8085 MOD 2 ASSIGNMENT

5

Leadership in Early Childhood Education

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Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Leadership is the act of giving direction and helping in developing sound decision-making within an organization. Strong leadership is a prerequisite for all organizations, institutions, and any other viable setting comprising many people working together to realize a common goal (Holmquist, 2018). The importance of sound leadership is thus a matter that cannot be assumed by management whatsoever, especially when handling a delicate situation like the development of children. It is imperative to underscore that, to a greater extent, the growth and success of a child are attached to effective leadership by the parties involved in child development. The success in modeling and developing children is hinged on the right leadership style exuded by the educators and policymakers. Most real-leaders advocate that being a leader involves assuring the subject's success through the various initiatives and interventions put in place by the leader (Holmquist, 2018). Sound leadership also plays an important role for families and parents of the kids. For instance, through good administration, schools can engage parents in school development activities, thus allowing them to clearly understand the activities taking place in school. Regular updates to parents via emails assist school management in having parents informed of the various programs taking place in school.

Proper leadership is also important to care providers in early education care. Strong and sound leadership is instrumental not only in terms of offering direction to professionals in early education care. It also plays a significant role in molding professionals into responsible teachers (NAEYC, 2019). Good leadership inculcates the element of responsibility in every professional in early education care. Leadership is also important in general in early education care as a profession. Sound leadership helps streamline the flow of operations from the policymakers to the ground, hence helping to iron out any possible conflicts and disagreements that would otherwise occur without proper leadership in place. Early childhood education, like any other profession, considers leadership as a sign of authority that instills discipline and orderliness. Leadership has been selected for this task because of its critical role in child development. First, effective leadership in the early education centers inculcates positive learning cultures both in learners and the staff, thus promoting a better learning process. Besides, effective leadership plays a significant role in the development of the learner. Teachers act as role models, and when they demonstrate good leadership skills, the learners are impacted positively, leading to better learners growth.

All the organizations working with early childhood education or supporting the advocacy for the improvement of early education acknowledge the significance of leadership in enhancing quality child development. NAEYC (n.d.), for instance, acknowledges the need for a strong and collaborative leadership structure that incorporates teachers, students, parents, the community, and the government as the main stakeholders in learner development. The Office of the Head Start (n.d.) provides that sound leadership is imperative for institutions and management to avail sound and supportive learning environments for learners. The same sentiments are echoed by the Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE), which posits that sound governance is imperative for better outcomes and good academic and developmental results.

Working hand in hand with such institutions is very important in shaping and supporting personal development and growth towards honing personal goals. NAEYC (2019) provides members with national leadership programs that equip them with the best leadership skills, enabling them to know how to interact with the various stakeholders in the early childhood development infrastructure. Working with the head office hand in hand fosters collaborative avenues as it offers training programs for family engagements that equip one with the right skills and knowledge on how best to work with students and their parents. Finally, CIAE (2018) equips one with competencies in research about different aspects of learner development and the general landscape of early childhood education.

References

Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE) (2018). Study of characterization of leadership and the role of directors in education establishments for early childhood. socialization and reflection workshop, Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE). Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education Organization of Ibero-American States Head Start/ECLKC. (n.d.). Family Engagement. Retrieved from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement

Holmquist, D. B. (2018). Authentic leadership theory: Enhancements from 1 Peter 5:1-5. Theology of Leadership Journal, 1(1), 88-97

NAEYC (May, 2019). Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment. The National Association of Education of Children Code of Conducts 1-9

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (n.d.). Principles of Effective Practice. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family- engagement/principles