8085mod1 discu1
RESPONSE 1
Laura Herring
RE: Discussion 1 - Module 1
Leadership is important in early childhood education. One leadership theory that I am drawn to is the participative theory. Another leadership theory that I am drawn to is the relationship or transformational theory. The participative theory is important in education because these leaders encourage the participation of others. Participative leaders often take the input of others into consideration when making decisions, (Amanchukwu, R., et. al, 2015). Seeking input from others promotes collaboration and team involvement. Relationships or transformational theory also promote collaboration, but in a different way. This theory seeks to build relationships between leaders and followers. These leaders, “motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task,” (Amanchukwu, R., et. al, 2015, p. 9). I believe this type of leadership is important because it encourages positive relationships between leaders and followers. Leaders must be careful when making changes to policies or practices, (Wanaganayake, M., 2014). These leaders are focused on helping others reach their potential.
Several situations where I have experienced these types of leadership come to mind. One situation would be our grade level planning meetings. I believe these theories are important during planning meetings. Participative theory and relationship theory encourage all team members to participate. These types of leaders create an atmosphere where team members have equity in decision-making and truly feel included and valued. I feel these leadership behavior/theories promote a team environment where the best decisions can be made. Another situation that came to mind was when I worked on a team that created common assessments for our county. I helped to create common assessments for third-grade math. Each team had one leader. Our leader was not great at communication. She often sat quietly during the meeting and did not offer any input. While this did promote engagement due to her lack of engagement, it was also awkward. She would schedule our meetings and sit to the side. We felt that we were being babysat, and not helped. Several meetings into the task the leader was replaced, and the meetings were more effective. Leadership must have a vision for the group to be successful. We felt lost. It was frustrating.
References
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6-14. doi: 10.5923/j.mm.20150501.02
Wanaganayake, M., (2014). Being and becoming early childhood leaders: Reflections on leadership studies in early childhood education and the future leadership research agenda. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 3(1) 65-81. http://jecer.org/
RESPONSE2
Mikal Body
RE: Discussion 1 - Module 1
Introduction
Distinguishing leadership from non-leaders is essential in early childhood education and is critical to the effectiveness of a program or facility. Effective leadership encourages and promotes positive guidance while inspiring and transforming a group of individuals. This post will elaborate on two leadership theories that promote positive values and beliefs in an educational setting.
Relationship/Transformational Theory
The relationship, or transformational theory, focuses on the connection between the leader and followers. According to Amanchukwu et al., leadership is defined as how a person interacts with others and establishes a connection that leads to greater motivation and morality in both followers and leaders. (2015). Leaders with particular attributes, such as confidence, extroversion, and articulated beliefs, are thought to be the greatest motivators. As an educator, I was drawn to this type of leadership because building relationships with teachers, students, and other staff members is the building block to transformational leadership. Without a relationship and establishing a solid relationship with teachers, the school's culture will be ineffective. Working in education, I have seen leaders who portray transformational leadership and those who have lacked in relationship building. One particular example comes to mind when thinking about leaders in the school setting who lack transformational leadership. When I was in college, completing my teaching internship, my mentor teacher struggled with building relationships with other teachers. She would talk to a teacher, and as soon as they left, she would begin speaking ill of them. This encounter made me uncomfortable because I thought she would talk the same way about me. The entire experience was horrible, and it almost made me consider not becoming a teacher. However, I had to take the negative situation and turn it into positive one. I looked at the situation as a learning opportunity. I told myself this is how I would not be a teacher. Building relationships with colleagues leads to a better work environment, which benefits student learning.
Contingency Theories
According to Amanchukwu et al., Contingency theories of leadership focus on specific elements related to the environment that may determine which type of leadership is best suited for a particular circumstance of work (2015). The contingency theory suggests that no single leadership style is appropriate for all conditions. A contingency leader demonstrates characteristics of an effective leader in a particular situation and can be an ineffective leader in another situation. Although it is ideal to have a leader who is effective in all conditions, that is unrealistic. As an educator, I was drawn to this leadership theory because this is prevalent in my school. There are seven assistant principals and one head principal. The main principal has done a fantastic job of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of his assistant principals. Based on the strengths of the assistant principals, the head principal has the opportunity to promote transformational leadership as a result of impacting the culture of leadership. TSE (2004) emphasizes that different organizational environments have distinct consequences on other principal behaviors. The administrator must recognize and address the school's restrictions, resources, and possibilities to lead.
By having a clear understanding of constraints, resources, and opportunities, the head principal has the opportunity to use contingency leadership to their advantage. At my school, my principal has highlighted assistant principals who are calm under pressure, can speak multiple languages, have extensive knowledge in a specific area, and are organized. Because this theory suggests that no single type of leadership is appropriate for every circumstance, this gives the leader the ability to highlight the attributes of other leaders in a school setting. This theory is the most relatable because a leader will always have room for improvement and focus on growth and development.
Reference
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principles, and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6-14.
TSE, I. P. H. (2004). Contingent Leadership–Paraphernalia to School Administration in Chaotic Times. New Horizon in Education, 50, 21.