Week-13: Characteristics of Good Head Teachers and Teachers
Education is commonly referred to as the process of learning and obtaining knowledge in an institution, in the form of formal education that takes place in the classroom provided by the teachers. The process of education begins at home because one does not only acquire knowledge from a teacher; he/she can learn and receive knowledge from parents, family members and peer group. However, the notion of education has remained strongly associated with formal education that takes place in structured and formal education institutions. The formal education institutions have an organizational structure to run the process of education. In this organizational structure there are some personnel who have to play their roles and responsibilities. The heads of these institutions are considered the most important individuals who can take part effectively in the success of these institutions due to their leadership role. The plethora of effective school research has made this abundantly clear that effective schools are the result of the activities of effective principals. The late Ronald Edmonds was frequently heard to remark that “there may be some bad schools here and there with good principals but I have never seen a good school that had a bad principal”.
A school Head's job is balanced between being rewarding and challenging. It is a difficult job, and like any job, there are people who are not able to handle it. There are certain characteristics of a highly effective principal that some people do not possess. Besides the obvious professional requirements needed to become a headmaster, there are several traits that good principals possess allowing them to do their job successfully. These characteristics manifest themselves in the daily duties of a principal.