Inside the Head of the Head of School
BY: Daniel Tang and Oscar Shaw, Staff Reporters
We can all agree that being a teacher is a tough job. After all, teachers have to know almost everything about their area of specialty and help students achieve their individual goals and potential. The responsibilities they have to ensure a solid education are endless.
Take this duty a notch higher. The job of managing a whole school, on the other hand, is equally difficult, if not more. No only do students depend on such a person, but teachers, staff, and whole communities rely on that head of school to create the best learning environment possible.
Now, what would happen if you combined the responsibilities of the two? Only Dr. Razik himself, the Head of ISB and an Asian Studies teacher, can shed light on this phenomenon.
At the start of school back in August, Dr. Razik became the co-teacher of a ninth grade Asian Studies class. He has since helped Ms. Tantraporn teach the class, all while assuming his duties of, well, running the school.
When asked about what first gave him the idea of taking on an extra job, Dr. Razik replied, “I really enjoy the interactions with students. [They] keep me grounded and connected to the reasons I went into education many years ago.”
It’s certainly not easy to handle the responsibilities of the two jobs. Neither, believe some, is it easy for the students in his classes. Terence Ho (9), one of Dr. Razik’s students, says that Dr. Razik can keep on top of his work by with the help of “technology, [his secretary].” What do the students and other teachers think about it? Do the students feel more pressure? Mr. Kendall, a fellow Asian Studies teacher, says Dr. Razik, like all other teachers in the department, contributes to the planning of lessons. He also added that if he were a student, he would feel as pressured with Dr. Razik as with any other teacher—no more, no less.
In reference to his time management skills, Dr. Razik says, “My assistant Mary Ann works hard at helping me keep my priorities and responsibilities on track. This is a very difficult thing to do and I hope that I am not putting anyone—students in class or the school—at a disadvantage.” Although he acknowledges that such a balancing act is difficult, Dr. Razik says he has found a way to make it work “by [managing his] time effectively.”
Daunting tasks like responsibility and planning aside, according to Dr. Razik, assuming two roles has made him a better Head of School and teacher: “It is my hope that the benefits work both ways. Teaching will help me be a better head of school because I will have first-hand relevant knowledge of how teachers experience teaching at ISB and I can better relate to how students experience ISB.” He adds, “Hopefully my teaching will also improve, because [now] I have a better understanding of how education has changed from when I began teaching.”
In other words, Dr. Razik will have direct knowledge about the inner workings of the school curriculum on a personal level: “It is my hope that both teachers and students will benefit from my teaching and that my decisions and leadership will take into consideration the various perspectives on a deeper level.”
“I am grateful to the Social Studies department and Ms. Tantraporn for allowing me the opportunity to teach,” Dr. Razik says. “I am also appreciative of the administrative team for their understanding and support of this.”
Despite having sufficient duties at the Head of School, Dr. Razik says he could not imagine spending his limited free time in a better way than interacting with students and arming them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing and competitive society. “Our time with students is precious, and that I must make the best of every class period and create as many positive learning experiences as possible.”