same institution from their joining to retirement but changing social Duties and responsibilities: Teachers should be given various responsibilities as per their and educational scenario has impacted them talent and skills to boost up their and their retention has become a challenge for performance and confidence. School leaders the school leaders. Therefore an effective 24

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paperless activity to make it robust •SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats) should be an important feature of self-appraisal process giving a clear picture of one's personality traits and corrective actions •Mentors for appraisal process can assist t e a c h e r s i n t h e e f f e c t ive u n b i a s e d implementation of this process •Annual incentives and promotion should be an integral part of the appraisal process •Growth and development plan: A roadmap to career succession with g rowth and development plan should be incorporated in the policy based on teacher's qualifications, experience level, roles and responsibilities were taken •Incentives and Facilities: To make the teachers feel more secure and comfortable at their work, cer tain benefits should be incorporated including provision of job security, insurance policies, benefits (pre and post-retirement), superannuation funds centric to PF, gratuity and linked insurance plans, staff redressal committees etc.

•Feedback surveys: School can conduct periodic staff surveys to assess engagement and enthusiasm level which gives an insight into further corrective actions for performance versus motivation •Exit interviews should be conducted which g ive s a c l e a r r e a s o n fo r l e av i n g t h e organisation. This will assist in devising further corrective plans for retention. Conduct of such interviews should be unbiased and confidential, at all levels •Relocation policy: In case of a spouse transfer, the benefit of relocation policy can be extended, for schools operate under the same aegis

should take care that frequent change in duties and responsibilities should not deviate the teachers from their core competencies Professional collaboration/ Mentorship programmes: Schools should take further initiatives in professional collaboration, mentorship with the active participation of teachers in schools sharing common vision and values HR Policies Fair and transparent HR policies are the epitome of effective retention policies. Schools should have dedicated HR department to effectively implement policies on a timely basis.

Appointment: At the time of appointment service conditions and benefits to teachers should be mentioned clearly and the same should be adhered to Induction: Induction process based on vision, mission and aim of the school helps the organisation to obtain committed and dedicated teachers Appraisal process: Appraisal is a tool for self-analysis and introspection for personal and professional corrective areas. This tool should be used as a measuring tool, to review roles and responsibilities entrusted versus achieved in an academic year. For the smooth implementation of this process: •An appraisal can be divided into half yearly

Healthy Social And Cultural Environment Ethos and culture of school should be an integral part of mission and vision of the school and the same must be inculcated through day to day working.

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Get together programmes and staff clubs: Regular staff get-togethers/ picnics/ cultural evenings reduce the gap between the school leadership team and the teachers. This provides a platform for the teachers to know each other better outside the formal work environment. To facilitate active participation, school transportation facility can be provided

Outbound tours programmes: Such tours facilitate team members to interact outside the structured environment providing an informal platform to strengthen the bond and reduce the hierarchical gap. In such free environment, they learn more about each other`s strengths and otherwise

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leadership. Such forums besides providing freedom of expression also assist in policy formations/ process improvisation. School leadership issues can also be a part of open forums.

Acceptance of Innovations and Best Practises: Inclusion of the ideas and experiments done by teachers should be encouraged as it makes them feel valued and will encourage them to explore further

“ A roadmap to career succession in retention policies provides better opportunities to teachers

Exploration And Appreciation Of Uniqueness And Talent Annual rewards and recognition: On the basis of performance in department or class level should be made a part of the retention policy as a token of appreciation Performance assessment: Teachers showing an increase in performance level based on appraisal process can have a session with school head as a token of appreciation

Finally, I would like to point out that the pivot around which these policies can work successfully is 'a seasoned leadership'. Their role is crucial in teacher retention. I believe that the retention policies discussed above will encourage and motivate teachers to own the school and the students resulting in long-term association with an institution.

