Since the country faced the second wave of Covid-19, the school started with the new norms. Teachers and staff who were on duty were ready at the checkpoint near the school entrance. Body temperature was taken just before the students and staff step in to the school building. 

 

The day start with the morning assembly attended by all teachers and students. Students and teachers practiced the ‘social distancing’ during the assembly itself. The assembly begins with the sing of national anthem followed by the school's song. A school prefect was assigned to lead the prayer and to read the school pledge. To blessed the country, the king and the school, a school prayer ‘ Doa Sekolah’  is recited by the head student. The teacher on duty will give speeches, messages and advice to the students.  Prize giving also took place to celebrate success of the winner for some academic and non-academic activities.  Pupils were cheering happily when their names were called to receive the gifts.

 

As soon as the assembly over, all students and teachers went to their respective classrooms to start the teaching and learning activities. I started to walk to the school compound, inspect school cleanliness and ensure school building are safe for all students and school staff. At the same time to make sure the teaching and learning took place on time.

 
After patrolling the school compound I start to do my work in the office.  Read the letters, memos and minutes and emails that were received  the day before and replied it if needed.  The morning task continue by checking the teachers’ record books or lesson plan folders.  When it was done, I do start learning walk and ‘walk throughs’ getting to know how the teaching is delivered and identify students’ learning. 

I approached the supporting staff when they are doing their job and talk to them and asked the status of their duties. During break time, I spent my time to see the students lining up with 1.5 metre from each other to buy food and drink in the school canteen and chat with few students while they enjoy their food. As the time passed by, school end at half past twelve, again I did observe how teachers end their lessons and letting the students left the classroom without shake hand " bersalaman' with the teachers and left the school safely.  I continue my work in the office, finish my admin work, such as lesson plan checking,   reply letters before I ended my working day.

Rohaya Yusof

 

Time is an equalizer to all. We all have 24 hours in a day, and figuring out how to make the most of them may appear simple to some, but it was difficult for me. Although I was carrying a "pandemic" baby as they say, it was a ray of sunshine and a blessing during a challenging time in my life.

When I was pregnant with my third child, I was appointed to supervise the division's largest high school while also serving as the division's science designate. Many pregnant colleagues preferred to work from home, but I was on my workplace. Many people feared the unknown adversary, or COVID 19, but that didn't deter me from doing my job. As a school leader, I had an influence on teachers' work and viewpoints, so instead of being concerned about what COVID might do to me and our school, I began to stretch myself more. As the school year draws to a close, a pile of paperwork awaits my signature, not to mention all of the instructional supervision I must perform. At the same time, I am approaching my due date, and my doctor has reminded me of how COVID claimed the lives of a few pregnant moms in those days. Delta variant had taken a toll on our COVID cases in our neighborhood at the time.

Pregnancy during the pandemic was difficult since my teachers were concerned about my safety. I am responsible for 55 teachers and over 1000 students enrolled in distance learning. As the division co-chairperson for television and radio-based teaching, I had to train myself in the use of both radio and television screens.

I led the preparation of documents for the school-based management during my ninth month of pregnancy, and I'm pleased to see that the school documents were ready to be reviewed after four years. For the most part, schools were silent since students were participating in distant learning, while teachers were working on multiple duties at the same time. It's very common for webinars and meetings to be scheduled at the same time during the pandemic. Despite this, I make sure that teachers' mental health is taken care of by going around the campus to greet them.

We started the school with a little knowledge on how to run it. But as the years go by, we have learned a lot through experience and changes in the education system and People around us. 

Through the years, I have seen how important good leadership is. From heading meetings, planning programs, handling teachers and staff, even parents and students relationships. 

Moreover, Covid happened and we have to adapt to remote learning. We have to learn fast and as a leader I must be flexible and updated to the new technology. Going to the new normal is not easy. I have to plan and think of the best way to still deliver quality education despite the new normal. 

My day starts and ends with endless planning and supervising to make sure that everything is done with excellence. And I could not have done it alone. As a leader, it is important to have a good connection and relationship to the people I work with. I try to be a good example that they can look up to and follow.

We are never giving up even if situation get difficult the important thing is understanding each other in trying time, I believe this too will pass soon. 

I search all information, documents, and archives before. At least in six month, i can identifying a program which have to continue or design new innovation program. 

At the beginning of new school year 2019/2020, I held a Development School Program Workshop. It has never done before. We invite all stakeholders to make blueprint for annual and four years later. We share our vision, mission, and goals. We analyse of 8 National Education Standards. In the past, these process just formality and all documents typed and printed just by school operator.

One year I led, collaboration with our members began to build. We won several student competitions. Until on March 16^th 2020, announced the implementation of the BDR (Learning From Home) policy due to the Covid-19 pandemic infecting our civils. We started new era in various digital teaching learning such google classroom, microsoft teams, zoom meeting, account@belajar.id, and make video presentation using powerpoint animations. However, the most economical and accessible to students is Whattsapp.

To make standar how to interacting in virtual classrooms, all teacher are included in the whattsapp group of all classes. It is intended, they learn from each other how to build interaction and learning culture through whattsapp conversatiton. 

Based on the evaluation of the impact of distance learning, we give more attention to three aspect : (1) encouraging reading and writing skills students in grades 1-3; (2) encouraging basic math skills students in grades 4-6; and (3) encourage habituation at home to build student character.

In guiding children to fluently reand and write, teachers provide special guidance to certain students. Like a private. Each assignment is corrected individually. All students must take turns reading aloud. If there are children who are not fluent, they will be detected. In terms of basic math skills, the sudent progress graph moves normally. About 10% slow, 70% moderate, and 20% fast learners. There are a few problems in fifth grade about dividing numbers. Meanwhile, to build characterized children, we inviting children to more religious, worship in God, and help their parents to clean their house, etc. 

Almost one year, I lost 3 students. They are brothers. Their parents doesn’t allow them go to offline or online learning. We trying hard and come to home visit for several times. One more time, i went there myself. Finally, they back to school event had to stay in same class. How lucky, these three brother, get a champion on playing chess, tennis tables, and athletics. If they dropped out, the story would be different.