Leadership in Early Childhood Education - Essay Example

?   Leadership in Early Childhood Education Leadership in Early Childhood Education There are notably many styles of leadership in modern literature. In this case, there has been increasing debate about the leadership in early childhood settings as well as re-examination of the different views about the importance of leadership in early child childhood settings for better results. In addition, there are different views about incorporating personal philosophy ECEC settings. This essay therefore examines the definition of leadership and how my philosophy reflects my understanding of leadership. There are different definitions about leadership in general and there is no widely accepted definition of leadership, no shared agreement on how best to improve leadership and leaders. The definitions mostly revolve around individual traits, influence over others, role relationships, situational characteristics and the notion of the follower, meeting people’s needs, mobilizing power, negotiating agreements and becoming political. (Lecture A1PP). Traditionally, the leadership viewed worker as a person who was part of the working masses. Historical definitions have changed a lot and new contemporary definitions emerged through many authors’ works. However, highly gendered traditional models of leadership have been seen as natural to leadership (Hard 2005). However, research indicates that women are rated as more effective leaders and that many women have developed a leadership style that involves promoting interactions with colleagues, encouraging employee participation, and sharing information and power (Hard 2005). I concur with the view that express leadership in terms of formality and informality (Hard 2005). The formal leader is the one who is appointed the informal leader is the one who demonstrates leadership qualities. This is evident in the theory of Leadership treats approach, which focuses on the traits of individuals, identifying the characteristics such as self-confidence, problem solving, organizational skills (Hard, 2005). Some researchers conceptualize leadership as a treat or as behavior whereas others view the leadership from an information processing perspective. In my view, I support contemporary styles of leadership that include Transformational leaders, Transactional leadership, Charismatic leadership, Gender specific leadership, authentic leadership (lecture A2), Distributed leadership, Transformational leaders articulate a vision, use lateral thinking, and inspire their colleagues to achieve at a high level for the organization. In transformational leadership, I am able to improve workers' conditions, develop teams, and have shared decision-making. My success is very much dependent upon the workers' perception of the leader's ability. Visionary leaders adopt a new vision; their goal is to move people towards a new vision. According to Macbeath (2004) (as stated by Hard, 2005), charismatic leader is closely associated with the bid leader image and has qualities that are larger than life and they inspire their colleagues to follow them. Gender specific leadership is based on the assumption that men make the best or most natural leaders. This dominant discourse has prevented women from being the producers or subjects of knowledge (as cited by Hard (Tnaton 1994) 2005). Ebbec (2003) says that there is an agreement among these contemporary authors that the leadership grows through interaction with people and the relations that grow between leaders and the others are vital in sustaining leadership. The traditional view has changed a lot among the contemporary authors but some traits of it still in use these days. Authentic leaders are self-aware. They are not afraid to show their real selves to their followers. Their behavior does not vary whether they are in the public sector or in private. They are not afraid to make mistakes or look wrong. The conceptual models of distributed leadership primarily developed by Wariganayaanayke (2000, cited by Ebbeck and Wariganayake, 2004), advocated the knowledge-based leadership. The accentuating aim of this model was to enable leadership in areas in which one is knowledgeable, component, and therefor able to guide decision making in an informed way. In the early childhood field, some essentials of traditional leadership theories such as vision, ethical decision making, are pertinent and applicable to early childhood. However, as Rodd states (as stated by Ebbec ) in early childhood where the staff predominantly female there are many obstacles to adopt traditional leadership styles. In retrospect therefore, I have changed my view about leadership since I started the readings on this subject. My whole philosophy changed. (Hard, 2005) mention that one of the biggest challenges in early childhood was professionals’ reluctance to identify themselves as a leader. There is a viewpoint that some people are born leaders. Leadership, research conducted over many years does show that personal attributes and experience can influence the growth of leadership (Hard, 2005). I agree with this point of view as we all know that when a new director can change a child care center from a bad publicity to the most popular childcare center. That can happen because good leaders are passionate about workplace. I believe that a good leadership is about the capacity to work with rather than over other people. I also believe that relationship is a vital element. A good leader must be reflective, openly value the contributions of other people (podcast K Blackburne). A good leader must be able to share the praise instead of taking all honors and glory to her. A good leader expects from others what she will model herself. As (EBBEC, 2003) states effective leaders bring out the best in their staff by respecting and valuing each person’s contribution, knowledge, skills by consulting and involving them in all aspects of running a center. I believe that a good leader has to be trusted and believing in people I believe that a good leader should have a vision because leadership entails being visionary. The essence of leadership entails vision, as an integral aspect of