Freedom Of Speech And Involvement In Decision Making Open Forums: Open forums on a regular basis should be organised in form of meetings and discussions with the school 26

principal@dpsjodhpur.in

December 2017

Rewarding Teacher Career Pathways Ms Anita Isaac

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nita Isaac is presently working as HR Head for all Baldwin Institutions, Bangalore. With a previous stint as Human Resources Manager, Carnival Cruise Line, Miami for over a period of 15 years, she has an experience of managing over 1500 employees of more than 50 nationalities. Ms. Isaac's forte lies in employee relations & engagements. She believes a leader should embody the vision of the organisation and build strong Human Resource Practises for a conducive work and learn environment for staff. Her aim is to restore schools as highly motivated and advance workplace through excellence, innovation, and engagement leading to effective teacher enrichment. Ms. Isaac possesses great interpersonal and communicational skills with a passion to develop and manage people.

teachers starts from the Induction and is a continuous process thereon. A sense of being welcomed & subsequently driving ownership & oneness are essential to have an energetic & effective team of teachers.

“Education is the eternal foundation of a Nation's development, hence it is essential to have effective policies to engage, attract and retain qualified, experienced and committed teachers.” Considering that India by 2020 will have the largest young workforce it is inevitable but for us to invest in educating our future generation. This cannot be done without investing in our teachers for they have the greatest influence on students in their formative years. Therefore it is crucial to building an empowered and skilled teaching staff who can equip our students academically, socially and spiritually enabling them to reach their full potential by fostering self-esteem and a sense of achievement.

H u m a n R e s o u r c e s T o o l s And Techniques For Teacher Retention Edward Scannell, a professional trainer and author have said that “Retention is best when the learner is involved.”

Mentoring Programmes: The best way to integrate teachers into the school system is through a defined mentoring process.

Mentoring is a process that can range from a set of structured assistance and support activities to an informal buddy system. Regardless of form, it is designed to answer a new teacher's questions, provide emotional support, and fill in the gaps left by university teacher training programs. The program is rewarding if all teachers are engaged with Mentors. Well designed mentoring programmes are the best method to improve the retention rate of new teachers.

Recruiting highly qualified teachers is just the first step, it should be complemented by p r ov i d i n g t h e n e c e s s a r y t r a i n i n g fo r professional development to develop highquality teaching skills and experience.

Organising periodic workshops and training is cr ucial for teachers to enable smooth adaptation to new pedagogical interventions.

It should be noted that the process of retaining 27

INNOVATION

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Induction/Orientation programmes: A well defined and structured Induction programme helps the new teacher to get acquainted with the vision, philosophy, and ideologies of the institution. This creates a sense of acceptance into the institution and eliminates the anxiety and stress of the new joiners. It also makes them aware of the institution's policies and procedures. All the Heads inducting the new joiners on their departmental functions enables them to easily fit with the Institutions functioning and culture. This process of interaction enables for immediate connections across the department and paves the path to build peer relationships eliminating alienation and potential conflict down the line.

discussion designed to facilitate constructive dialogue between the teacher and the Principal. This provides a clarification on performance objectives and provides feedback about the teacher's performance with respect to skills and behaviours. This ensures a framework for identifying the teacher's development plans.

Quality Of Work Environment: Enjoying teaching, having a passion towards the job and the level of job satisfaction directly affects teacher retention. Here the quality of work environment becomes crucial.

Avoid micro-managing: Teachers need to be given to freedom of choosing their teaching methodologies for achieving learning outcomes of their students R e w a r d s & r e c o g n i t i o n : Po s i t i v e reinforcements, rewards, and positive performance record are some ways of keeping teachers motivated by recognising their effort towards the institution Create accountability: Introduce Quarterly Personal Development Plans (PDP) for new teachers which will help them create an action plan, set goals and plan for selfimprovement and personal development within their career Constructive & developmental feedback/ performance review: Every new teacher must be provided with their job description and a periodic review of their performance must be done to help them understand their areas of strength and weakness

E f f e c t i ve C o m m u n i c a t i o n : A s i m p l e , transparent & effective mode of communication is essential for a conducive work environment which is imperative for engaging employees/ teachers.

