Effective Educational Leader - Report Example

Effective educational leader Name Course Date Introduction Effective education leadership plays an important role in improving and helping the learning activities. This idea is neither new nor controversial. What has been the bone of contention for quite a long time even after renewal efforts in the schools is how the leadership in schools matters. Another issue that is not clear is how it affects the promotion of children learning plus the necessary skills for one to be a successful leader. Research has shown little evidence to answer to these concerns. Individuals who have who have invested and paid attention to leadership to improve on the education rely on faith rather than facts. In the recent past, the society has rapidly changed and highly technologically oriented. This means that the students need to get the skills and knowledge that will assist them accomplish success both in the school and in life experience. This rapidly changing school environment is highly demanding for the school leaders. The understanding of school management, legal issues, and finances were the main focus of the school leaders. The reforms in the schools have placed the bar higher for the school leaders to put more emphasis on development of the leadership skills to uphold high quality teaching and learning of the highest level. As an educational leaders you must appreciate the take up responsibility for the students educational and intellectual development, take care of the social, personal, physical and emotional development of the children (Leithwood 2004). To be an effective leader who can cope with these challenges, you must be in a position to create a vision for the success of each and every student. You must use your skills in community building, communication and collaboration to bring the vision into reality. This paper will discuss the qualities of an effective educational leadership. Quality education What does excellence denote in the connection of training? Numerous meanings of value in instruction exist, vouching for the complication and multi-faceted nature of the idea. The expressions effectiveness, adequacy, quality and value have frequently been utilized synonymously. Impressive agreement exists around the fundamental measurements of quality education in the present day. Quality training incorporates learners who are sound and generally sustained to take an interest in learning, safe environments. Protective and healthy with sufficient assets and offices, pertinent curricula and materials for the procurement of skills, prepared instructors who use tyke focused showing methodologies in decently oversaw classrooms. The results will include skills, aptitudes and knowledge which are connected to national training objectives and positive cooperation in the society (Rath and Conchie 2008). Effective educational leaders need to give careful consideration to the procurement of value education to their understudies on the grounds that this is a piece of their command to do so. Additionally, there necessities to be effective leaders in the educational systems, as just quality teachers can give quality instruction. It includes boosting the instructive and comprehensive improvement of students. For there to be effective teachers, the essential preparing must be carried out so that instructors have the capacity manage the issues as they develop. Conveying quality instruction is an essential human right and this makes ready for understudies to show innovativeness, application, and long lasting learning. This is the reason we send our kids to class to get an instruction. Quality education can be offered through effective educational leadership (Leithwood 2004). Effective educational leadership and management style To be an effective educational leader, a complex set of skill, qualities and knowledge are required. Many people tend to have the perception that an educational leader (principal) must know everything, do everything and be a solution to each person’s problems. Despite the fact that this is not achievable, the educational leader must always obtain knowledge (Bennett, Crawford and Cartwright 2003). The leader should apply this knowledge together with different skills to create conducive environment for learning. He should also represent a set of qualities which is diverse to make sure that the vision he has for the institution is attainable and inclusive. Effective educational leadership begins with extensive knowledge (Crippen 2004). An effective educational leader has to accept the fact that he doesn’t know everything. It is imperative for a leader to understand the educational practices of an effervescent learning surrounding. These include providing practical activities, coming up with the interdisciplinary elements which match the national and local principles and differentiating instructions. A leader should fashion a learning environment which is engaging in additional to being differentiated. His lessons should allow a layered approach to assist each and every learner. As a leader, practical knowledge is required in addition to understanding the methods of teaching (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). With the majority of this learning comes the acknowledgment that even the most veteran educational leader can't know everything and must have ways to discover information and make knowledge. The best wellspring of knowledge is the ability of the staff in the building. an effective leader models long lasting adapting by taking part in expert advancement with and by the instructors (Rath and Conchie 2008). Bennett, Crawford and Cartwright (2003), suggested that an effective educational leader needs to remember two standards in decision making process. To start with, the methodology used to settle on any choice needs to be focused around an unequivocal, normally comprehensive, process (Crippen 2004). It serves to tell the staff precisely what sort of choice the leader is going to make: the educational leader could be appointing or encouraging or teaming up on a staff driven choice, the leader could be counseling before a choice is arrived at or testing a preparatory choice, at last, the educational leader must frequently specifically settle on a choice with practically zero information. The second guideline of choice making rotates around the suitable utilization of information to carry out what is paramount for the kids. According to Bernhardt (2006) different measures of information: school forms, demographics, observations and understudy learning, the four are crucial and that utilizing the crossing point of each of the four sorts of information will prompt the best choices (Bernhardt 2006). Customary, two-path communication with different parts of the school group is likewise an exceptionally satisfying set of abilities for the educational leader. Given that nature despises a vacuum, it is the educational leader task to guarantee that there is no vacuum with regards to data about the school. The leader must have a reasonable vision and must impart that vision all around he can as regularly as would be prudent. He should be a firm adherent to the thought of a richness of correspondence (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). According to Rath and Conchie (2008) the effective leadership is the spine of each and every organization that is successful. An effective educational leader creates a vision