By: Sofronio D. Arizala Jr.
Principal I
Nursery High School
I belonged to the last batch of School Heads of the School Heads Development Program (SHDP) and somehow from what I’ve heard from my fellow leaders who belonged to earlier batches, I felt apprehensive and detached since I felt that there were better things to do in school preparation for the Senior High School (SHS). But such indifference turned to eagerness and loads of expectations on just the very first day of the training which taught me that moving away from one’s work would provide a better view of the whole organization that I’ve been working with. It was on the first day that I was affirmed that I was not alone in my difficult and tough journey as a Senior High School principal when some old friends and new acquaintances shared their own experiences before we started the first session of the training.
The rest of the sessions had been fun, exciting and full of insights. I thought all the while that I have been leading my school so well, creating the change that I have planned and making things happen the way I wanted. I thought that creating a vision, mobilizing the schools’ commitment and identifying and attending to the teachers and students’ needs were enough to make me a good leader. The SHDP made me realize that leading a school is beyond personal qualifications but a preparation of both the mental and behavioral skills required and putting them into practice.
I opened myself to possibilities of trying again and again until I get to the desired person and leader that I want to become. Bill O’Brien pointed this out when he said “The success of an intervention is dependent on the inner condition of the intervener”1. For change to happen, the person must first be willing to change. I know I have significantly changed my behavior towards people, my perspectives in life and my dreams and aspirations as well but still, I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS.