Sitting in a basement discussing frogs and monkeys is an unlikely approach to planning future educational excellence.
But World ORT’s LEAD seminar is no ordinary teacher training course. The annual leadership program gives outstanding professionals the tools they need to reach their potential and become ORT’s educational leaders and senior managers.
Co-sponsored by the HH Wingate Foundation together with supporters Dr. Louanne Smolin and David Eaton, the program provides participants with a world-class course developed by the Institute of Education at University College London (UCL), promoting leadership in education, administration and development (LEAD).
Previously held at ORT House in London, this year’s course took place at Madrid’s Jewish Community Center and welcomed 21 ORT educators and professionals. They represented ORT schools and organizations in 16 countries: Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Latvia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Spain, Brazil, Britain, South Africa, Italy, France and Colombia.
Participants from March 13-17 included school principals, department heads, project co-ordinators and more.
Under the tutelage of UCL educators Christine Young and Graham Dring, the group tackled key aspects of educational leadership. Sessions looked at what motivates individuals and why people react the way they do to different challenges, the most effective ways to build a high-performing team, and role-playing activities such as coaching sessions and team-building exercises.
With a healthy contingent from ORT’s schools across Latin America, the group quickly gelled with a series of ice-breaker activities on the opening day. Working groups split off, often breaking into Spanish, as the teachers discussed the differences between their schools and cultural approaches.
Led by Daniel Tysman, World ORT Head of Education, and assisted by Eric Schloss, Education Project Manager, participants offered words of wisdom on shared values and their personal management styles.
Daniel Tysman said: “For most delegates, this is the first face-to-face training since the pandemic, but it didn’t take long for them to find common ground. There’s no substitute for being in a room together with like-minded and highly-motivated peers.
“The breaks and down-time can be productive too, helping to build personal and professional connections in addition to the time spent in training. These educators are united in a shared purpose that transcends national boundaries. This program recognises that these people are the key to ORT’s continued success and that our investment must be matched by their own commitment to developing and maximizing their leadership potential.”
The hard work began with Christine and Graham on day two, looking at where the educators currently were in their careers, moving on to their aspirations and where they want to get to, before focusing on how they could achieve their professional goals.
Pablo Alejandro Volosin, Education Co-ordinator for first year students at Escuela ORT Argentina in Buenos Aires, said he had enjoyed learning techniques that would help him develop as an educator.
“I am taking home with me many ideas to implement at work and in my school, to improve the organization of our time and performance. What I especially appreciated was collaborating with peers from other institutions in the ORT network. That was an invaluable experience.
“Being part of the ORT network allows us to pursue high standards in education, sharing our task and mission with people from other schools and countries. It is an opportunity to grow as professionals, understand our role and find resources to continue growing in the community.”
After spending such an intense period together discussing their development, the group of educators will now take some time to reflect on what they learnt before a follow-up session in September. During the coming months they will work individually to develop key areas of their leadership skills and support each other remotely.
Roberta Spizzichino, deputy headteacher of the Vittorio Polacco elementary school in Rome, Italy, said: “Participating in the course was very useful. Everything we learned was applicable to our daily working life.
“But what I particularly appreciated was the human experience: meeting people from all over the world and being able to discuss or share thoughts and experiences was really enriching for me.”
Are you still wondering where the frogs and monkeys come into it? The monkeys are time-consuming tasks which can be delegated to others and do not need the teacher’s immediate attention – as in ‘get the monkey off your back’.
The frogs meanwhile are unpalatable creatures (or challenging issues in the school) which need to be ‘eaten’ when you are at your most effective and energetic, perhaps early in the day. Once the frog is ‘eaten’, nothing worse can happen!