contemporary leadership discussion and is identified by several authors (Louse Hard, 2005). In perspective, leadership come with developing visions in the workplace and overseeing their fulfillment. Leadership is therefore forming a trajectory or path on which the organization should be an articulation of the necessary decisions to reach there. In Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), able leaders with a larger vision, who make people, feel more alive, lead programs and it becomes the greatest antidote of burnout in the sector (Cartar and Curtis, 2010). This therefore implies that the role of a leader is becoming crucial for the whole centre and this role should be executed by active involvement of the other staff. In a direct interview concerning the essence of leadership in institutions, Fran Press (podcast) mentions that one of the greatest qualities of an effective leader is the quality of being able to draw out the perspectives and the strengths of the people they are working with (podcast). Press further notes that a good leader is one who is able people to see their own strengths and capacities. Although leadership is predominantly the same in many fields, the ECDE perspective of leadership is more challenging because the masculine values hegemony over feminine doesn’t exist because the field is predominately female. This is in addition to the fact that most of the staff members rely on the leader to make all the decisions and they become recipients. The ideal leadership assumptions have not changed much from; “… assuming that the tall man would naturally be the best leader” (Somers- Hill and Ragland, 1995, p. 9, lecture A 2 ppt). A visionary perspective is an integral part of leadership in the ECDE profession .This is because the key roles lie within being able to come up with visions and the ability to communicate them to the staff members. In this perspective, leadership may entail owning the vision I have and drawing together efforts from the staff to accomplish the objectives. Through team work therefore, the leader is able to get the support from the staff, as well as help people focus on the set goals and objectives. As the basis of my philosophy postulates, effective leadership is characterized by a clear vision, especially with regard to pedagogy and curriculum, which is shared by everyone working within the same centre. I concur with the notion that a childcare centre should be team-work based, collective knowledge based. Therefore, effective communication will be very pivotal in childcare centre as it involves speaking, encouraging, listening, reflecting, translating, interpreting, consulting, debating, summarizing, understanding. It is very important that the leader communicates clearly and effectively, which is vital for supporting others to talk knowledgeably about issues concerning their work and area of expertise. Every leader should aim at treating everyone equally, and judging the opinions with unbiased views. In this perspective, as a leader I would always consult my colleagues, value their opinion, listen to their views and appreciate their input in our program. Incorporating other people’s efforts makes them think critically and they would feel as a part of a team, not but not a person who just do whatever they tell her to do. Leadership entails having a heart for understanding and appreciating other people’s efforts with the background that the staff come from different fields, from different cultural professional backgrounds. Practically therefore, working in partnership with others needs opening up and listening to other discourses from other professionals, and to be challenged by what they say. It is important in addition to be able to create together a common language, where mutual communication occurs at all levels. Further, leadership is also about meeting the needs of children and their families, communicating with families about children. Communication in this sense is vital to the successful negotiation with families and actively involving them with early childhood services (Rodd, J.). My philosophy in leadership borrows from Ronald Reagan’s quote about leadership: “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things”. References Carter, M., & Curtis, D. (2010). The visionary director. St Paul: Redleaf Press, Chapter 1. Retrieved December 18,2013,from http://interact.csu.edu.au/access/content/attachment/EEB423_201390_A_D/Announcements/02092ee3-d0cf-417a-000a-b18c20d4491f/Carter%20and%20Curtis%20reading.pdf Ebbeck, M. (2003). Administration, management and leadership : connecting three key concepts in early childhood services. In Early childhood professionals : leading today and tomorrow (pp. 1-39). Marrickville. Retrieved December 18, 2013, from https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/ebbeck+reading/1428dcaddb098394?projector=1 Hard, L. (2005). How is leadership understood and enacted within the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. Centre for Learning Innovation, Queensland University of Technology.Retrieved December 18,2013,from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16213/1/Louise_Hard_Thesis.pdf L. Hard, personal interview, 2005. Retrievedfrom http://interact.csu.edu.au/access/content/group/EEB423_201390_A_D/Leadership%20Resources/Podcasts/PressInterview.wmv L. Hard, personal interview, 2007 Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/access/content/group/EEB423_201390_A_D/Leadership%20Resour LectureA1.ppt.RetreivedDecember18,2013,from http://interact.csu.edu.au/access/content/group/EEB423_201390_A_D/Leadership%20Resources/Lecture%20notes/LectureA1.ppt LectureA2.ppt.RetreivedDecember18,2013from http://interact.csu.edu.au/access/content/group/EEB423_201390_A_D/Leadership%20Resources/Lecture%20notes/LectureA2.ppt Rodd, J. (2013). Leading partnerships : engaging families and communities. In Leadership in early childhood (4th ed.)(pp. 219-231). Australia and New Zealand : Allen & Unwin. Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2012). Conceptualising early childhood leadership. In Leadership : contexts and complexities in early childhood (pp. 3-18). South Melbourne, Vic. : Oxford University Press. Read More