The new and current Head of School of Global Jaya School shed some light on his professional ‘evolution’ so far, his vision going forward, and more.
On the 13th of August, 2024, Indonesia Expat had a chance to get to know Dr. Howard Menand who has recently been appointed as the Head of School of the prestigious, Tangerang-based Global Jaya School. With an impressive resume under his belt, Dr. Howard Menand has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Rochester, New York, and is now ready to elevate both the students and his fellow educators at Global Jaya School to the next level.
Hi, Howard. Let’s get started by introducing yourself a bit. What can you tell us about yourself?
I grew up in Rochester, New York. I started my university years at an engineering school and, two years later, I realised that I’d made the wrong choice. Thus, I had to essentially start over. When all is said and done, it took me probably about five and a half years to graduate from university instead of finishing in the usual four. I think that’s important because high school kids, especially, must make sure that they really feel confident in where they’re going and choose a school that gives them wider options.
Can you tell us the story of when you first discovered your calling in education?
After I graduated from university with a degree in English, as well as a minor in philosophy, my first job was doing carpentry work for a construction company. I really enjoyed it. But, at the same time, I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be connected to a profession where I felt that I was giving back to the world at large, to giving back to society. I guess that partly comes from my personal experiences as well. Growing up, my parents were married too young. Their marriage did not last very long, so, as we all have, there were challenges for me growing up as a kid. Having said that, I had some strong role models in my world, including, for example, an uncle who was a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton. From those role models, I saw how important education is as a pathway to success. Moreover, having graduated from university and worked in construction for a while, I finally connected the dots and realised that getting into teaching, as well as getting into education, was, indeed, my calling.
If you have to choose, which element of teaching (education) that you love the most and why?
Education is about working with people, and I think that’s one of the best parts of it. Back when I was a classroom teacher, I worked with kids every day. Now that I am a head of school, I have the chance to work with not only students, but teachers, parents, and the community at large and just be in a position to help people be successful in their own way. It’s such a powerful feeling. For me, that’s one of the beauties of being in education — the chance to connect with people.
From your point of view and based on your professional experience thus far, how would you define a ‘good educator’?
That’s a great question. I think about that over the years, and I’ve lost track of how many interviews I’ve taken part in and how many teachers I’ve had to hire. So, without overthinking it, I think there are at least three key elements that a good teacher has to have.
The first element is content knowledge —you have to know your material. You have to know what you’re teaching. The second element is enthusiasm. When you’re a teacher, it’s like you have your own talk show, but you have four episodes five days a week and you have to be the ‘entertainer’. You have to bring enthusiasm and energy to every single class. The third and final element is flexibility. At an international school such as Global Jaya School, different things can come up and different expectations can be put upon you as a teacher. If you can’t be flexible, you’re going to struggle.
Beginning in July this year, you have taken up the mantle of Head of School at the Global Jaya School. Can you share with us the journey that, ultimately, brought you to this current role?
Well, I think it’s safe to say that most people, especially when they’re getting ready to finish high school, don’t wake up in the morning and dream of being the head of school. My journey, therefore, has been an evolution. I started off in the classroom as an English teacher, and I realised that I wanted to be part of the bigger picture in leadership and helping teachers and students. Afterwards, I moved into the role of assistant principal, then I gradually worked my way up to being a middle school principal and, afterwards, a secondary principal. In short, it’s been an evolution of developing more responsibility and having a greater sense of impact throughout the school. And each transition has built up my sense of confidence that made me feel ready to take on this new position.
How would you describe your leadership style as a school principal (head of school)?
I tend to lean on a lot of the framework and beliefs of servant leadership. On top of that, I think that, as a school leader, it’s important to create an environment that’s safe for your teachers and students. It’s important to empower teachers to feel comfortable to take risks and chances in the classroom that may or may not work out. Another aspect I’d also like to emphasise is how to be reflective. We need to be reflective and look at ourselves, what we’re doing well, and what we can do better.
Looking at your LinkedIn page, you have had various tenures in different countries, most notably Qatar and the United States. How do you think your prior experience would help you navigate the students and the educators at Global Jaya School in the present and the foreseeable future?
Those international experiences, whether it’s in primary, middle, or high school, ensure that I’m ready not only to handle whatever challenges or opportunities might arise here at Global Jaya School but also to think strategically about how we can continue to grow and evolve as a school. I think that having lived and worked in a few different countries enables me to develop a mindset that allows me to understand and appreciate the culture of the community where I live.
Global Jaya School is also known for its very diverse educators; many of the recent recruits hail from various countries like Colombia, Ghana, Russia, Portugal, Turkey, and the United States. Why do you believe that diversity among your teaching staff is also paramount?
I think that’s a really important question. Our school’s mission and vision is to be a school that blends the IB curriculum with a particular focus on international-mindedness as well as embracing Indonesian culture and values. The international-mindedness component really is well-served by having a diverse faculty here at the school. This means that our students have the opportunity to come into contact with not only their Indonesian teachers but also teachers from around the world. The end result, I hope, is that by the time they graduate from Global Jaya School, they will have developed the understanding and appreciation of their own country as well as the confidence to navigate the bigger world.
What is next for you and Global Jaya School? Is there any upcoming plan, project, or improvement that you can tease at the moment?
Just as a little tease — we just started a journey last year, which is e-assessments. The e-assessments are online exams prepared by the IB. Students in year 10 around the world take these exams and they’ll take them in subjects like maths, science, and English. Our students took the maths e-assessment in May and we’re going to continue that progression this year by offering the English e-assessment. We’re continuing to enhance our course offerings as well. We have recently added computer science to our diploma programme this year. Moreover, we’re looking at adding another course, global politics, sometime next year.
Last but not least, how can our readers reach you and Global Jaya School?
You’re welcome to find out more about Global Jaya School by visiting our official website www.globaljaya.com. You can also find Global Jaya School on Instagram @gjs_society, X @GJS_Society, Facebook with the page name Global Jaya School, and LinkedIn with the page name Global Jaya School: An International Baccalaureate Continuum School. If you wish to ask for more information about Global Jaya School, feel free to send an email to ask@globaljaya.com.