8085 Discussion 1

8085 Week Discussion 2: Effective Leadership in Practice

Leaders play an essential role in influencing and supporting positive change. Effective leaders are flexible in responding to emerging situations, but they also have a vast capacity to envision opportunity. Coalitions that collectively work together toward common goals need leaders who foster collaboration and create enclaves dedicated to supporting positive change.

Leading is not often effortless, easy, and stress free. Leaders may find themselves in challenging situations in which they encounter new challenges, unusual twists on common scenarios, or the altogether unexpected. At times, challenging situations may be emotionally and ethically draining, and/or they may present leaders with questions about the most effective way to proceed. Leadership theory and evidence-based behaviors are useful frameworks that influence change in a strategic way that is likely to leverage desired outcomes.

In this Discussion, you will explore a scenario that describes an early childhood setting facing multiple challenges. A new director has just been hired and is filled with high expectations to support the center in becoming “an engaging, warm, and safe learning space for young children.” Based on evidence from your personal/professional experience and the literature presented in the Learning Resources, your role is to advise the new director about specific leadership strategies she can use to influence positive change within Valley Hill.

To prepare:

· Review the case study scenario, “Leadership Problems at Valley Hill,” located in this module’s Learning Resources.

· Reflect on the knowledge and skills you have gained in the Learning Resources regarding leadership theory and evidence-based behaviors that support positive change.

· Identify theories and evidence-based strategies that you feel would be most relevant to the scenario presented. As you reflect on these, also consider their congruence with your own values and beliefs.

· Consider how you might use the leadership theories and/or evidence-based behaviors to approach the identified challenge.

Assignment Task Part 1

Write  a 1 ½ page response to the situation presented in the Valley Hill case study. In your response, present an analysis that addresses the following:

· The leader’s role in striving to create an open, supportive, and challenging culture in the workplace at Valley Hill or any early childhood workplace

· How specific leadership theories and/or evidence-based behaviors could contribute to the effectiveness of this leader and improve the current culture and practices at Valley Hill

· A personal reflection of your own leadership strengths and areas for opportunity, and how these might promote or inhibit successful resolution of the presented scenario

Assignment Task Part 2

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to one of your colleagues’ postings in 150 word response at least one of the following ways:

· Validate or provide contrasting perspectives for an aspect (or aspects) of your colleague’s posting.

· Offer an additional perspective on the leader’s role in creating an open, supportive, and challenging culture in the workplace at Valley Hill.

Assignment Task Part 3

Again, read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to one of your colleagues’ postings in 150 word response by building on your colleague’s thinking related to specific theories and behaviors that could contribute to the leader’s effectiveness and in what ways.

Note:  Be sure to cite appropriate references in APA format to substantiate your thinking.

Learning Resources

Required Resources

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

Beyer, B. (2012). Blending constructs and concepts: Development of emerging theories of organizational leadership and their relationship to leadership practices for social justice. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/contents/CZKCR71m@4/Blending-Constructs-and-Concepts

Bloom, P. J. & Abel, M. B. (2015). Expanding the lens—leadership as an organizational asset. Young Children, 70(2), 10–17. 

Hallet, E. (2013). We all share a common vision and passion: Early years professionals reflect upon their leadership of practice role. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11(3), 312–325. doi:10.1177/1476718X1349088

Hard, L., & Jónsdóttir, A. H. (2013). Leadership is not a dirty word: Exploring and embracing leadership in ECEC. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21(3), 311–325. doi:10.1080/1350293X.2013.814355

Leeson, C. (2014). The pressures of leading early years services in a changing world. In J. Moyles, J. Payler, & J. Georgeson (Eds.), Early years foundations: Critical issues (2nd ed., pp. 143–154). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264688756_  

Lewis, J., & Hill, J. (2012). What does leadership look like in early childhood settings? Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/every-child-magazine/every-child-index/every-child-vol-18-4-2012/leadership-look-like-early-childhood-settings/

McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. (2015, Summer). An international perspective on early childhood leadership. Research Notes. Retrieved from http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RN-Summer-2015.pdf

Muñoz, M., Boulton , P., Johnson, T., & Unal, C. (2015). Leadership development for a changing early childhood landscape. YC Young Children, 70(2), 26–31.

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional standards for educational leaders. Retrieved from http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2015/ProfessionalStandardsforEducationalLeaders2015forNPBEAFINAL.pdf

Orr, T., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2015). Appreciative leadership: Supporting education innovation. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(4), 235–240.  

Pfaff, L. A., Boatwright, K. J., Potthoff, A. L., Finan, C., Ulrey, L. A., & Huber, D. M. (2013). Perceptions of women and men leaders following 360‐degree feedback evaluations. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(1), 35–56. doi: 0.1002/piq.2113

Ramey, M. D. (2015). Out from under the radar: Making leadership visible. Young Children, 70(2), 6–10. 

Sharp, C., Lord, P., Handscomb, G., Macleod, S., Southcott, C., George, N., & Jeffes, J. (2012). Highly effective leadership in children’s centres. National College for School Leadership, Nottingham.

Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of leaders. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 553–565. doi:10.1111/puar.12069

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. Retrieved from http://jecer.org/

Document: Leadership Problems at Valley Hill (PDF)

Required Media

California Department of Education (Producer). (2013). Invitation to leadership in early childhood [Video file]. Retrieved from http://ececompsat.org/competencies/lead/lead.html

Note: This video is part of a series of California ECE competencies

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013b). The characteristics of effective early childhood leaders and advocates [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 11 minutes.

 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2016). Jerlean Daniel’s my advocacy journey [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.

 

TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2010). Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en

The Wallace Foundation (Producer). (2012). Great school leaders in action [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Pages/VIDEO-Great-School-Leaders-in-Action.aspx

Optional Resources

Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (Producer). (2015). Supporting principal leadership pre-K-3rd grade learning communities [Video webinar]. Retrieved from http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/30386?q=leadership

Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2015). Putting transformative learning theory into practice. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 9. Retrieved from https://www.ajal.net.au/

DeMatthews, D. E. (2014). How to improve curriculum leadership: Integrating leadership theory and management strategies. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 87(5), 192–196. doi:10.1080/00098655.2014.911141

Heikka, J., Waniganayake, M., & Hujala, E. (2013). Contextualizing distributed leadership within early childhood education current understandings, research evidence and future challenges. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41(1), 30–44. doi:10.1177/1741143212462700

Rodd, J. (2013). Reflecting on the pressures, pitfalls and possibilities for examining leadership in early childhood within a cross-national research collaboration. In E. Hujala, M. Waniganayake, & J. Rodd (Eds.). Researching Leadership in Early Childhood Education (pp. 31–46). Retrieved from http://ilrfec.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/art_01Rodd.pdf

Rupprecht, E. A., Waldrop, J. S., & Grawitch, M. J. (2013). Characterizing effective leader behaviors for the future. Retrieved from http://www.slu.edu/Documents/professional_studies/OHI%20-%20Effective%20Leadership.pdf

Smith, W. K., Besharov, M. L., Wessels, A. K., & Chertok, M. (2012). A paradoxical leadership model for social entrepreneurs: Challenges, leadership skills, and pedagogical tools for managing social and commercial demands. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(3), 463–478. doi:10.5465/amle.2011.0021