School Management Through an Emotional Lens: Fostering Student-Teacher Engagement and Academic Excellence

Abstract: In addition to the acquisition of knowledge, a school should consider the emotional needs of students and teachers as well as the needs of some students for therapeutic interventions. For effective management of such a complex system, a methodology for providing guidance and response for both student and teacher was needed. Using an intervention program, teachers used action research to proactively and in a transparent manner work to resolve academic, emotional, and therapeutic issues. The effects of this program, based on management models that defined precise tasks and the functioning of the school, is explained. In the Action Research study (Kaniel, 2014), quantitative and qualitative techniques of collecting data were used along with in-depth interviews. Evaluation of the program was accomplished through two different methods of evaluation which looked for congruence between what was intended to happen and what actually happened. When focus was placed on individuals in a systemically and holistically adjusted way, children’s functioning as independent learners increased, as did teacher satisfaction. The trust of the community within the school and in the education system grew and there was a significant improvement in the mutual relations between all of those involved as the teachers, parents, and students worked together in an organized fashion.

Key words: school management model, systemic approach, humanistic education, elementary school