I was very impressed with the quality of discussion tonight concerning shared leadership processes in Education. Please post reflections for week six here. Thanks, Dr. Andy
Hello everyone, We had a great class on shared leadership processes in Education with Dr. Andy. Sharing leadership, you will become a stronger leader and that we should always approach problems as opportunities to learn. Today’s leader will never work alone; the school management system becomes more centralized not only focused on top-down management system. In my own situation, like the case of American Samoa, the changes of our educational system for Thai school lie in the hands of the Ministry of Education. School leaders will just follow and work as per order by the MOE, we cannot change at all things, but management style we can adjust and create new approach to suit the situation and contexts. The case of American Samoa - A Collaborative Approach, challenges me as a leader. The following are some of my thought to share: 1) I like the way of ASDOE has taken place- lies in the new management approach move away from a top – down management style to a more shared-decision –making model and Dr.Lui leadership style. This approach is the same thing that happens in my school life as a leader. In the past the school management system is focused on Top-Down management, all decision making will be the leader responsibility alone, but today this idea has changed to more collaborative approach. Teachers and staff gave more opened to share the idea, suggestion, and decision making while encourage them working together as well as supportive. This approach leads the teachers to do a better work and decrease the number of teacher turnover. 2) Sharing leadership process, and building a collaborative culture within the school district and community is necessary. School cannot stand alone without collaborative and supportive from the local community at large both private and government sectors. 3) To achieve the school vision, mission, and goal, the person who those concerned with the school improvement such as stakeholders, administrators, teachers, parents, and local community etc. must get involve and share responsibility to lead the school more effectiveness and students learning outcomes as a whole. When you build a system-wide culture of learning and leading, everyone in that system is responsible and accountable for success. You can only do this by thinking about “we” instead of “me”. Have a great weekend. - Jackie
I’ve worked at four different schools, the first one I worked at was the one that had the least control of its teachers. We had authority to decide what we want for the kids, such as activities, library books, or resources. We worked as a team, everyone shared responsibilities in terms of preparation and teaching. The second school was an English kindergarten, and I was the director who helped to set up curriculum, and made sure that teachers were doing the right things for the kids. It’s a small school, not many teachers there, so we worked as a family. The third school was an international school here in BKK, it was totally on the right side of the spectrum - more control. The important decision-making was the boards’ job. The fourth school would be in between the right end and the middle, moving toward shared leadership, but very slowly. I also got some insights from the film --- 1.Students should be the first priority, no matter what! 2.School culture makes a big difference! 3.No matter how great the curriculum is, resources are, it all goes back to the people. Therefore, building “trust” between the people is extremely essential. In order to make shared leadership happen, a leader needs to have certain skills or attitudes, such as - open-minded, interpersonal skills/people skills, good at dealing conflicts, simplifying complex tasks for the followers, and communication skills. Plus a cross-stick I made from TRUST : Truth - have the courage to tell the truth Reliability - qualified & accountable, who can back you up Understanding - empathy, considerate, patience etc. Sincerity - in order to build trust To-the-end - touch the goal(touchdown)! never give up, energy-driven Things don’t need to be complicated, it could be very simple --- Choose the right person for the right job! And leave him/her alone!! Have a great day, Shira
I did not attend the class, but I still want to share from that I had red from the sheet and also from yours reflection. Working as a team is the best way for the new era. Even in Thailand, it may look as impossible for me. But after I had red the sheet, I changed my thinking. If I just said impossible with no doubt, when did the changing will be happened? I have learned from my reading that we can start with working with a partner. That was interesting. In applying to use 1. Collaborative learning can start with working with the partner. 2. Don't look over some idea from the outside of the school, particularly parents. They may see some point that we couldn't. 3. Changing the system from the old to the new, nobody said "easy" but also no any of the leader say impossible. 4. Do for the others as you desire the others do for you. Need the others work as a team, start at myself first.
