Thought for the week: “Observe, Reflect, Adapt - Create” (ORAC)

All Schools are unique in their own way - for a start they are filled with individuals who are not the same as those at another school. Of course Government Policy finds it difficult to reflect this in detail but I’m not going to write about this today. A Principal may see something working well in another school and then consider that introducing it into their own school will be an effective idea. But without considering the circumstances and the unique population of their own school they could be on the road to failure - the road of potential innovation is littered with plans to clone “Stuff”. The life of an effective Principal is about looking or reading, if interested then absorbing, finally deeply reflecting, a task that can be well jilted by the frantic nature of a Principal’s existence which is the start of the road to failure! The Principal’s task demands reflecting until their head hurts! And as noted in one of my earlier pieces, the advice given to me by my old mentor Paul Mckeown was that if I didn’t take time to look out of the window, no-one else would! Yes, a Principal must Observe, Reflect, Adapt and Create.

Time is the enemy of all Principals. It is of benefit to reflect on what must be dealt with and what can be delegated. As I write, my mind wanders back to my own schooling, year 5. I was 10. I came from a family wedded to duty, loyalty and doing your best. So it was a major blight on my life when I was reported to the Principal (by a grumpy old woman) for changing carriages on the train several times with my friend on our way home.

Great fun. However this was considered to be unacceptable behaviour and my journey to the Principal’s office was indeed a miserable one. In my mind the crime grew larger and larger and by the time I got home it was indeed a “damn disgrace”. Anyway I’ve never forgotten it but it underpinned my desire for my office to be seen as normally a place of good experiences and to feel I could delegate (yes delegate) such minor situations as changing carriages. (Obviously this crime would not occur in the NT.)

Early in my career and being enthusiastically engaged in Outdoor Ed, I came across the work of Karl Rohnke. Karl graduated from University in 1960, when I was 9! He was then drafted into the U.S. Army for 2 years. Sometime after that he spent four years teaching Outdoor Ed, eventually ending up as chief instructor at North Outward Bound Carolina until 1971. Then “Project Adventure” was born and he was one of the founders. He worked there until 1996, serving as director and president of the company. He wrote over 15 books that related to the field of adventure education. These showed he had the will to observe, reflect, adapt and the courage to create ideas that were new and try them in practice. Observing and reflecting on how students responded to Adventure situations where students were “Impelled into challenging activities”, Rohnke considered a change. He created the term “Challenge by Choice. “This evolved particularly from his observations of urban youth being resistant to participating in adventure activities within the school setting. He made the decision to let students choose whether to participate or not and whether the activity was going to be meaningful for them.

Rohnke also developed the three - zone approach to learning and developing resilience. Three concentric circles illustrate this: central is the Comfort Zone, around this is the Learning Zone and around the outside is the Panic Zone. After retiring he continued to travel worldwide presenting clinics about the use of games and initiative problems as applied to various teaching situations. His strength was in trying something, observing keenly and reflecting with the notion “Is there a better way? “in this particular situation. He was not afraid to back himself, be adaptable and create. He was really committed to the ideas he created. Sadly, he died in 2020.

A principle whom I greatly respect is the noted South African educator Anne van Zyl. I came to know her through our membership of Round Square. She has had the distinction of being Principal of five different schools: Pretoria High School for Girls (State School), St Stithians College (Independent ) Johannesburg where she was the founder head, Stanford Lake College( Independent Co-ed) Magoebaskloof Limpopo Province, Bridge House School (Independent Co-ed) Franschghoek and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls(Independent). I visited her at St Stithians and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. I also visited Stanford Lake after she left.

I know Anne to be a leader who has courage, determination, is principled, and charismatic. Under her leadership Pretoria High School for Girls became the first segregated white state school in the Northern Transvaal to open its doors to all races during apartheid when integrated state schools were still illegal.

She initially went to Pretoria High School for Girls as an English teacher, then was appointed Head of Department.

Her leadership skills were obvious, and she was appointed Deputy Head. In 1988 she was appointed Head.

