They matter to the organisation they are in, to the people they serve, to the goals they are seeking to achieve. And while this may be a 'truism' at a general level, there is clear evidence that this is true in schools. Schools need leaders (both those in formal and informal roles), and schools with good leaders are better places for our young people. In fact, certain leadership practices have been linked to better outcomes for young people from all backgrounds.
For leaders to be effective they require access to a toolkit of understandings, skills, resources and supports that is fit for the context they are leading in. Many of these 'tools' are carried in leaders heads, or are on the end of the phone, or on their bookshelves, or a part of their online support network. But one of the greatest of these tools (if you can call it that) that leaders have at their disposal are the relationships they are able to form with those around them. These relationships form the 'glue' that takes them through the good and the bad, the times when things are going smoothly, and when they are not.
The Leadership Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) written by Robinson, Hohepa and Lloyd call this aspect of leadership relational trust (see chapter 8). Relational trust can be strengthened or weakened. Gained or lost. And the effects of high or low trust have a real impact on teacher and community engagement / motivation, and ultimately students' academic outcomes. The BES delves into the qualities and leadership practices required to strengthen relational trust. But it is no surprise that the integrity, competence and skills such as listening and problem solving of leaders are critical. The diagram below comes from the BES and illustrates how relational trust works.
I believe in leaders and the important role they play.
We need to find better ways to support our leaders and the changes they are seeking to lead for the good of our young people. We also need to find ways of better spreading ideas and innovations that are taking place in our schools. In this way our leaders will have access to an even broader toolkit to foster learning environments focussed on growing the confident and connected students we all seek.
Kia ora Darren and thanks for inviting us to comment on your Blog. Three things in what you've said resonate with me. The first is about what resides in leaders' heads which made me immediately think about espoused theories versus theories in action - this is a key problem that I see a lot in school leadership and in fact in many other areas of education. I believe it is very important to check that your leadership practices are effective and that what you say you do matches what you actually do.
ReplyDeleteThe second is your thoughts and the diagram from the BES on relational trust. The diagram is so complex we could talk for hours about it. The part about professional community alone raises many questions about what this is and how you get it going in and across schools and leaders. For me, Tony Bryk is a key resource on relational trust and respectful, professional interchanges matter when building it. A very important point made by Katz, Earl and Jaafar is that relational trust must be built through a balanced professional focus on relationships and on outcomes related to teaching and learning. Having a sole focus on the relationships themselves or on personal ties rather than professional ones won't get you far in terms of improving teaching and learning.
Finally, you say that "we" need to find better ways to support our leaders in change and that we need to build more ideas and even resources or toolkits. I think there are already many excellent ways to do this and it is about building the bridge between theory and practice. Learning communities, if operating effectively, and the presence of relational trust can be that toolkit that builds the bridge. When we talk about things that "we" must do, we need to be clear about who does what. Are "we" professional providers? or Ministry of Education officials who work with schools, or school leaders themselves? If we are talking about all of those people - then who does what? These are things I think about all the time when I am working in partnership with school leaders and professional providers on school improvement. Cheers, Rebbecca
Kia ora Rebecca. Thanks for your comments. I agree that 'walking the talk' or integrity as highlighted in the model above (and in many ways coherence or consistency between your espoused and actual theories/ practices is what we are talking about here) is critical to building trust. Seeking out feedback from others is important in developing this consistency - and there are times when a 'reality check' gained through others perceptions of us / our performance can lead to important development steps.
ReplyDeleteDitto to the blending of relationship and expectation / professionalism. Relational trust is predicated upon a certain kind of relationship which maintains a 'razor sharp' focus on what is happening for each child / young person and their progress / achievement.
I accept I have been quite liberal in my use of the word 'we' and purposefully so. The we I am talking about here is inclusive and refers to the 'education family' (which I am proud to still be a part of!) While I accept that we do have different roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities (which need to be clearly defined, understood and well enacted) - I also think we need put our collective shoulder to the common cause of reducing educational disparity across Aotearoa. In this sense we are all leaders (or at least have the potential to be) in thinking about old problems in new ways, innovating on the evidence, taking a stand where it is needed, or encouraging others who are doing a great job.
Nga mihi. D
love it - cheers Darren :)
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