Leaders with Heart

Educational LeadershipPresented by Stephen

GallenFor PSCQ

Leadership....

– Leadership is a process of guiding, directing and motivating the movements and actions of others to accomplish a certain set of goals or tasks.

– Stepping Up to the Challenge - Workforce Council Manual 2010

Definition of Leadershipcont.

– Good leadership enthuses staff to want to follow your lead to achieve the highest standards, rather than acting only to obey directives. Staff adopt the enthusiasm and vision of the leader.

– The leader plays a pivotal role in how staff feel about themselves and their job, and their levels of motivation and commitment.

Educational Leadership...

What is education?What is care?

What is learning?

What is childcare for?And what are we for in childcare?

•“We can be sure that if we take away the child’s ability, possibility and joy in projecting and exploring, then the child ‘dies’. The child dies if we take away….the joy of questioning, examining and exploring. He dies if he does not sense that the adult is close enough to see how much strength, how much energy, how much intelligence, capacity and creativity he possesses. The child wants to be seen, observed and applauded.”

–Loris Malaguzzi

Issues & Challenges : the marginalization of pedagogy

The NQF is ‘outcomes

based’.

• A shift away from prescribing inputs

• This means there is no ‘one right way’ to achieve these outcomes

• Which means that we (and all educators) have to make judgements and take responsibility for these

the NQF• requires educators who make complex

decisions

• between often competing goals and priorities

• whose decision making draws on a range of sources (including their intuition!)

• who are critically reflective of their practice

• and who are not only aware of the decision making processes behind their practice

• but can also articulate and advocate for them!

Educational LeadershipThe marginalisation of

pedagogy

Hierarchical and ‘top-down’ models of educational

systems

The relationship of theory to practice

Challenges

• Time

• Trust

• The relationship between theory and practice

• Our own knowledge and experience

• Resources

Educational leadership

• Prioritising...what can you give up? Dahlberg

•“We can be sure that if we take away the child’s ability, possibility and joy in projecting and exploring, then the child ‘dies’. The child dies if we take away….the joy of questioning, examining and exploring. He dies if he does not sense that the adult is close enough to see how much strength, how much energy, how much intelligence, capacity and creativity he possesses. The child wants to be seen, observed and applauded.”

–Loris Malaguzzi

“And when the child dies, the [educator] dies too, because the educator’s goal is the same as that of the children: to find meaning in her work and existence, to see value and significance in what she does, to escape from being indistinct and anonymous, to be able to see gratifying results from her work and her intelligence. The educator cannot work without a sense of meaning, without being a protagonist.”

Peter Moss and Pat Petrie From Children’s Services to Children’s Spaces

The Reggio Approach

• Practice and theory are reciprocal partners - they inform each other

• Centres are productive spaces

• Educators and teachers create theory as well as use theory

• Makes pedagogy central

“More recent approaches to assessment....become

powerful ways to make the process of learning visible to children...their families,

educators and other professionals." EYLF p17

Pedagogical documentation:• Can inspire and sustain

• a mentoring and professional development tool

• connects practice to theory in a reciprocal way

• makes pedagogy visible and shareable

• supports meaning making (what is going? how did it happen?) rather than checking predetermined criteria.

The Reggio Influence

• The 1970s – Atelierista’s such as Vea Vecchi begin using visual arts language as a way of documenting pedagogy

• The 1980s – the Reggio Emilia centres are ‘discovered’ and advocated by US educators

• The 1990s – the idea of pedagogical documentation using images and stories is taken up around the world

Reggio Documentation- theoretical background

• Visual arts• The hundred languages• Subjectivity• Professional development tool

– Rinaldi.

“Visualisation”- Dahlberg, Deleuze

Traditional Child Observation(drawn from developmental psychology)

•Strives to be objective•Assess individual’s level of development in line with developmental outcomes•A tool to plan objectives from

–That is, once you have accurately identified a child’s developmental needs or interests, you can plan appropriate experiences or activities to meet that interest, or need.

–In a way, the educator becomes a kind of doctor or physician, diagnosing the child and prescribing a ‘cure’.

Dalhberg et al (1999)

Based on assumptions

• That all children follow the same pathways but at individual rates

• That learning and development follow a sequential pathway

• That development leads learning– Fleer

New ways of observing….

• Looks for meaning and stories• Looks at relationships, encounters,

connections• A tool to make demonstrate learning and

make it visible– Rinaldi

Based on values

• That diversity matters (and that children follow diverse pathways)

• That learning and development are complex, holistic and not straightforward

• That individuality and relationships go together

• That life is about meaning – and that learning and development lead each other..

Documentation is “…particularly valuable to the children Documentation is “…particularly valuable to the children themselves, as they can encounter what they have done in the themselves, as they can encounter what they have done in the form of a narration, seeing meaning that the teacher has drawn form of a narration, seeing meaning that the teacher has drawn from their work. In the eyes of the children this can demonstrate from their work. In the eyes of the children this can demonstrate that what they do has value, has meaning. So they discover that that what they do has value, has meaning. So they discover that

they “exist” and can emerge from anonymity and invisibility, they “exist” and can emerge from anonymity and invisibility, seeing that what they say and do is important, is listened to, and seeing that what they say and do is important, is listened to, and

is appreciated: it has a value.”is appreciated: it has a value.”Making Learning Visible p 87Making Learning Visible p 87

The girls look down at the figures. “They’re the 3 sisters,” says Bridget softly. Sisters love and hate, squabble and make up, but they share a sense of belonging each to the other. It’s a beautiful way to understand the relationship

between the three girls as it enters a deeper place.