Employee Benefit: A good salary package and extending benefits to employees goes a long way in building their loyalty & ownership (Example Child Special Fee Concession, Family Insurance etc.)

Creating Comprehensive Teacher Career Pathways Schools must create the necessary conditions to Comprehensive Teacher Career Pathways.

Re-examine human resource policies to see if they are effective in recruiting teachers who are high academic achievers identify and manage talent, and provide diverse and flexible career options as part of retaining “high achievers” Facilitating new staffing structures that differentiate roles of teachers and extend the reach of highly effective teachers Make use of technology in creating a blend

Performance evaluation for all teachers must be completed as a part of ongoing performance 28

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teachers are critical to the successful development of a new teacher Periodic workshops for teachers should be conducted by inviting eminent speakers to motivate and encourage teachers so as to synergise their enthusiasm and energy for a productive academic year. The workshops should be interactive sessions on topics such as effective communication, presentation skills, attitude towards their job and institution etc An accomplished teacher should understand their students, their needs and how and in what order to meet them. One of the pivotal causes of inadequate student performance especially in core subjects is the inability of schools to adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers

of learning structures, teacher collaboration and professional development through social media and other technological tools Importance Of Training And Development In Improving Teacher Career Pathways: “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay” -Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company

Training and development of new teachers in the first five years is very important as most of them leave the teaching profession during this period if adequate support and training is not provided Ongoing professional development for both new and tenured teachers is important to keep them up to date with emerging technology tools for classrooms, new curriculum etc Efficient teachers with leadership qualities must be identified in every department and sent out for special training organised by the councils or other academic training centres where teachers can be trained on innovative teaching methodologies. These core group of teachers must successively enrich other staff members by imparting what they have learnt Mentoring and coaching of veteran

“ Retention is best when the learner is involved Conclusion Investment is the key to retention; we need to invest in engaging & active learning to keep the morale of employees high. An engaged teacher is most effective, productive & a source of inspiration to all students who are the foundation for our Nation. Teachers must upgrade themselves to meet the challenges and adapt to the fast-moving world of technology and the most up-to-date methods of teaching.

Schools and educators have fewer alternatives to be competitive in the growing world of technology but to provide periodical training for teachers in order to keep up with the modern teaching methods. Understanding the nature of pedagogy is a necessary prerequisite to understanding what role technology will have in supporting education. The sense of selfefficacy and the personal satisfaction comes from feeling competent to do the job well – plays a vital role in the decision to stay or leave for both new and veteran teachers.

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hrhead.bmes@gmail.com

INNOVATION

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Restoring Schools As Professional Workspaces Shubhalakshmi Amin

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hubhalakshmi Amin is an engineering graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an MBA from European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD), Singapore/France. Ms. Amin began her career as a Programme Manager at Microsoft Corp in Seattle followed by a stint as General Manager, Jyoti Ltd., a manufacturing industry in Vadodara. In 2016, she quit her corporate career to take charge as Executive Director of Navrachana Education Society (NES), Vadodara, which manages various educational institutions and initiatives including 4 schools, 2 learning programs for the less-privileged, a sports academy, and the Navrachana University. Her philosophy is to work towards developing happy, healthy and wholesome human beings; total development of every child – moral, intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual.

Accepting The issue: Lack Of Professionalism In Indian Schooling System Before we talk about 'turning our schools into professional workspaces', let us admit that they are not so. They will not be so until we understand and accept that in the 21st century, Schooling, like any other essential service such as Healthcare, Telecommunications, etc. can no longer be administered via the not-for-profit Public Charitable Trusts system. There was a time when private schools in India were established by genuine educationists often supported by large private corporations. Their main concern was to offer prospective employees a good education for their children as one more incentive to work for them. For such corporations, investing in large tracts of land and creating school infrastructure was a win-win situation.

Management of schools that have been established to address such needs often take legal advantage of their 'not-for-profit' status to justify poor remuneration to staff and at the same time, invest just enough in 'modernisation' projects to explain fees hikes and exploit all available loopholes to create power for themselves. Thus, the first move towards professionalism in the Indian education system must be to take schools off the Public Charitable Trusts system and grant them 'for-profit' service status.

Recently though, schools have been established by entrepreneurs who have found a 'need-niche' – there are thousands of parents willing to pay a considerable fee to get a quality education for their children in a good private school, of which there continues to be a crippling shortage.

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teaching and learning success. A top-down attitude of respect and appreciation for the teaching profession is the primary building block for a healthy school Transparency at the policy level and at the decision-making level help set the culture of open, honest communication. This is a utopian situation, which rarely exists, but school management must strive for it through sound and ethical leadership The single most important trait of a h e a l t hy p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k p l a c e i s psychological safety i.e. the ability to speak freely without fear. Teachers must feel comfortable to speak up and share their views with each other and the management The management must strike a fine balance in the running of the school where they are approachable and available for guidance, whether it be pedagogical, future direction, financial or an operational issue

Creating Supportive Teaching-Lear ning Environment However, let's be realistic and instead explore h ow t o c r e at e s u p p o r t ive l e a r n i n g environments in schools within our current regulatory constraints.

Like any other profession, teachers provide an essential service, and therefore should be remunerated fairly and on time. Happy t e a c h e r s = H a p py s t u d e n t s . H a p py students=Better learning outcomes. While the happiness quotient is intangible, there are several tangible factor s which contribute to it To enable teachers to do their best work, one must ask - what kind of environment would make them feel safe, comfor table, intellectually challenged and inspired? The physical environment is the easy part (although the majority of our schools fail at providing this basic infrastructure) – hygienic, well-lit, well-ventilated, wellequipped and well-maintained learning spaces, staff rooms, playgrounds, and most importantly, toilets The cultural and professional environment is the challenging one. The top-down culture and tone set by the school's leadership and management are critical to creating an atmosphere conducive to

“ A top-down attitude of respect and appreciation for the teaching profession is the primary building block for a healthy school

The school leadership team should be empowered with the freedom to innovate and drive the day-to-day management Pe r i o d i c i n t e r a c t i o n s w i t h t h e management, as well as a robust 360-degree feedback mechanism, enables the teachers 31

INNOVATION

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to have a voice and be true stakeholders in the school system The system of an exit interview process when a teacher retires or resigns for any reason enables the management to get an insight into the aspects of teachers' professional lives which may not otherwise surface. These must be carefully documented and followed up with a fair investigation into any undesirable feedback

“ Transparency at

ensures that teachers are constantly in the growth mode. The world is changing fast and there is a need to equip teachers with a dynamic skill set which can evolve with the time Today, teaching has become an increasingly stressful profession. When teachers have access to a competent, professional counsellor they can speak with for the small things which they do not wish to bother their leadership with, it alleviates the issues associated with built-up anxiety or frustration. This small investment goes a long way in maintaining the happiness quotient A performance-based evaluation system for salary increments is standard in the corporate world but remains controversial in the education industry. This is a topic worth exploring and debating

the policy level help sets the culture of open, honest communication Building Professional Learning Communities Building strong and professional learning communities in schools start with setting teachers up for success.

Monitoring the teacher workload and having checks to correct the over- or underutilisation of human resources is essential to the success of any organisation Principals play an integral role in on-job training and mentoring as they demand excellence and raise the standards of performance expected from the teachers, teachers invariably step up to the challenge Peer-to-peer sharing and learning among teachers have shown wonderful results in spreading best practices and ďŹ nding innovative, yet practical solutions to a range of issues Scheduling weekly circle time for teachers can catalyse this collaborative and supportive culture Investment in relevant in-service training

The biggest issue is the intangible nature of teacher effectiveness – how does one fairly measure how good a teacher is when there are so many variables? The biggest advantage, if implemented correctly, is that it truly rewards the high performers and incentivises others to step it up. The content of this article isn't groundbreaking by any stretch, it's simple, doable, obvious and actionable and yet, the majority of our schools are not able to implement these basic, good practises. Why? What is stopping us?