Tom, these are great insights for me to read. I love the number 4 particularly - Do for the others as you desire the others to work for you…from their hearts! Shira
I sent the following comment on Monday and today I found out that my comments eliminated automatically!!!! I recommend everybody triple check your entry comment to make sure it stay there. The shared leadership is known with many names such as partnership-as-leadership, distributed leadership, and community of leaders. Under the shared leadership model, the vision for a school is a place whose very mission is to ensure that students, parents, teachers, and principals all become school leaders in some ways and at some times. Effective principals share leadership responsibilities as they built a team to support for continuous growth and development of the school culture. Traditionally school leadership has been of the top-down approach where the leader leads, makes key decisions, motivates, and inspires. While this approach has been popular in educational administration in the past and even in the present, it is highly unlikely that a single person can provide the necessary leadership for all issues. Leaders and followers of today need to let go of that expectation and embrace new ways of leading. One way is to emphasis a shift from the formal leader to a shared leadership model. Instead of a single individual leading to success, other individuals, who are partners or group members, take on the responsibility for leadership. Today the relationship between teacher and principal is under study on the base of school climate and culture. The top-down model is considered ineffective and too unprofessional. Problems are frequently too big and too numerous for one person to address alone. Schools need to recognize and develop leadership among many different kinds of people to replace the top-down model. School leadership can come from principals who empower teachers to become leaders and from teachers who collectively take responsibility for the well-being of the school. Just as we have high expectations that all children can learn, principals must have high expectations that all teachers can lead. If teachers and principals are to effectively lead together, then there must be a substantial change made in the ways we think and feel about our personal and shared leadership responsibilities in the school. Most importantly a school isn't going anywhere that all of us together, teachers, staff, students, and administrators, don't want it to go. Teachers have to work collaboratively. We cannot have teachers working on their own agenda. If we do not empower teachers to become leaders then we are missing out on a great opportunity to improve our schools, our students, and our community. But are Asian schools are culturally willing to justify a shift of leadership style or not? Do principals and teachers have qualified on the bases of trust and partnership culture to value distributed leadership and community of leaders?
Actually this discussion point (see above two comments) will fit better in week eight, when we will cover Asian management systems with respect to HR. So please do raise these issues again at that time, Fatima. Thanks, Andy
Public education in American Samoa is a good example of a collaborative approach or shared leadership. In Thailand we have applied this kind of approach in developing for educational administration and management too that we are hoping the new approach could improve Thai educational administration and management go better. As the situation in Samoa we have seen that school leader is very open mind and really understand collaborative method also the teachers are accept to make positive change in school by focusing on school goal. So now I have my thought that I can apply. 1. If every one has a sense of partnership and has a strong willing to help each other so I think the collaborative approach could work well in all every situation. 2. In the reality some organization we might see only controlling the power in the center but we would see some part which have applied collaborative approach to reach the organization goal also. I would say we sometime need centralization and decentralization ways as well in the same workplace. 3. As a leader, teacher and the person as a human being I realized the collaborative approach is a good approach to improve and solve the problem in the organization and every part of the society by building the sense of partnerships and trust . Aey
Like this when I do the review..."Just as we have high expectations that all children can learn, principals must have high expectations that all teachers can lead. " - from fatima
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteWe had a great class on shared leadership processes in Education with Dr. Andy. Sharing leadership, you will become a stronger leader and that we should always approach problems as opportunities to learn. Today’s leader will never work alone; the school management system becomes more centralized not only focused on top-down management system. In my own situation, like the case of American Samoa, the changes of our educational system for Thai school lie in the hands of the Ministry of Education. School leaders will just follow and work as per order by the MOE, we cannot change at all things, but management style we can adjust and create new approach to suit the situation and contexts.
The case of American Samoa - A Collaborative Approach, challenges me as a leader. The following are some of my thought to share:
1) I like the way of ASDOE has taken place- lies in the new management approach move away from a top – down management style to a more shared-decision –making model and Dr.Lui leadership style. This approach is the same thing that happens in my school life as a leader. In the past the school management system is focused on Top-Down management, all decision making will be the leader responsibility alone, but today this idea has changed to more collaborative approach. Teachers and staff gave more opened to share the idea, suggestion, and decision making while encourage them working together as well as supportive. This approach leads the teachers to do a better work and decrease the number of teacher turnover.
2) Sharing leadership process, and building a collaborative culture within the school district and community is necessary. School cannot stand alone without collaborative and supportive from the local community at large both private and government sectors.
3) To achieve the school vision, mission, and goal, the person who those concerned with the school improvement such as stakeholders, administrators, teachers, parents, and local community etc. must get involve and share responsibility to lead the school more effectiveness and students learning outcomes as a whole.
When you build a system-wide culture of learning and leading, everyone in that system is responsible and accountable for success. You can only do this by thinking about “we” instead of “me”.
Have a great weekend. - Jackie
Excellent overview of key ideas and reflection, Jackie!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Ajarn Dr. Andy.-Jackie
ReplyDeleteI’ve worked at four different schools, the first one I worked at was the one that had the least control of its teachers. We had authority to decide what we want for the kids, such as activities, library books, or resources. We worked as a team, everyone shared responsibilities in terms of preparation and teaching. The second school was an English kindergarten, and I was the director who helped to set up curriculum, and made sure that teachers were doing the right things for the kids. It’s a small school, not many teachers there, so we worked as a family. The third school
ReplyDeletewas an international school here in BKK, it was totally on the right side of the spectrum - more control. The important decision-making was the boards’ job. The fourth school would be in between the right end and the middle, moving toward shared leadership, but very slowly.
I also got some insights from the film ---
1.Students should be the first priority, no matter what!
2.School culture makes a big difference!
