1.1 Is it just a small thing?
Within the school context it may seem highly unlikely that reforming and conflictual approaches (see Table 1 in Activity 1 discussion) are going to gain much traction, while the consensual refining approaches are far more likely to garner support. However, it is not uncommon for profoundly divisive grassroots issues to arise within a school context over the oddest of things (for example: the author of this course recalls the disruption caused when school managers introduced new rules around the use of the school main entrance). Out of unexpected opportunities or challenges, significant change can emerge; while planned changes emerging from refined and consensual processes can simply lead nowhere. Ehrich & English (2012) believe that grassroots leadership strategies can lead to practical actions, informed by theory, that attempt to change social conditions. Bottom-up leadership of this kind can encourage ongoing enquiry and activity, so schools do things differently because people are thinking differently about them.
Activity 2: Is it just a small thing?
Consider the everyday space that practitioners can play an ‘informal’ leadership role. Watch the following video.
As you watch make notes about:
- The examples of leadership that you note within this school context.
- Thoughts you have on possible ways practitioners in a context you know could lead change and the nature of that change.
- In what ways do the models of leadership help you to consider the examples you have identified?
Discussion
On watching this light-hearted video you could consider examples such as dressing up or supporting an upset child or sitting with a lonely child as moments of leadership. Being proactive is a central aspect of effective classroom practice; through such actions practitioners can serve as role models for the young people they are working with and for the colleagues around them. The act of being alert to a student’s situation, responding to that situation and engaging others in that process, is involving many of the attributes identified by Davidson & Hughes in the last reading. It is about a sense of equity, responsibility and engagement, while being attentive and creative, with the hope that you will build capacity in others.
An important shift in such activity would be recognising the influence upon others in these ‘small’ ways. If you wish to lead others towards ways that you recognise as enabling equity and social justice, you can reflect upon how your actions build trust, motivate people and practices. You could also consider how they encourage collaborative responses to opportunities and challenges. For example, a practitioner who knowingly builds upon extensive research into teachers and their classroom interactions might lead by example when they:
- maximise instructional time through their preparation of lessons
- clearly communicate expectations that all students will be engaged in learning to a high standard
- instruct individuals and small groups for large parts of the teaching time
- work with all pupils
- engage in interactions intended to foster student understanding and development of thinking skills
- engage in prolonged interactions with pupils identified with additional support needs
- offer learners the opportunity to problem-solve, to discuss and describe their ideas
- encourage learners to make connections with their own experiences and prior understandings (Jordan et al 2001; 2010).
They may embed this practice within the wider school culture by encouraging colleagues who work alongside them to work in these ways and seek to build processes that enable it to happen more widely.
Another example is the way leadership can arise by showing respect for other people’s perspectives. In another course within this series (see Leadership for Inclusion: thinking it through [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ) the importance of story is explored. This is a very effective way to engage people by connecting them with needs other people commonly feel or perceive. Grassroots leaders recognise the value of narratives that create ruptures in people’s understanding, forming different viewpoints to amplify a message. By creating opportunities to share counter-stories we can lead in the development of new understandings and so influence people’s expectations of others, opening new possibilities for practice. Telling stories and encouraging people to share their tales does not require a formal managerial role; it is just something everyone can do as part of their everyday lives.
Another consideration is the value of the models introduced in this course to accurately represent the kinds of bottom up everyday process being described. Perhaps it is more useful to not think about our leadership as being about a particular role or function within the hierarchy or following one type of model. Perhaps it is better to recognise it as distributed across the context (and situation) in which it takes place. Leadership can be seen as emerging through interaction with other people and the environment (Hartley, 2009). This means there is an ongoing interaction between our thinking, behaviour, and their situation. If we go back to our ideas about agency and the relational nature of its enactment, we can suggest that being seen as a leader is not what is important; the significance is the activity or practice we are engaged in, and the way that moves people towards greater inclusion. In this context leadership is about supporting others in the moment; it is about our capacity to enable people’s participation in the collaborative space which schools utilise for learning.
