Discussion Post 2

• Which concepts strike you as most helpful in developing a critical understanding of educational leadership?

Human resources frame focuses on the educational learning gained from each experience and opportunity. This is essential for having a growth mindset as a school and individual (Bolman & Deal, 2008).  

Structural Bureaucratic is helpful to provide a framework for staff members to confidently take action in accordancewitho school beliefs and values (Bolman & Deal, 2008).

Symbolic Frame is important as all actions of the school and school personnel should align with the school’s mission and vision. Focus on what’s important to the school will get to the core of what the school values as their approach to discipline (Bolman & Deal, 2008).

• Which concepts assist you in describing your current approach to providing leadership in your professional setting?

I believe my current approach to leadership in my professional setting is human resources strategic frame. I believe every situation provides a learning opportunity - even the ones that don’t go according to plan. I also believe that the home-school connection should work together to support the student in both academic and pastoral care to ensure the student can grow and learn to the best of their ability in a way that works from them. I also agree with the idea that not only should students learn from their actions but staff should to. Using Cognitive Coaching for a  reflective conversation would also empower the teacher and assistant principal to reflect on their actions in a way that supports their own learning and how they need to move forward and modify their actions if necessary in the future. I prefer to be a facilitator in all situations rather than a dictator so that all parties feel heard and part of the solution.

• Identify aspects of your current approach to providing leadership in your professional setting which could be strengthened? What might theses aspects be? What concepts have led to or contribute to this conclusion?

In my current setting, there is inconsistency in approaches to procedures even with policies in place. The Primary leadership team has gone too much towards ‘every situation is unique’ to the point that it is unclear to teachers what they should be doing to be successful in certain scenarios with behaviour. A stronger structural bureaucratic to ensure all staff members are adequately trained and understood is needed through clear and consistent communication by the leadership team (Bolman & Deal, 2008). When staff know the expected protocol, who to contact for support and what steps they should take, then within those protocols the individuals situations can be looked at for unique situations. It is important that the students also have a clear understanding of expectations and consequences for their actions.

There could also be an increase in human resources so frame so that there could be more reflection in how to move forward in similar events to continually ensure best practice and strategies are implemented into the school (Bolman & Deal, 2008).

All of the approaches should be aligned through symbolic frame to ensure that our actions as individuals and as a school collective meet our mission and vision at all times (Bolman & Deal, 2008).

References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing Leadership. In Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership (4th ed., pp. 341-372). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.