Can Flexible Work In School Be The New Normal?

Can Flexible Work In School Be The New Normal?

Now that we hit the rock bottom, every industry as well as every individual, is rethinking the work culture they live in. For many of us, we are leaning more towards sustainability – a professional life that values our personal space and needs. The trigger point of all of these has been the global pandemic; nonetheless, BURNOUT has been the talk for quite some time.

When it comes to flexible work, even though school can be more challenging in comparison to other sectors, it is still doable. Starting from helping teachers work flexibly, Resource management to meet the academic goals of the school, all of these factors are centeredon meeting the needs in a mentally healthy way.

Teaching by default can be stressful a lot of the time and when it comes to uncertain moments, educational institutes as a team can promote building a safe working space with mutual trust.

Managing work-life balance becomes a possibility when educators have the freedom to manage all kinds of priorities including personal time, children's responsibilities, and/or other responsibilities. This can be taken as the reference point to promote a work culture where teachers can be grounded in themselves knowing their school supports and believes in them.

Why Flexible Work Culture Is Important In Schools!

Teachers leave their profession due to the unavailability of flexible working culture. Even when they take a career break, oftentimes they are discouraged to return because of the absence of flexibility. Even qualified and talented educators find it hard to continue choosing to teach over other professional engagement. And to bring a resolution to this difficulty, flexible working is integral.

What Schools Can Do To Encourage Flexible Work Culture?

Work As Team

When it comes to working and being in sync with the organization, apart from the delegated responsibilities, school staff and the leaders of the school can emphasize a more flexible approach to work. This includes shared responsibility, constant effective communication, and making decisions based on inclusivity. Educational leaders can explore what is possible and deliver the same in practice.

Open-Mindedness

When we talk about flexibility, we also need to talk about shifting our mindset if we are truly up for the change. Schools so far have been run with their pre-stated chain of command and instructions. While keeping the basic structure the same, school leaders can bring new adjustments slowly and accommodate flexibility without disturbing the timeliness or students' experience on learning. All of this can make space for everyone in a better way and by adapting to an open-minded approach leaders can overcome obstacles.

Few Pointers For Flexible Work In Schools

• ● Encourage job share roles and promote work-life balance.
• ● Use Resource management as one of the primary tools to navigate uncertain times.
• ● Provide options to teachers, advocate part-time working hours.
• ● Make changes for timetabling of meetings and planning to introduce flexibility into the school day.
• ● Be open to discussion on what is possible for each subject and to enhance the curriculum towards teaching.

Final Words

A fresh approach can be brought to embrace flexibility in schools. It can also be extremely an effective way for schools to retain potential staff. One of the major advantages will be increased productivity, better work-life balance, and more engaged working staff in the school. Bring a collaborative approach in bringing possibilities for flexible working. With this schools can find creativity for educators to live a professional life that is much closer and in harmony with their personal lives.

School Leadership and Management Courses for educational leaders can boost modern skills to combat with latest changes and embrace new possibilities.