By Butool Fatima
In the words of John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
Vega gives its teachers the privilege to be leaders by providing them endless opportunities in all walks of life. We live our core values of Empathy, Excellence, integrity, innovation, and Collaboration and integrate them in our curriculum.
A good teacher should always be a good leader who can lead the path for his/her students and co-workers. One of the main functions of a teacher is to help students learn by imparting knowledge, to motivate students, and to create conditions in which students can learn effectively.
At Vega, teachers are leaders and create conditions for their learners to also become leaders. Teachers lead by example in the way they act, speak and behave. They lead their students through challenging activities and rigorous learning. They also take on additional teacher leadership roles inside and outside the classroom.
Activities, events, and extracurricular programs create a positive school culture and often require additional leadership support from teachers. Carefully crafted academic and social opportunities for students benefit them immensely.
Vega also considers the learning space as a teacher. Open classrooms are carefully designed progressive education settings where students are free to move around to access a variety of learning materials and multilevel learning. The scientifically designed open setting enables learning for small to big groups. It also enables individualized instruction, besides encouraging collaboration and active learning. Learning at Vega has no boundaries.
Both students and teachers get many opportunities to step outside their classrooms to improve their practice by working with peers and school administrators, by being part of a school team, and by informally coaching and mentoring others.
Vega is one of the very few schools in Gurgaon to create leadership roles through the establishment of a ‘learning cabinet’ in the school. Creating a role for teacher leaders in the learning cabinet brings the teacher’s voice and perspective into the decision-making process.
Vega has established a rigorous and competitive selection process to identify teachers who can lead beyond the classroom, model best practices, know how to effectively work with adults, and can become change agents in their schools.
Teacher leaders in this role continue to teach but take on an additional role outside the classroom with the goal of improving student learning. ‘Teacher leaders’ are also able to provide some of the most valuable feedback on the effectiveness of initiatives.
Leadership Opportunities
At Vega ‘teacher leadership’ is part of the job. And there’s no shortage of teacher leadership roles for educators. Teachers have endless opportunities to lead initiatives and programs on and off campus to enhance the educational experiences of their students.
Below is a glimpse of the leadership opportunities Vega School offers.
Working in partnerships
Vega members model innovation (new processes) and strong relationships. All the teachers are part of a rigorous teachers’ in-service training and development program.
The voice and choice of teachers are given importance here as they are the pioneers of change.
Learning through partnerships
Teachers are always experimenting with new techniques, using tools and exercises to develop student thinking and capturing student voices across partnerships. There is strong communication and collaboration within and outside the team.
Learning for teachers
Annual self-evaluation is an incredible process of reflection, learning, and growth at Vega where teachers get an opportunity to reflect on their professional and personal practices through the observation of experienced seniors.
Learning from students
Teachers are learners here as they are always innovating with new technology and techniques. Teachers work in collaboration with the students and parents to produce amazing results.
The biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, identifies leaders, and continually develops them.
I am delighted to share that Vega is among those very few schools in Gurgaon that are able to make this vision come alive.