Leadership in Learning Communities

The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession

Focus: Leadership in Learning Communities (p. 13)

"Members promote and participate in the creation of collaborative, safe and supportive learning communities.  They recognize their shared responsibilities and their leadership roles in order to facilitate student success.  Members maintain and uphold the principles of the ethical standards in these learning communities." (Ontario College of Teachers Foundations of Professional Practice, 2012, p. 9).

Curated Material

Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley. TED Talk, published May 10 2013.

Analysis/Reflection

Definition of Leadership in Learning (quoted from Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk above)

"The real role of leadership in education...is not and should not be command and control.  The real role of leadership is climate control.  Creating a climate of possibility.  And if you do that people will rise to it and achieve things you completely did not anticipate and couldn't of expected."  This quotation is taken from the conclusion of Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk that discusses the important leadership roles teachers have in relation to influencing student learning.  To help identify the important role that teachers have to play in education Sir Robinson identifies three principles he views to be essential to a flourishing educational culture. The first is human beings are naturally different and diverse.  The second is that people, and especially young students, have a natural curiosity.  The third is human life is inherently creative.  Sir Robinson argues that is the role of teachers to be leaders in an educational community that fosters the growth of these principles.

Why the Resource informs my understanding of the OCT standard Leadership in Learning

This TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson helps to inform my understanding of leadership in learning by revealing the kind of natural learning behaviour students engage in.  Sir Robinson emphasizes the crucial role that teachers play in developing an educational culture that helps to nurture an environment consistent with this natural learning behaviour.  He identifies how it is up to educators to be the leaders that support student learning relevant to their diverse interests, individual curiosities, and unique creativeness.  Educational leaders that are able to support student interests and autonomy in this fashion will foster an academic culture of learning engagement and achievement.

Level of Reflection

The level of reflection that this article best exemplifies is pedagogical reflection.  I believe this to be the case as it reflects on "educational goals, the theories underlying approaches, and the connections between theoretical principles and practice" (Cooper & Larrivee, p. 14).  That is, Sir Robinson's talk informs teachers about the theory behind student learning so that they can incorporate it in their teaching practice as educational leaders.

References

Cooper, James M., Larrivee, Barbara. An Educator's Guide to Teacher Reflection. Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Ontario College of Teachers Foundations of Professional Practice, 2012.
Robinson, Ken. How to escape education's death valley. TED Talk, 2013.