Session One: Perceptions of Leadership What made What you hope you sign up to to get from this today’s programme session Any questions you have about the programme/ session
Today’s Session • Remains here and in this group. • Commitment to share and try out ideas. • Critical friends, rather than critics • Feel free to question ideas
In interviews prospective leaders are often asked to define what makes a great leader in 3 words. On the card in front of you can you now write down what you would say - you have 1 minute.
On your tables you have figures which each relate to leadership in education, particularly women leaders and leaders from global majority backgrounds. In your groups try and see if what you think you know, and what you can make an educated guess at. 74%
74% 6.9% 65% 2.4% 1700 104
6.9% of teachers 74% of are from global teachers are 65% of majority backgrounds (In women Headteachers London 67% of (90% in are women students are from Primary) global majority backgrounds) 2.4% of If gender %s There are 18000 qualified Headteachers were equal teachers from are from there would global majority global be 1700 more backgrounds, 104 majority female are backgrounds Headteachers Headteachers https://www.ambitionschoolleadership.org.uk/blog/finding-courage-reach-headship-bme-woman/ http://www.education-today.co.uk/index.php/helping-bme-teachers-into-leadership-roles/
"It can be a minefield for women. Recruiters can have quite traditional views of what they're looking for and it can be tricky to navigate that. On a number of occasions I've heard female candidates referred to as pit bulls and rottweilers, because they've been perceived as coming across as too aggressive, when the same behaviour in men is seen positively as being tough and strong." Kate Chhatwal, The Future Leadership Trust, The glass ceiling in education: why are so few women becoming headteachers? Guardian, 12th Feb. 2014
‘BME students benefit hugely from seeing BME staff in leadership positions on an everyday basis. Role models are essential in inspiring children to aim high and to view school as a place that welcomes them and where they could be successful. Spending their school days with school leaders who appear to be unrepresentative of their views and with whom they appear to have little in common, may put BME students off a teaching career.’ educationtoday.com
Throughout the western world, women make up the majority of classroom teachers but are in the minority in school administration” Limerick and Anderson, 1999
“If you can see it you can be it” Billie Jean King
Perception is an achievement
‘We often talk about unconscious bias. It affects us all. It is difficult not to be biased whether consciously or unconsciously. It is often not intentional. But if leader- ship is considered to be a set of masculine traits, or if behaviour is not considered ‘not British’, then this can lead to either women or BME candidates being considered as less able in comparison with white British men.’ Janet Beer, Diversity in Leadership, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 2
During the Break: Think in the back of your mind who in your life has exemplified a great leader and what was it about them that inspired you. And… In a moment you are going to check your phones. Based on what we have discussed - sneak a look at your school website. With a critical eye think about what it reveals about how leadership is being shown in your school. When you go back what would you want to challenge or champion?
Session Two: Exploring our Perceptions of Great Leadership On the card on your table write down your example of an inspirational leader in your life - and an example of what they did which had an impact on you.
Read through the leadership dilemmas. Then as a group discuss each one and decide What would you do as the leader in the situation?
On your table come up with 7 characteristics you think a great leader should have based on what has come out of the discussion. For each one come up with an example of what that would look like as an action. Then rank them for yourself in terms of importance.
Session Three: Deepening Perception
Challenging Perceptions
Using the different ethical positions, pick one of these dilemmas and see how many questions you can generate for yourselves that you would be useful to know as a leader in this situation.
‘In the past, educational leaders were trained using military and business models. This meant that they were taught about the importance of the hierarchy and the need to follow those at the top and, at the same time, be in command and in charge of subordinates (Guthrie, 1990)…educational leaders can become what Barth (1990) called, “head learner(s)”…outstanding leaders and learners who wish to listen to others when facing the need to make important moral decisions. The preparation of these individuals, then, must more heavily focus on the knowledge of cultures and of diversity, with special emphasis on learning how to listen, observe, and respond to others. Shapiro & Stefkovich, Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education, 2005
What has this got to do with Aristotle? ‘…he recognised another type of activity…in which a person…acts in such a way as to realise excellences that he has come to appreciate in his community as constitutive of a worthwhile way of life…[it] required a kind of knowledge that was more personal and experiential, more supple and less formuable…This practical knowledge…Aristotle called phronesis…’ Joseph Dunne, Back to the Rough Ground ‘…to organise teacher education around the virtue of practical wisdom, is to call for teachers who will think critically about the social fabric they have been enlisted to renew, teachers who will be able to respond perceptively and flexibly to new situations…’ Chris Higgins
Phronesis Temperance Greed Denial
Session Four: The Power of Listening in Leadership
Core Principles of Coaching •Be non-judgemental •Be non-critical •Believe that people have all the answers to their problems within them •Respect a person’s confidentiality •Be positive and believe that there are always solutions to issues •Pay attention to recognising and pointing out strengths and building and maintaining self-esteem •Challenge individuals to move beyond their comfort zone •Break down big goals into manageable steps •Believe that self-knowledge improves performance •Hold a genuine willingness to learn from the people you coach
You will need to get out the card you wrote on at the start of the session - with your 3 qualities of what makes a great leader. In your pair you are going to practice the power of active, reflective listening.
What makes a great leader? • Have your ideas changed or developed through today? • What one thing will you commit to doing as a leader on your return to school, before the next session?
Thank you Complete If you are on Twitter take a photo the of your card and evaluation tweet to: form TBAPTSA@TBAPTSA kateo’shaughnessy@osceducation
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