Instructional Leadership Student: Haslinda Zamani

Hometown: Singapore
Expert Subject: English

Haslinda Zamani says she always knew she wanted to teach. Although initially she attended law school, it only took a few weeks before she realized that working with young people and teaching English was actually the right path for her. Since 1998, Zamani has taught, most recently taking on the additional role of vice principal.

Did you have any reservations about participating in a pilot program?
Not really. I was excited to be part of something new and felt fortunate to be able to play a small role by participating in the pilot.

What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about teaching?
The biggest misconception is the view that "those who cannot, teach." In fact, the exact opposite holds true. Teachers have to be extremely skillful in order for children to learn at their best. Lifelong learning is the hallmark of the effective educator, who is continuously learning: through personal reflection, through working and learning with colleagues, and from interactions with students in class.

What do you most hope to get out of your year at HGSE?
I have been in education for about 12 years before coming to HGSE. I wanted this year to be a year of reflecting about leadership, thinking about pedagogy, reconnecting with ideas on how young people learn. So far, the journey at HGSE has been exciting, and I love being immersed in the many dialogues on teaching and learning happening around me as I interact with colleagues from across the different programs here. The different ideas that I've engaged in have helped me challenge and re-examine many of my own assumptions about school leadership and education.