and establishes and environment for students to attain their maximum level of achievement. The leader communicates the vision to his staff and students and directs all his energy and actions to make sure that the vision is achieved. The leader mobilizes the available resources and encourages the partners to collaborate so as to attain the organization objectives (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). An effective educational leader indentifies his individual strengths and brings competent individuals onboard to help improve the capabilities of the organization. He develops and focuses on the strengths of his colleagues to accomplish the shared vision. An effective leader embraces change and views it as an opening to grow as opposed to an obstacle that they have to triumph over. He leads individuals through the inconsistent society that is changing rapidly. An effective educational leader searches for guidance and opinions to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others whereas they give their knowledge to others who look for it (Rath and Conchie 2008). Effective educational leader should develop their skills and talents. Leaders have the capability to lead through change and assisting other individuals throughout the process of change. The leaders should employ shared decision making together with school community inclusive of staff, parents, and students. The leaders act as both the reformer and the guardian to the system of education in addition to ensuring that each and every group is engaged and inclusive in the common objective of the institution and they are all moving in the same direction (Crippen 2004). To improve the preparation and learning of the individuals inspiring to be future school leaders and teachers, an effective educational leader should strike a partnership with universities and colleges (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). An effective leader knows that leadership can be learnt. He has a responsibility to institute and take care of strategic activities in order to make sure that other people develop and grow as leaders. Throughout the level of organization, the effective educational leader shares his responsibilities. Effective leaders nurture and maintain a community that supports the continuous growth and development of people who believe in the responsibility for the best academic achievement for each and every student (Rath and Conchie 2008). Rath and Conchie (2008) suggested that effective educational leaders act as a model of moral and good leadership. They anticipate trustworthiness by supporting and pushing an environment where understudies and school staff are continually attempting to do "what's correct." They exhibit valor in troublesome circumstances, and give a model of good leadership for others to imitate. They try to have any kind of effect in the lives of understudies, and grant reasoning that positive connections based on trust enhance the personal satisfaction for all people. Leaders with uprightness are centered and deliberate, and are constantly mindful to being steady with what they do and what they say (Leithwood and Riehl 2003). Essential Skills and Knowledge for Effective educational Leadership 1. Effective educational leaders understand what it takes and what it means to be leader. Leaders should indentify the vital objectives and hence motivate others and enable them to devote their energy and resources in attaining those goals. Leadership also involves using one’s energy and resource in conjunction with other individual to learn, adapt and overcome the challenges represented by the objectives. 2. An effective educational leader has a vision for the institution. They promote and share this vision. 3. Leaders should communicate effectively and clearly. Effective leaders have effective writing and presentation skills which they use to clearly express themselves. They are also confident and have the ability to respond to difficult queries in public gathering. Leaders also seek clarification on certain matters. 4. Leaders cooperate and collaborate with others. They give accurate information to maintain confidence and trust while also fostering understanding. Leaders search for assistance and support where necessary. They also build partnership. 5. Leaders have perseverance. They develop institutions that endure. Leaders maintain their focus, look forward to triumph over resistance and stay the course. Leaders create and develop capacity to attain and promote the organization vision. 6. Leaders nurture, develop and support their staff. They set the standards for ethical and moral behaviors. They recognize individual talents, recruit, promote and mentor individuals who have the potential to be leaders. 7. Leaders take up responsibilities and are held accountable for others. They adhere and embrace wide spread planning that will improve the organization. They respect accountability and responsibility while managing the organizational resource efficiently and effectively. 8. Leaders continue to learn and sharpen their skills. They are reflective and introspective while asking question in order to look for answers. They are always up to date with the recent research in their related fields. Leaders always have plans on how to self improve while still learning. 9. Leaders take risks. They take up planned and informed change within the organization while appreciating the fact that not all people will embrace the change (Bennett, Crawford and Cartwright 2003). Conclusion Communicating and processing the vision is the vital quality of an effective educational leader. He has to come up with the vision and make sure that the vision is accomplished. The clear vision for and educational leaders should be: 1. Do what is best for the kids, 2. Foster a good relationship with the school community, 3. Participation of all stake holders in the decision making process. With effective leadership, all kids have an opportunity to learn and be successful in life. When a school leader merges the clear vision and other qualities like organization, flexibility, outgoing and calmness he becomes an effective educational leader (Bennett, Crawford and Cartwright 2003). Merging the qualities knowledge, skills and the management style that are essential for an effective educational leader is a perpetual long term process. Each learning institution deserves to have a school leader who is effective. Effective educational leadership in the school will lead to delivery of high quality education. References Bennett, Nigel, Megan Crawford, and Marion Cartwright. 2003. Effective Educational Leadership. 1sted. London: Open University in association with Paul Chapman Pub. Bernhardt, Victoria L. 2006. Using Data To Improve Student Learning In School Districts. 1st ed. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. Crippen, Carolyn. 2004. 'Servant-Leadership As An Effective Model For Educational Leadership And Management: First To Serve, Then To Lead.'. Management In Education 18 (5): 11--16. Leithwood, Kenneth A. 2004. How Leadership Influences Student Learning. 1st ed. Minneapolis, MN: Centre for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota. Leithwood, Kenneth A, and Carolyn Riehl. 2003. What We Know About Successful School Leadership. 1st ed. [Nottingham]: National College for School Leadership. Rath, Tom, and Barry Conchie. 2008. Strengths Based Leadership. 1st ed. New York: Gallup Press. Read More