Always believing that schools should have an outward view she took St Stithians, Stanford Lake and Bridge House into membership of the International Organisation, Round Square. She acutely believed in the ideals of Round Square: “Internationalism, Democracy Environmental Awareness, Leadership and Service, Adventure”. In each school, though they were all very different, she ensured they became practically faithful to these Ideals.

At St Stithians she set up a very practical supportive sister school relationship with Letsibogo Girls High School in Soweto. I had the privilege of visiting the school, and it was very impressive. I attended several conferences with the Principal and she was definitely the right person for such a position.

In January 2010 Anne was appointed Head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. The school was near new having opened in 2007 and was a very different and exciting challenge. I was fortunate to visit her at the Academy and see the school in action-very impressive.

Anne’s success as a head was based around her natural style of leadership, her ability to deal with people and to enthuse them, her capacity to plan a strategy and without wasting time push forward quickly with courage to achieve it. She was excellent in relating to people and saw the importance of a school having an outward perspective. She could readily observe, reflect, adapt and identify what needed doing and as a person of action would get on creating and making it happen.

She also had an entrepreneurial spirit. She is a wonderful example of a leader who Observes, Reflect, Adapts and Creates. This was essential as all the schools she lead were very different, including in the way they were governed.

My third example is that of Sumer Singh who is one of India’s most distinguished school Principals. He taught in the top-ranked Lawrence School Sanawar, The Doon School Dehradun, Gordonstoun School Scotland, United World College of the Atlantic, Wales and Boxhill, UK. He then served as Principal of Lawrence School Sanawar, The Asian School Dehradun and Daly College Indor. He has been an adviser to many high level organisations. He has also been an Executive Board Member of Round Square and Chairman of the Indian Public Schools Conference.

Sumer was inspired by his year 9 history teacher to become a teacher and decided he wanted to make a difference to the life of young people and their subsequent journey. Sumer has been engaged in education on so many different levels, is reflective of his experiences, is a very creative, independent thinker and has the belief and confidence to put his ideas into practice. This preparedness to do this has resulted in him running successful schools that make a real difference to students. I am a friend of Sumer’s, have visited him a couple of times at Daly College, have been on many Round Square conferences with him. He has a global perspective, and has addressed audiences in several countries. He has served and still serves the community on many boards - people value his acute and original thinking. If you want an original idea Sumer can give it to you. One of his passions is empowering students and encouraging them to learn through real experience.

A true educator, he understands the value of a young person finding their passion and then how this helps to light the fire in other parts of education. Though an educator he is blessed with an inspirational, entrepreneurial spirit and has the imagination and capacity to really make things happen. He is a well-rounded person with a range of interests, has written 7 books and is an accomplished fly fisherman. He is also a fine painter who exhibits.

These three educators earnt respect from their students, those they lead, parents and the general public. They developed a reputation that went before them. They were brave doers, great observers reflecting effectively on their experience, adaptable, had the creativity, confidence to produce their own ideas, the charisma and ability to foster these and enjoy an understanding of the global society at large. They are interesting people who have been engaged in a range of activities and of course were always keen to contribute. Most importantly they had that antenna that enables them to relate well to people in a diversity of situations. Though Karl Rohnke has passed away, Anne and Sumer are still using their gifts to contribute.

Quotes Which Might Be Useful:

 “I have never regretted that I took the notion into my head to take on nursing, for it has opened up opportunities that I would never have had.”

- Sister Jessie Tomlins AANS 6 July 1916-13 July 1919. Australian World War 1 Nurse who served in Egypt and England.

“Ancora Imparo (“I am still learning”).

- Monash University Motto.  This reminds us that the search for knowledge never ends

“The best hope for Australia is the ballot box and good education.” “I don’t care a damn for your loyal service when you think I’m right; when I really want it is when you think I’m wrong.”

- General Sir John Monash.

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

- William Wilberforce, English Anti- Slavery Champion.

 “Obstacles are there to get around, climb over or scramble through.”

- Patricia O’Shane AM, retired Australian Aboriginal teacher, barrister, public servant, jurist, and Aboriginal activist.

Chris Tudor

Principal Liaison & AISNT Historian