Responsive to children..High expectations…

“…as if…”

• What child do you see?• The child you see, depends on how you look.• Do we look at the child ‘as if’ they are ‘empty’ and

lacking?• Do we look at the child ‘as if’ they are capable,

intentional and full of potential?• Do we look at the event “as if” it is full of

meaning?

You draw on…

•professional knowledge and skills•knowledge of children, families and communities•awareness of how your beliefs and values impact on children’s learning•personal styles and past experiences•Your creativity, intuition and imagination

EYLF p11

Educators "who know how to observe, document and interpret the processes that the children undergo…will realise in this context their greatest potential to learn how to teach."

Rinaldi, Making Learning Visible p 68.

Mini stories and micro moments

What are mini stories?They are ways of catching, in photographs (and words) a story that gives the essence of the context and strategies the children are use and, more importantly, a deeper sense of what is taking place. Through visual images we try to pause on children’s expressions and actions with one another and in the work they are doing seeking to convey as much as we can of the learning and atmosphere, the sense of life flowing within the group.

Vea Vecchi

Tips

1. Use images - photos are a wonderful way of unlocking the meaning of moments2. Take a sequence of photos of a small moment or event. Don’t just take one - you want as many as possible3. Write a sentence per photo, describing what is happening (almost like a comic strip, or a movie) 4. Link to make a story5. Just start - the story will unfold in the telling or writing6. Don’t be afraid of being descriptive and interpretive - talk about the MEANING.

This is a STORY, not an observation!7. Now reflect to see if you have made any meaning - what could be the central idea,

image or metaphor here? Take your time..8. Use the language of the learning outcomes if you like to help you if you are stuck, but try and write the story first - you’ll surprise yourself!

Extra tip: try writing in the present tense as if its happening right now in front of you - you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes to the feel.

…writing in the present tense as if its happening right now in front of you…

As Molly plays with the ball, Silas notices and tries to join in by crawling after the ball – his way of saying “Hey Molly, I want to play!”.

Molly is such a sensitive communicator and listener. She understands completely – they are communicating without words. She throws the ball to him, but Silas isn't quite up to catching it.

Ricki lee responds and decides to play with Molly. It doesn't take her long to realise that Molly and Silas want to play together..

She sits Silas up and helps him with the ball. Now, with her support they can play.. And what a sense of 'agency' or power for Silas who knows he can communicate his wishes to someone as big as Ricki.

Success! And fun, enjoyment, and sharing. Connecting with each other. This is a two way ‘conversation’ between two very young people. A sense of emotional well being comes from sharing moments with friends, and physical well being comes as we exercise and develop our skills. Even knowing the 'rules' of this game, such as turn taking requires understanding and thinking, and memory. Even a simple game like this is a form of “culture”. A beautiful moment.

Possible models1

• Visit each room once a week/fortnight/month

• Visit need be no longer than 15 minutes

• Take a sequence of photos (as many as possible) of an experience (whether activity, encounter between children, play, routine etc etc). The sequence should involve a small group of children (ideally 2 - 5) but can be individual

• Review photos, and collect together (eg. on iPad, laptop or print outs) to share with educator/s and staff team.

Possible models2

• Visit each group regularly - once a week/fortnight/month

• Prior to visits, decide with each educator what you will be focussing on - this might be a question or concern that educators have around : 1. their program 2. their environment or routines. 3. particular children's interests or participation in the program (including behaviour) 4. a reflective aspect such as gender (boys/girls), culture, diversity etc etc

• Spend no more than 15 minutes in the group, taking as many photographs as possible of the chosen aspect

• Collect photos together (on iPad, laptop, or print out) to share with educator.

Possible model3

• Instead of yourself as the educational leader producing documentation (eg photos), ask educators to supply or share some documentation that they have produced (eg. photos, learning story, observation, "what we did today snapshot", portfolio entry).

• Give feedback or reflect with others

For all models:• The crucial element is to share documentation, to co-construct meaning

together, and to give feedback

• 1. Documentation can be put together as a learning story (with written feedback, reflective questions etc) and given to educator to read and comment on.

• 2. As above, but documentation can be placed in shared 'reflective journal' in staff room for all educators to add comments and reflection - to create shared professional dialogue

• 3. Together with educator/s, view images, discuss and engage in reflection and professional conversation. Collaboratively develop this into a piece of documentation (eg learning story) that the educator can keep as part of their program documentation. This could be done individually, or for instance, at staff meetings with whole staff. EG. at each staff meeting rotate which group will share documentation.

Next session

• Bring along 1 example of documentation you or you and educators have coconstructed together and give feedback on how the process went

• Bring along 1 sequence of photos that you have, that you have not yet shared with other educator/s.

References• Dahlberg, G et al. (1999) Beyond Quality in

Early Childhood Education and Care London : Routledge

• Gallen, S. (2011) Reflective Practice and Documentation : In the Loop Spring 2011

• Reggio Children (2001) Making Learning Visible Reggio Emilia : Reggio Children

• Rinaldi, C. (2007) In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia London: Routledge