Lisa Palethorpe

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services

Overview of this webinar

Building leaders in early childhood services

This webinar will explore what leadership means in early childhood services. Using one leadership framework, participants will consider strategies that they can embed in everyday practice to support their and colleagues enactment of leadership.

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Who do you perceive to be an inspiring leader? Please write your answers in the discussion box

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

What is leadership?

“…informed actions that influence continuous improvement of learning and teaching”. (Robertson, 2005, p. 41)

“Leadership is a relationship between people and the best leaders are those who are able to empower others”. (ACECQA, 2013, p.165)

“Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes”. (Daft, 2015, p.5)

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Why is leadership important?

The Effective Leadership in the Early Years Sector study concluded that strong leadership, with a focus on philosophy and vision, benefited children’s learning and development in the early years.

(Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2007).

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Effective leadership practices includes:

A collective vision; Shared understandings, meanings and goals; Effective communication; Encouraging reflection; Commitment to ongoing professional development; Mentoring and assessing practice; Distributed leadership; Community of learners and team culture; Community partnerships, and Leading and managing.

(Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2007, p. 3).

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

A collective vision

Imagine how it could be… use your heart and your head.

A vision is like a lighthouse, a point in the distance that gives direction through the fog.

A vision is an ideal future that is credible yet not readily attainable

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Shared understandings, meaning & goals + effective communication

To reach our vision:

Goals

Barriers and issues

Specific objectives

Steps (who and when)

Communicate the plans and goals (Adapted from Carter & Curtis, 2010)

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Encourage reflection

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

The reflective thinking process consists of four steps:

1. Deconstruct

2. Confront

3. Theorise

4. Think otherwise

(Source: Cartmel, J., Macfarlane, K., Casley, M. Smith, K.,2014)

Commitment to ongoing professional development

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Monitoring & assessing practice

“Reflective practice can be promoted within an early years setting via a routine and consistent system of monitoring and assessment and collaborative dialogue.”

Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2006, p.18

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Distributed leadership

Distributed leadership approaches enable formal positional leaders to recognise the leadership of educators who are not in formal leadership positions (Harris 2004)

Trust

Recognising knowledge and skills in others

Support

Responsibility and accountability

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Community of learners and team culture

If you want to change people’s behaviour, “you need to create a community around them, where these new beliefs could be practiced, expressed and nurtured”.

(Fullan, 2005, p.14)

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Community partnership

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

Leading and managing

Leading Managing

Establishing direction and inspiring others through the development of a vision Helping people to truly connect and ownership to the vision Motivating, and inspiring Coaching, supporting Goal setting Advocating Maintaining momentum Celebrating success

Planning and budgeting Purchasing Organising Staffing issues and responsibilities Staff recruitment, rosters, Dealing with relief staff Problem solving: ‘the lost shoe’

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe

References 0 Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2013). Guide to the National Quality Standard. Retrieved from: http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-

Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/NQF03-Guide-to-NQS-130902.pdf

0 Carter, M. & Curtis, D. (2010). The Visionary Director (2nd Ed.). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 0 Cartmel, J., Macfarlane, K., Casley, M. Smith, K. (2014). Leading Learning Circles for Educators Engaged in Study. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government Department

of Education.

0 Daft, R. (2015). The leadership experience. Stamford: Cengage Learning. 0 DEEWR. (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government Department of

Education. 0 ECA. (2006). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/code_of_ethics_-

brochure_screenweb_2010.pdf

0 Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership sustainability: System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

0 Harris, A. (2004). Distributed leadership and school improvement: Leading or misleading? Educational Management Administration and Leadership. 32 (1). p, 11-24.

0 Rodd, J. (2013). Leadership in early childhood: The pathway to professionalism. Sydney: Allen & Unwin

0 Siraj-Blatchford., & Manni, L. (2007). Effective leadership in the early years sector: The ELEYS study. London: Institute of Education, University of London.

0 Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2012). Leadership: Contexts and complexities in early childhood education. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Building Leaders in Early Childhood Services Lisa Palethorpe