Reviewed by Sulekshmie Bambaradeniya
In a move to unsheathe the capacity of the College Management Team of TCK, and integrating TCK’s vision for 2024: to empower exploring vistas of excellence, embrace core values of integrity, Service, Excellence, and Resilience, focusing on 21st century skills, a four day workshop facilitated by Mr Paul Navamani, Co- Founder & Leadership Consultant at Leadership in Action (PVT) ltd, was conducted at Trinity Eco Learning Arena at Pallekelle.
From the 22nd to 25th January, the staff eagerly awaited to board the bus that would transport them to Pallekelle. For four days, the management under the direction of the Vice Principal Mr Krishanthan Anthonydas, Co-Vice Principal Mr Ananda Marasinghe, Coordinator of Centre of Excellence Mr Shane De Silva and the Premises Manager Mr Sanjaya Rathnayake, meticulously organized the program that would help the members of the CMT to derive the best out of the workshop.
The team comprised of members of the Junior, Middle and Upper School. It was an opportunity for many to get acquainted with people they have never spoken to.
After a blessing, each session for the day began with invigorating warmups that kept the staff members fully awake, ready to absorb lessons that teemed with task and value based activities. Incorporating Mr John C. Maxwell’s time tested ‘Maxwell’s Leadership Principles’, Mr Navamani guided the 53 members present, through a journey of self-discovery, self-worth, and self-inquiry. From harnessing a positive attitude, to personal growth, priorities, and relationships, the CMT garnered valuable insights to respond to competitive tasks. There was laughter, overwhelming discoveries of the simplicity of some challenges that required a mere two seconds as proven in the mission: ‘creating a flying object’ that got the teams delving into the construction of paper planes, when all that required was a two second creation of a ‘paper-ball’.
Furthermore, the members acknowledged how easy it was to oversee instructions when they disregarded a challenge that required a photograph of the team with the object in pursuit, and submitted pictures with only the object. It was an epiphanous moment that demonstrated how students rarely read instructions on most occasions and chiding them should happen with empathy.
Mr Navamani corroborated maximum enjoyment in all the challenges that were open for competition, driving home the salient point that children need to enjoy their lessons. In the activity where the groups had to devise strategies to pass as many small objects as possible between their members, the winning team ended up having all the items in one bag, a clever strategy that brought peals of laughter among the rest of the groups. Each challenge had its power-embedded message to be followed up in the future.
The facilitator established an impenetrable contract among the participants to never discount themselves, others, others’ ideas, or a follow-up.
The roundtable coaching and discussions that followed each session paved the way for multiple learning opportunities that revolved around TCK’s vision for 2024. Each session also had feedback and an overall review via a Google Form.
Most importantly, The giant tamarind tree under which the discussions were conducted, and the sun kissed outdoor activities were a welcoming move that sustained the facilitator as well as the team
members. TELA is surrounded by a pristine environment that requires appreciation and sustenance. Walking about in nature during the short breaks was therapy to the body and soul.
Undoubtedly, CMT is thankful to Mr Navamani for opening the doors to learning through discovery. Similarly, CMT is grateful to Mrs Nimali Jayasekara curator of TELA, and her husband Samith as well as Mr Susantha Senarathna TCK Farm Manager for their unstinted cooperation in facilitating the environment with positive vibes. CMT is indebted to the Principal Rev Araliya Jayasundara, Vice Principal Mr Krishanthan Anthonydas and Co-Vice Principal Mr Ananda Marasinghe for enabling them to hone their skills in managerial maneuvers to serve TCK with resilience and excellence.
A humble appreciation goes out to the organizers of the event: Mr Ananda Marasinghe, Mr Sanjaya Rathnayake & Mr Shane DeSilva, for the foolproof precision in which the planning was executed. The College Media Unit is deeply appreciated for their commitment in capturing happy moments that would add to the developmental portal of the college in the years to come.
CMT looks forward to more sessions that would extend to the rest of the college community.
