HOPE 2021: Academic Aspirations
New year 2021, as it enters into the completion of its first month, January, brings the hope of a corona vaccine. Yet, as the usual resolutions—losing weight, exercising more, getting systematic and organized—begin to fade like the melting of snow in Chicago, so too do our commitments. Before the snow and resolutions evaporate, I thought to seek something new for 2021, aside from the tired and tried. I asked the group of Pallavi principals: What are your aspirations or hopes, in one or two sentences, for 2021?
Their responses are compiled below in their own words:
- The Management of Pallavi hopes that the government not only provides directives for safety but also extends financial aid for their implementation. They wish that the losses of private managements are compensated and teachers’ salaries are adequately raised. The management aspires for policymakers to either compensate or convince parents to reimburse fees promptly and hopes for parental cooperation in understanding the difficulties faced by faculty, acknowledging communication updates, and recognizing the necessity of teachers in students' lives.
- One Director hopes 2021 makes the organization a more collaborative team—encouraging constructive criticism, critical thinking, and humility. His aspiration is for principals and teachers to inspire, analyze, and guide each student to identify their core interests and help them excel, even if it requires several iterations.
- The Academic Director hopes learning becomes an enjoyable, paced journey—like a sport or game—for each student, encouraging discovery and research in their area of interest. She envisions students who are self-aware and active in seeking collaborative solutions, and teachers who continuously challenge their methodologies, ready for a paradigm shift to become co-creators and co-learners alongside students and parents.
- One Principal says, “Hopes keep us alive as the disastrous pandemic gives us resilience. This year, we hope all our stakeholders rise up and partner to bring laurels to our school.”
- Another Principal hopes that all teachers understand the decisions of management and the education department, and extend their willingness to support these decisions for the greater good.
- Most other principals hope for no teacher attrition in the next academic session, vaccination for all staff returning to school, increased remuneration for sincere and innovative faculty, periodic financial provisions for safety equipment, technical support and replacements, improved security—including a doctor on duty—for all who attend their duties.
Hopes do have many challenges and limitations. The lessons of 2020—empathy, minimalism, patience, adaptation, and healing—have reshaped us. Life only changes as our mindset does. To grow, we must brave, evolve, mature, and seek joy and perfection in all we do. We are in this together: let us learn to appreciate everyone who goes to work and makes our lives better. In 2021, let’s find joy: notice and create goodness every day, no matter what. HOPE 2021
Academic Director