Discussion topics and concepts for week six

Educational Leadership Challenges

There have been vast changes and demands made on educators owing to globalization and multicultural and ethnic mixture in the schools. Added to that, the changes in the way of communication and use of technology have left the educators striving to see that they meet the challenge. There is breakdown noticed in the ethics, morality and spirituality. In all these domains the educator is expected to take up managerial and leadership roles to accommodate the fast changes and as well as to guide the community in keeping to the ethical and moral principles. (Duignan, 2007)

To this end the educators themselves have to display a sterling character with ethics and moral codes of conduct not only in their vocation but also in their lives. The reason for this requirement is the fact that today the world view is globally based on individualism. Individualism is self serving and is based on achieving the maximum regardless of the means or others. The self-centered modes affect the judgment and also is an addictive process. Leaders in the education sector are therefore necessary not only to preserve the integrity of education but also to impart the values that humankind holds -- or has so far held in esteem.

The Management Paradigm

It is true that to become efficient the availability of resources and teaching materials would not make the teaching community efficient. (McLaughlin; Talbert, 2006) Ensuring growth in the professional arena is not merely dependent on the absence of interference, and frustrations that occur in the professional learning process. There is a view needed in a broader context in deepening the teachers learning ability and this is dependent on the outside influences being aware of the teachers learning goals, desires, inclinations and the willing ness of these forces in supporting these needs. Educational management resource and for leadership development relates to the teacher and participants in the process taking leadership roles that are based on managing the system to impart effective education. In this context the educator comes to grip with multiple problems that they have to manage and solve like student assessment, learning, misbehavior, parents attitudes and the legal framework of the schools and the perceived and real role of the community. Now the teaching community has been well established. (Bennett; Crawford; Cartwright, 2003)

Thus effective education could be the motto but the teacher is faced with a lot of challenges that they have to overcome with managerial experience as the same as any company executive. Like wise the authorities and facilitators must have a complete grasp of what the professional learning community concept is all about and their roles in the process. (McLaughlin; Talbert, 2006) Thus the management style ought to include feedbacks from Principals to teachers in such a way the teacher use the feedback to enhance teaching experience. Positions often alienate the members of the school from the education process. For example, principals have very less knowledge of the classroom because they are not oriented in the academic content. The effective process skills are crucial to success of the learning process. In this case the principals must learn to give up some measures of control and encourage all the other staff to participate in the process.

Thus a management system with multiple participation and responsibility is behind the success of any program as this example with the learning community model shows. Thus building a value-based mission with a business like mission statement, visions and goals to be set for the education program. Though the insistence is on the current and future programs that involve academics like community learning for teachers, these principles are also part of the overall education management. Although this could be stated to be a part of the general professional learning the authors concentrate on counseling. (McLaughlin; Talbert, 2006) The need is to students to explore knowledge. The role of the teacher is thus to concentrate in removing unwanted thought patterns and replacing them in the students with appropriate behavior. (Worzbyt; O'Rourke; Dandeneau, 2003)