Training for a better school environment

Photo: Secondary Education Activity

USAID Director Certification training program inspires one director to turn around her school “It took some time, but now the whole school looks and feels different. Students greet their teachers and mates with smiles. There’s no more yelling and running in the halls, no scratches on the walls and the furniture. I feel like I’m at home, with my family, and I think most of them feel the same”.

Rodna Stoilevska, a Macedonian primary school director, didn’t expect to learn about setting the tone in her school—but, at a USAID course designed to prepare directors for their certification exams, she was intrigued by a workshop on just that.

“I know what a difference it can make when there’s a positive atmosphere in a school, but I haven’t been able to improve the “climate” in my own school” says Rodna. She went along, listened to her colleagues, and came away with many ideas.

Once back, she got teachers and students to mutually agree on some basic rules designed to apply to everyone. The students suggested awards and fines for those who broke the rules.

Once discipline was tackled, the students and teachers focused on how the school looked to a visitor coming for the first time and decided there was room for improvement. They planted flowers, painted the walls with bright colors and put some student’s drawings on the walls.

Rodna decided to set an example by greeting everyone with a smile-- even when  visitors came to make complaints. Sure enough, teachers—and even students -- followed her example, one by one.

She also introduced music during the breaks.  The director certification training Rodna attended was implemented through USAID’s Secondary Education Activity (SEA) project. SEA aims to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workplace. It is a five-year, $10 million project that helps students from Vocational Education and Technical schools learn about the workplace and apply theoretical knowledge to practical tasks. It was also tasked to initiate director certification program and equip the directors with necessary skills and knowledge to manage schools better.

Is it working?  Ask Rodna.

“The SEA training was the best time I’ve spent in my entire professional career,” says Rodna.