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shubbu@navrachana.edu.in

December 2017

Retaining Our Teachers Dr. Sagneet Kaur

Covering all the intrinsic and school controlled factors, we at LXL Ideas have taken up the initiative to assess the present status of Indian schools on teacher retention. Our objective is to identify the factors affecting retention of teachers in India, understand the characteristics of stayers and leavers, question the effectiveness of the existing policies and need to have a fully structured retention policy and compare the Indian and international standards affecting policies and measures taken to retain the teaching staff.

Schools can't imagine their existence without teachers. A well qualiďŹ ed, highly motivated and professionally consistent staff is a basic necessity for building quality schools.

One of the biggest challenge our schools face today is onboarding and retaining the right staff. In a research conducted by LXL Ideas (2017), 74% of the principals cited retaining their teachers as one of the top ďŹ ve concerns.

Changing preferences, incoming of more lucrative jobs and lack of growth are some reasons that are adversely inuencing teacher retention.

T h e s t u dy c o n d u c t e d w i l l t a k e i n t o consideration perspective of both the stakeholders i.e. teachers as employees and the school management as the employers. The reason is to help each party understand, be empathetic and take a conscious effort to c h a n ge t h e s t at u s q u o. T h e r e s e a r c h methodology will involve administration of specially curated surveys for teachers and management as well as structurally designed focused interviews to get in-depth information.

Improving retention among the schools seems to be correlated with diverse socio-emotional and demographic factors. However, many school contextual factors at the level of management are key in motivating the teachers to remain associated with the same institution.

Join us in our quest of empowering schools by building a perennial pool of professional trainers. Participate in the LXL Ideas Research on Teacher Retention. For Principal and Management Committee Survey, Visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HFN5FH5 You can also be a part of focused interview session by writing back to us at sagneet@lxl.in.Your active participation will help us positively impact schools and make a change for the better.

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December 2017

MENTOR THOUGHTS

Accomplished Teachers- A Scarce Resource Kalpa Kartik, Editor-in-chief, Mentor Magazine, Director, LXL Ideas kalpa@lxl.in

between teachers and students? When they probably themselves have been students not too long ago. What makes teaching an attractive and effective career option? How can we onboard and retain our best teachers? More important is how do we know that a teacher is ideally suited for a particular subject and class?

Who is effective and who requires guidance?

How to assess teacher performance?

Every day in schools, a countless number of dedicated and talented teachers report to work intent on being the caring and competent educator that every student deserves.Teaching is considered as one of the noblest profession; a profession that teaches all professions.

Today teachers are also learners, constantly taking classes and attending professional development sessions to learn the latest practises and best strategies required for effective teaching.Teachers need to regularly collaborate with one another to gain new ideas for teaching, planning grade-level instruction and combining subjects to enhance the learning experience.The need to work in and with society while making sure to shape future generations and making them resilient to deal with the life challenges.Many teaching professionals work in under-resourced schools and in jobs that are incredibly challenging and complex.

Most of these questions can be answered by d e ve l o p i n g a f r a m e w o r k t o e n h a n c e professionalism in the teaching profession.

Danielson's framework (1996) enhancing professional practises provides for a framework for teaching, it includes the following 4 main domains for professional teaching practices that need to be looked into for desirable standards for level of performance for teachers

A study done by LXL Ideas in 2016 on understanding the Teacher Dynamics found that 55% teachers fall within the 25-30 years' age bracket and 48% of the teachers are fairly new in the profession with 0-5 years of experience. While this research data and ďŹ ndings concur that the young form a majority in the profession then why is there a disconnect

Planning and preparation The classroom environment Instruction Professional responsibilities

Perhaps the teacher is one stakeholder who needs to constantly train and learn beyond the current realm. How many professionals can say that they have made a difference in someone's life? Igniting this feeling in teachers can lead to an everlasting passion.

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