Reflection: One Year On
As the end of year draws close, reflections of the school year occur as part of the formal evaluation process and/or on an informal basis. The quote, “The more reflective you are, the more effective you are” [Pete Hall and Alisa Simeral] seems most apt.
While the IB Learner Profile relates to our students, I do find it interesting to connect it to ourselves as educators. The correlation between being a reflective practitioner and being effective dovetails directly into the reflective attribute of the IB Learner Profile "We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development." These reflections may relate to particular schoolwide action plan items, department areas of focus, a specific practice, or be more individual based on previous reflections and/or with regard to specific plans for the future.
I have, in my first year as Head of Admissions, learned much. Both as a team member and on an individual basis I have had much upon which to reflect. As a team we have, throughout the year, taken time to reflect on previous practices. We have streamlined some systems/processes. These help keep all on the same page and hence ensure that we have consistency and a common voice in what we share with prospective families as well as efficiency in our practice. As in all jobs there is much that happens to which others are oblivious. Somewhat like the tip of the iceberg everyone in our school sees us giving prospective families tours, inviting them to meet faculty and students and ask questions and are aware that we schedule and administer assessments, yet - I would suggest - many of our colleagues are blissfully unaware of the time and effort that goes into providing a smooth process for prospective families from initial inquiry through to enrollment. I always love the analogy of gliding swans (looks perfectly effortless on the surface, yet under the surface of the water there is much energy being expended).
I was recently reminded of Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, in which he references how many organizations work from the inside out. They start with the what, then the how, and lastly the why. He argues that successful companies work the other way (the why, then the how, and finally the what). He states, “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it, and what you do simply serves as the proof of what you believe.” If you don’t have time to watch Sinek’s 18 minutes TED Talk, this short summary may be of use.
In thinking about the Golden Circle and specifically to the role of the admissions office over this last year, we are acutely aware of the market (the number of international schools in Malaysia and KL specifically has increased greatly over the last few years due to a variety of reasons). I would contend that we are not simply selling the school (the what). Rather, we share via our website through email communication as well as during tours:
~ “the why” [in short, we believe in the importance of being a boutique and uniquely diverse international school community with a personalized approach to learning],
~ “the how” [as a school, we constantly evaluate our programmes and implement changes accordingly. For example, we have a STEM/Robotics lab (since August 2017); building on the success of IBDP (since 2000), we are in accreditation phase for PYP and MYP (anticipating accreditation to happen Spring 2019); continuing to build on recently implemented programmes such as Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop, yet keeping uppermost some of our core principles, namely being a globally minded internationally diverse student population (currently over 55 nationalities), providing students with multiple opportunities to become well rounded individuals by having opportunities for sports, creative programmes, and service programmes in addition to a rigorous academic programme] and finally,
~ "the what" [by personally tailoring the tour to the prospective family, they see our school’s values in action, have the opportunity to meet with and ask questions of administrators, observe the teaching and learning process and speak with teachers and students alike. In short, the 60-90 minute tour is a brief taster of what parents and students will experience once enrolled in our school].
As you reflect on areas of growth over the last year and consider goals for the year ahead, I invite you to consider if the quote, “The more reflective you are, the more effective you are” resonates. Is making a paradigm shift, per Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle so as to have “the why” (rather than “the what”) as the starting point, relevant for your circumstances?