Be the Change…
The world of international education is diverse, bringing together colleagues from various cultural, ethnic, and professional backgrounds. This diversity while enriching can also present unique challenges, especially when it comes to implementing change. As a women leader of color I have always been reminded of Mahatma Gandhi’s mantra: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” This philosophy helps me realize the power of leading by example, a concept that needs to be modeled rather than forced. This strategy has helped me as a woman of color and leader in international education.
Being a Change-Maker
The actions we take as leaders define our journeys and impact the people around us. In my years teaching internationally, I have faced numerous obstacles, from cultural biases to systemic inefficiencies. However, I have managed to survive as my commitment was towards students. I took inspiration from Gandhism to model the change I envisioned. For example, when I was the IB CAS coordinator during the COVID years, I put together an innovative CAS program for students that would enable them to meet the program requirements with the COVID restrictions. The idea was to introduce a CAS week in school where students led activities that were creative, sporty, and would also benefit the community. I planned the whole week by collaborating with the senior students. Each week had a UN SDG focus, it was led by students involving the entire secondary school. Here is an example of a poster created by a student:
My challenge was coordinating a CAS program that needed community engagement and human interaction, both restricted during COVID-19. My approach was not about challenging the status quo for the sake of it, but about embodying the values and practices I believed would create a positive impact – Be the Change…. I focused on building a culture of taking action, fostering opportunities, and enhancing student voice and choice. I faced resistance at multiple levels due to disrupting the status quo. But my instinct is to be solutions-oriented, hence despite numerous roadblocks and criticism, I launched the CAS week.
A colleague once commented, “Go rock the boat” as they noticed that to be my instinct when things were not going as planned. My ability to “rock the boat” was driven by knowledge, strategic vision, and a genuine intention to improve the system.
The Power of Knowledge and Intention
I believe the key aspect of leadership is the ability to make changes without necessarily confronting the existing structures. Instead, I believe in modeling new ideas and practices and demonstrating their effectiveness and benefits. This approach has earned me the respect and trust of my colleagues. They appreciated my knowledge, experience, and ability to inspire and enact change through example.
A colleague said, “Shwetangna has this incredible ability to see what works well and build on it. She doesn’t just tear things down; she makes them better. Her approach is transformative because it respects the existing framework while pushing it towards excellence.”
Knowledge and intention were the cornerstones of my strategy. I invested time in understanding the educational system, the needs of the students, and the cultural dynamics at play. This understanding enabled me to propose well-informed changes that resonated with the broader school community.
As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” This principle has always been rooted in my ability to serve the students and the community.
Building on What Works
An essential part of this philosophy was the belief that there is no need to reinvent the wheel if it is working well. Instead, I focused on enhancing existing practices and making them even better. This approach preserves the strength of the current system and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. A student wrote a appreciation note for me. “She is changing the school”. This has been the best compliment till date for me as this meant students were noticing a positive change that they appreciated.
Change is not about discarding the old, but about integrating the new in a way that respects and enhances what has come before. It is acknowledging that work done previously and valuing other people’s perspectives. This mindset helped to convince my supervisors, colleagues, and other stakeholders who saw me as a leader committed to improvement rather than disruption.
My journey in the international educational landscape serves as a powerful testament to the impact of embodying change. By living Gandhi’s mantra of being the change I wanted to see, I navigated the complexities of a diverse workplace, broke through systemic barriers, and inspired those around me to strive for justice first not excellence.