Conventional v. Contemporary School Management

 Learning Forward Saturday

To introduce the Staff Leadership Development Program and its core philosophy. Reading from the book Wanted Back-Bencher & Last-Ranker Teacher by Kavita Ghosh

Key Takeaways

• Program Core: The Staff Leadership Development Program (SLDP) uses the book Wanted Back Bencher, Last Ranker Teacher to shift the teacher paradigm from “perfect” to “relatable.”
• Monthly Cycle: Each month, teachers read a chapter, discuss its themes, and write a blog post for happyteacher.in applying the concepts to their own classroom experiences.
• Chapter 1 Theme: The first chapter, “Conventional v. Contemporary School Management,” argues that teachers with personal experience of struggle are better equipped to connect with and counsel students.
• Key Insight: Every teacher must act as an “ed counsellor”—providing immediate “first aid” for behavioural issues—because school counsellors are too few to handle the volume of daily incidents (e.g., 155/day in the book’s example).

Topics

Staff Leadership Development Program (SLDP)

• Goal: Shift the teacher paradigm from “perfect” to “relatable” to better connect with students.
• Recognition: The program is recognised by the World Bank Education Group as a global innovation in professional learning.
• Structure: A monthly cycle centred on the book Wanted Back Bencher, Last Ranker Teacher.
  • Read: One chapter per month.
  • Discuss: Apply chapter themes to real classroom scenarios.
  • Write: Create a blog post  happyteacher.in on a related personal experience.
• WhatsApp Group: A dedicated group will share links and updates.
  • Rule: No “good morning” messages or forwards; the group is for learning-focused content only.

Chapter 1: Conventional v. Contemporary School Management

• Premise: The chapter argues for a new teacher profile—one with personal experience of struggle—to effectively handle student behaviour.
• Story: A school CEO (Jacob) hires an unconventional teacher (Roma) to address a severe student discipline crisis.
  • Problem: A specific class is unmanageable; previous teachers quit after minutes.
  • Solution: Hire Roma, a “paragon of imperfection” (a former “back bencher” and “silent mischief maker”) who understands student struggles.
• Rationale: Teachers who have experienced failure or broken rules themselves can better understand and counsel students facing similar challenges.
• Outcome: The board approves the hire for a 6-month trial, with Uncle Patrick’s support.

Next Steps

• All Teachers:
  • Order a copy of Wanted Back Bencher, Last Ranker Teacher.
  • Join the Learning Forward Saturday WhatsApp group.
  • Review the program introduction video (link in WhatsApp).
  • Research “Scarlett O’Hara” and share findings in the group.
  • Observe student behaviour this week to identify underlying reasons.
• Learning Forward:
  • Share the “Happy Teachers” presentation in the WhatsApp group.