Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/everything-i-need-to-know-about-leadership-i-learned-as-an-ec-educator/5021008/
Have you ever heard Robert Fulghum’s phrase: “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten”? This phrase has universal application. Although sage advice, obviously Fulghum didn’t have a high-quality child care experience. Otherwise he would have learned these lessons before he entered school. This helps us realise the importance of our work and how eclectic �" and dare I say cutting edge �" our education is. For example, as early childhood educators we are on the leading edge of educational research in implementing emergent curriculum, which was pioneered in the small Italian village of Reggio Emilia (Stacey, 2009). Emergent curriculum is not only a promising practice for children’s classrooms, but also provides an effective framework for leadership. Frankly, it helped me realise that most of what I know about leadership, I learned as an early childhood educator.Management vs. Leadership
Management requires a person to pay attention to details and relies on control and outputs (products), whereas leadership is focused on the process of empowerment and innovation. Management identifies goals and puts plans in place to meet objectives. Leadership facilitates a process of collaboration in creating a vision and supporting organizations in reaching their goals. In short, management is about commanding ...