When the winter vacation comes, teachers and students in schools can rest and adjust, but the cadres of education administrative departments at all levels do not have the concept of winter and summer vacations. However, the school holiday is different from the normal state of education and teaching, and the arrangement of educational administrative work should also be appropriately adjusted, and it should also enter the "vacation time".
Think of holidays as a period of transition in governance. As educational administrative cadres, schools, teachers and students are the most important service objects. During the holidays, the original management model of the service users should be changed. For example, the tasks arranged by the superiors should take into account the factors of school holidays as a whole, simplify as much as possible that can be simplified, and transform those that can be transformed on the spot, and do not carry out and urge them as usual. Another example is that the work planned by the education administration department itself should take full account of the school holidays and appropriately "stop". Take holding a meeting as an example, so that what can be opened is not opened, and what can be opened less is not opened. Meetings that really need to be held can be held online; The training and research activities that must be arranged should also highlight the autonomy and selectivity of teachers, and there should be less "one-size-fits-all" collection. In addition, schools should be encouraged to take the initiative to reduce the arrangement of their own affairs, so as to reduce the burden on teachers and students and parents. Remember, during the holidays, we should leave teachers and students a sufficient time to rest and "recharge".
Think of the holidays as a period of research and reflection. While reducing the scheduling and intervention in schools, educational administrative cadres should also set aside more time for themselves to study and reflect on their work. Take advantage of the vacation based on your own position, list the key work plan and the "two lists" of personal professional improvement, and answer the questions of what to focus on in the next step, why to do it, how to do it, and how to improve your own shortcomings. We should summarize the past year, look at the harvest and growth of this year, find problems and shortcomings, and sort out the experience and wisdom of moving forward. At the same time, carefully study the work of the new year to see how to better implement the requirements of the party and the first place, how to provide greater assistance for the high-quality development of regional education, and how to provide more guidance and services for the development of schools. We should reflect on ourselves and see how we can effectively improve our professional level in combination with our own positions, continuously enhance our leadership and influence, and provide more accurate and efficient system supply for teachers, students, and schools with a more fulfilling state, with strong feelings and solid knowledge, and work together to run an education that satisfies the people.
Think of the holiday as a period of research and communication. Make good use of the vacation time of principals and teachers, enhance communication and interaction through active door-to-door visits, discover educational problems, and study educational countermeasures. Hold a few more work seminars, and on the premise that there is no preset standard answer, please talk about the ups and downs in running the school, and find out the common laws from them. Please make a list of problems and find out the key issues that the education administrative department should serve the school from the problems that reflect the concentration. Listen to the opinions of parents and the public, find out the "obstruction points" between home, school and community, design a new system, and build a new bridge for benign communication between home, school and community. Listen to what teachers have to say, and ask for what support and improvement work are needed from the education administration. We should also pay attention to the voices of returning college students, listen to their basic education in their hometowns, the education they have received, and their understanding of the times and society, so that they will have a deeper understanding and cognition of education beyond education.
Think of the holidays as a period of improvement in reading. Weifang encourages principals and teachers to read more, and has also launched a reading program for young people. While promoting these actions, we should not forget to educate the administrative cadres themselves. Educational administrative departments should most build learning-oriented institutions, and should use the year-end period to advocate that each educational administrative cadre make a reading list and establish a reading sharing group. When making a reading list, we can ask principals and teachers for advice on what books they are looking for during the winter break, what kind of reading materials they are reading, and what books and newspapers they recommend we read. Those educational classics, educational theory monographs, various management studies, and excellent traditional Chinese cultural classics are all worthy of our serious reading, turning over, and taking a look. There are also books on new technologies such as digitalization and artificial intelligence, as well as on new topics such as psychology and science education, which are also worth reading and pondering. It is also a good choice to use this time to write a few reading notes or reading impressions, and to communicate with principals and teachers. Of course, this is also a kind of promotion for their own growth.
Think of the holidays as a family-building period. As an educational administrative cadre, I should return to my family more during the holidays, communicate and interact more with the children who are at home during the holidays, and establish a closer parent-child relationship. For example, you can take the opportunity of taking annual leave to make a winter vacation family course and activity schedule, and go out as a family unit to see social changes, feel the customs, and enhance your understanding of the countryside and humanities. You can also take this opportunity to empathize with the real ecology on the front line. For example, we all know that the teacher-student relationship is very important, so how can we stay within the situation to build a harmonious and positive parent-child relationship? You can also let your child do chores, cook food, and help them. You must know that this kind of happy family "fireworks" is not only the intimate atmosphere that the Spring Festival should have, but also the warmest and happiest moment in our lives.
Of course, educational administrative cadres at all levels are very busy with their daily work, and they do not have any "holidays" and have to deal with all kinds of affairs all day long. But no matter how busy you are, you must adjust your mentality, maintain a good rhythm, and reasonably arrange the relationship between work and life, work and growth. People grow together with the cause, and adhere to the professional guidance of education, which is not only responsible for themselves, but also responsible for the cause.
A meaningful holiday, worth looking forward to!
The author is the deputy director of the Education Bureau of Weifang City, Shandong Province and the secretary of the Party Committee of Weifang No. 1 Middle School).
China Teacher Daily, January 31, 2024, page 15
Author: Jing Guangjin.