Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Early childhood educators are recognized as leaders who have an important role in improving the quality of services for children and families. This research proposes an Organizational Improvement Plan addressing the absence of leadership education and preparation in the early year’s curriculum. “Change- a hallmark of contemporary society- impacts greatly on early childhood services, making leadership- which is a necessary condition for effective change- worthy of greater attention…” (Rodd, 2013). Therefore, I am developing an Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) to address the absence of leadership education and preparation in the early year’s curriculum for the Early Childhood Studies. Adopting a collegial model that values instructor knowledge and experience is crucial for developing my OIP because the instructors have relevant and current experiences in the field, that can be combined with their understanding about the objective of the institution, to revise and provide the best curriculum for the students. Furthermore, collegiality is a key aspect of instructor professional growth and development. Collegial communities create a cooperative environment that allows for shared learning and increases innovation and enthusiasm among faculty (as cited in Shah, 2012; as cited in Massy, Wilger, & Colbeck, 1994). The professional growth that happens as a result of collegiality can support instructors to recognize the benefits of being heard, being a part of the decision-making process, and feeling valued. Therefore, they exemplify transformational leadership skills such as, being aware of their effect on students, being attentive to student’s needs, supporting students in seeing different perspectives, and inspiring students to achieve their goals. They support students in developing their own self-awareness and model for students what it means to be a caring and supportive early childhood professional (Merenda, 2017).