The Essence of Strategic Thinking and Innovation

Jean Jerric A. Pacia, Ed.D.

Things are changing at an exponential rate as many people would tell us. And so, you better find a way wherein you can respond to these changes. To be strategic would mean to find way or ways wherein you can put your organization or place your organization at an advantageous position. And you need to think fast and at the same time have a clear way where to lead your organization.

To be innovative on the other hand you have to look for a way on how you can differentiate your organization from all the rest. Plans as they say at this moment are overrated that's why what you need are models. Models help you move fast to be more agile in a sense flexible, and I think these are the characteristics that we need now. And if you look around there are so many examples that we can see, which I think before are unthinkable. Schools and school leaders, especially in this time, need to be innovative and strategic for their schools because there are many contexts that they have to face. Number one is the delivery of learning. We have moved away from the idea that teachers are the sole owner and processor of knowledge.

Everyone now as an easy access to knowledge. It’s not simply about processing knowledge and learning how to provide solution to the problems given to you as a student, but what they give importance to it is how are you going to take advantage of the different information being given to you now and translate them into learning. We have been used to teacher standing in the classroom teaching and students simply receive what they hear from their teachers.

School Principals are given empowerment to think of something that will improve their school without considering everything, cascading from the central to the grass roots. But they have to look forward of something that will make the school different from any other school. They should also realize the traditional practices with what's been done. They have to stop and look for other possible ways to engage their teachers seculars to look forward. Listen to our stakeholders. Listen to the students. Listen to the teachers, and listen to what is changes are telling them, so that they will be able to actualize or make their role as a school head more meaningful, more significant into reality.

The author

is Head Teacher

--oOo-

III at Bagang Elementary School, Masantol South District