3.No matter how great the curriculum is, resources are, it all goes back to the people. Therefore, building “trust” between the people is extremely essential. In order to make shared leadership happen, a leader needs to have certain skills or attitudes, such as - open-minded, interpersonal skills/people skills, good at dealing conflicts, simplifying complex tasks for the followers, and communication skills. Plus a cross-stick I made from TRUST :
Truth - have the courage to tell the truth
Reliability - qualified & accountable, who can back you up
Understanding - empathy, considerate, patience etc.
Sincerity - in order to build trust
To-the-end - touch the goal(touchdown)! never give up, energy-driven
Things don’t need to be complicated, it could be very simple --- Choose the right person for the right job! And leave him/her alone!!
Have a great day,
Shira
I did not attend the class, but I still want to share from that I had red from the sheet and also from yours reflection. Working as a team is the best way for the new era. Even in Thailand, it may look as impossible for me. But after I had red the sheet, I changed my thinking. If I just said impossible with no doubt, when did the changing will be happened? I have learned from my reading that we can start with working with a partner. That was interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn applying to use
1. Collaborative learning can start with working with the partner.
2. Don't look over some idea from the outside of the school, particularly parents. They may see some point that we couldn't.
3. Changing the system from the old to the new, nobody said "easy"
but also no any of the leader say impossible.
4. Do for the others as you desire the others do for you. Need the others work as a team, start at myself first.
Tom, these are great insights for me to read. I love the number 4 particularly - Do for the others as you desire the others to work for you…from their hearts! Shira
ReplyDeleteI sent the following comment on Monday and today I found out that my comments eliminated automatically!!!! I recommend everybody triple check your entry comment to make sure it stay there.
ReplyDeleteThe shared leadership is known with many names such as partnership-as-leadership, distributed leadership, and community of leaders. Under the shared leadership model, the vision for a school is a place whose very mission is to ensure that students, parents, teachers, and principals all become school leaders in some ways and at some times. Effective principals share leadership responsibilities as they built a team to support for continuous growth and development of the school culture. Traditionally school leadership has been of the top-down approach where the leader leads, makes key decisions, motivates, and inspires. While this approach has been popular in educational administration in the past and even in the present, it is highly unlikely that a single person can provide the necessary leadership for all issues. Leaders and followers of today need to let go of that expectation and embrace new ways of leading. One way is to emphasis a shift from the formal leader to a shared leadership model. Instead of a single individual leading to success, other individuals, who are partners or group members, take on the responsibility for leadership. Today the relationship between teacher and principal is under study on the base of school climate and culture. The top-down model is considered ineffective and too unprofessional. Problems are frequently too big and too numerous for one person to address alone. Schools need to recognize and develop leadership among many different kinds of people to replace the top-down model. School leadership can come from principals who empower teachers to become leaders and from teachers who collectively take responsibility for the well-being of the school. Just as we have high expectations that all children can learn, principals must have high expectations that all teachers can lead. If teachers and principals are to effectively lead together, then there must be a substantial change made in the ways we think and feel about our personal and shared leadership responsibilities in the school. Most importantly a school isn't going anywhere that all of us together, teachers, staff, students, and administrators, don't want it to go. Teachers have to work collaboratively. We cannot have teachers working on their own agenda. If we do not empower teachers to become leaders then we are missing out on a great opportunity to improve our schools, our students, and our community. But are Asian schools are culturally willing to justify a shift of leadership style or not? Do principals and teachers have qualified on the bases of trust and partnership culture to value distributed leadership and community of leaders?
Great questions Fatima! Let's consider the whole local culture and Asian peice as part of our discussion this week. Andy
ReplyDeleteActually this discussion point (see above two comments) will fit better in week eight, when we will cover Asian management systems with respect to HR. So please do raise these issues again at that time, Fatima. Thanks, Andy
ReplyDeletePublic education in American Samoa is a good example of a collaborative approach or shared leadership. In Thailand we have applied this kind of approach in developing for educational administration and management too that we are hoping the new approach could improve Thai educational administration and management go better. As the situation in Samoa we have seen that school leader is very open mind and really understand collaborative method also the teachers are accept to make positive change in school by focusing on school goal. So now I have my thought that I can apply.
ReplyDelete1. If every one has a sense of partnership and has a strong willing to help each other so I think the collaborative approach could work well in all every situation.
2. In the reality some organization we might see only controlling the power in the center but we would see some part which have applied collaborative approach to reach the organization goal also. I would say we sometime need centralization and decentralization ways as well in the same workplace.
3. As a leader, teacher and the person as a human being I realized the collaborative approach is a good approach to improve and solve the problem in the organization and every part of the society by building the sense of partnerships and trust .
Aey
Like this when I do the review..."Just as we have high expectations that all children can learn, principals must have high expectations that all teachers can lead. " - from fatima
ReplyDelete