Leading learning and teaching
in early childhood education
A way forward
Dr Anne Meade
Future-focused ECE
leadership
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My vision for the future is:
– Leaders who lead changes in services to make
learning deeper, broader and more complex
– Leaders who keep innovation at the forefront
and have conversations with team members that
take them beyond their current thinking
– Leaders have time, peers, places and resources
for dialogue and leadership development (2009)
Leadership in ECE Aotearoa
Our view seeks to move away from a perception
that leadership resides in an individual to a
perspective that leadership is distributed
throughout a learning community. This
assumes that leadership involves recognising
and harnessing everyone’s strengths, to
advance the community’s shared purpose.
(NZTC ECE writing group, 2010)
The vision
Leadership in ECE in Aotearoa creates
dynamic and vibrant learning
communities where children and adults
are strong in their identity and are
confident, connected and responsible
citizens of the world (ibid).
Metaphor: Waka ama
We use a waka ama as a
metaphor for
conceptualising ECE
leadership. We visualise
leadership as a journey
across Aramoana, a
pathway through the
ocean. This includes both
calm and rough waters.
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The waka is the shared vision and the means with
which to realise that vision. Taking a waka out
involves collective responsibility where
everyone’s knowledge and contribution matters
and is valued.
The ama (outrigger) is the ethical practice of every
person on the waka. It is about having integrity,
being reliable and trustworthy. The ama ensures
the safety and wellbeing of all on board.
 What are the struts between the waka and ama?
The context

Te Moana, the ocean, is an appropriate
metaphor for the context of ECE in
Aotearoa/NZ.
ECE educational leadership
Qualities of Leadership Leaderful action
(left-side paddlers)
(right-side paddlers)
Focused on learning and
teaching
Visionary, future focused and
innovative
Collaborative & collective
Courageous
Knowledge of self
Taking responsibility for own
and others’ learning
Fostering a culture of inquiry
and ongoing improvement
Maintaining purposeful
partnerships
Having robust conversations
Building strong, respectful
and trusting relationships
How can we use this
metaphor?

For educational leadership in ECE settings?

For educational leadership in the ECE
sector?
ECE Centres of Innovation

COI were:
– focused on quality practices in teaching and learning
– research and development centres

COI Project Leaders quickly became conference
speakers
 Kate Thornton described them as ‘leaderful’
services (2005).
COI as professional leaders
Representing Wilton Playcentre
COI teaching teams
quickly came to
regarded as
professional leaders in
the sector.
Teachers talking to
teachers about their
innovative teaching
grabbed hearts and
minds.
Accelerated movement

Academics supporting teacher researchers to
shape their research so that it is worthwhile for
other teachers/ centres
 Teachers distilling the features of their innovative
practice in order to present them to peers
 Academics coaching re presentations
 Teacher researchers putting themselves in the
public eye >>> multiple accountabilities.
COI model transformatory
(Meade, 2009, p. 5)
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Innovative teaching founded on earlier journeys of inquiry and
improvement for their families
Research inquiries provoked further analytical thinking and
learning
Innovative partnerships
– Between teachers and academics
– Between teachers and parents (and academics)
Courageous teachers who overcame fears of speaking and
writing, and public debate
Strong relationships through sharing space at Hui
Time (three years).
Leaderful COI
Leaderful actions
Taking responsibility for own and others’ learning
Fostering a culture of inquiry and ongoing
improvement
Maintaining purposeful partnerships
Having robust conversations
Building strong, respectful and trusting relationships
Responsibility – a key
leadership concept

In COI, or in services, the model of four
responsibilities created by Te Kopae
Piripono COI (2009) was effective:
– Having responsibility – having designated roles
– Being responsible – individual’s attitudes and
actions
– Taking responsibility – courage, trying out new
– Sharing responsibility – sharing power & roles.
And what about the children?

NZ is fortunate to have had another innovative
programme, of best evidence syntheses.
 BES reports are always concerned about outcomes
for children
 Schools have had a Leadership BES (Robinson,
Hohepa & Lloyd, 2009)
There isn’t the research for a ECE one
 Kate Thornton (2010) analyses the relevance of
the School Leadership BES for ECE

BES leadership dimensions

Relevant to ECE:
– Establishing goals
– Planning, coordinating
and evaluating
teaching and
curriculum
– Promoting and
participating in PD
– Engaging in
constructive problem
talk

Less relevant to ECE:
– Resourcing
strategically
– Ensuring orderly and
supportive
environment
– Creating educationally
powerful connections
– Selecting and
developing smart tools.
School leadership knowledge,
skills and dispositions

Ensuring admin decisions are informed by
knowledge about effective pedagogy
 Analysing and solving complex problems
 Building relational trust
 Engaging in open-to-learning conversations.
I notice that some of these map onto the leaderful
actions drafted by the NZTC ECE leadership
writing group.
ECE leadership development
– the future?

The Leadership BES emphasises
pedagogical leadership and relational trust.
The authors argue for dedicated leadership
development programmes for leaders and
for improvement in collective leadership
performance.
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What do we want in the ECE sector? How?
ECE Leadership references
– from Dr Anne Meade
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Beck, V. & Kos, K. (2007). Julia makes her move: First steps into leadership. Auckland: Random
House.
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Meade, A. (2009). Giving back. In A. Meade (Ed.). Generating waves: Innovation in early childhood
education. Wellington: NZCER Press.
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Robinson, V., Hohepa, M. & Lloyd, C. (2009). School leadership and student outcomes: Identifying
what works and why. Best evidence synthesis. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
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Tamati, A., Hond-Flavell, E., Korewha, H. & the whānau of Te Kopae Piripono (2008). Ko koe kei
tēnā kīwai, ko au kei tēnei kīwai o te kete/ You carry your handle, and I’ll carry my handle, of our
kete. Wellington: Ministry of Education: www.educationcounts.govt.nz. Downloaded 16 July 2010.
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Thornton, K. (2010). ‘School leadership and student outcomes’: The Best Evidence Synthesis
iteration: Relevance for early childhood education and implications for leadership practice, Journal
of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, 25(1): 31-41.
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Thornton, K. (2010). Developing leadership through blended action learning, Early Childhood Folio,
14(1): 7-12.