Important Things About Educational Leadership
- Educational Leadership Starts With Empathy
- Students Can Be Educational Leaders Too
- The Best Leaders Don't Wait to Lead
- Everybody Learns at Their Own Pace
- Continuous Education is the Cornerstone of Leadership
Educational leadership is the act of inspiring other people to learn new things. It's a crucial part of the job for any educator, especially one in a college environment. However it goes far beyond the role of a single professor in a classroom. Anybody who takes part in the educational process can learn to be a better leader and help others succeed.
1. Educational Leadership Starts With Empathy
The first step of great leadership is for the leader and her tribe to understand each other. In a class context, this happens when the teacher is able to get "inside the heads" of her students and learn what emotions they are experiencing in the class, according to Inc.com. For example, a math professor may have students who dislike math due to bad experiences with it earlier in their lives. Being empathetic about that situation makes a huge difference in the teacher's ability to lead these students.
2. Students Can Be Educational Leaders Too
Not all leadership has to come from the top down. An ambitious student can provide leadership by being an example of an excellent learner and sharing their tactics with the class. When the teacher allows for it, a student may choose to share their study notes or form a study group outside of class. Bottom-up leadership is a gentle process which requires a lot of respect for the authority of the teacher. Nonetheless, it is a powerful way to improve the educational experience for everybody.
3. The Best Leaders Don't Wait to Lead
It is a common misconception that people are chosen to be leaders. Most leadership happens the other way, with a person making the bold decision to choose to lead. As Seth Godin, the influential entrepreneur and best selling author, says: "Deciding to lead, not manage, is the critical choice." Leadership requires courage and the willingness to take risks. This is especially true in the world of education.
4. Everybody Learns at Their Own Pace
Educational leadership is a gentle process because students must learn at their own pace. A teacher has the difficult task of keeping the class moving forward while not leaving the slower students behind. This isn't easy, but there are ways to make it work. One example of this is the teacher who offers an additional study session one evening per week for students who are struggling with the class material. In this way, the teacher is able to provide genuine leadership that helps the class succeed.
5. Continuous Education is the Cornerstone of Leadership
A great leader must always seek to improve herself. The world is always changing, especially when it comes to education. With new technologies and psychological ideas emerging every year, there are many new opportunities to improve the educational experience.The leader who continues her own lifelong education will be best equipped to guide a class to success. This is the only way to offer relevant lessons for a lifetime.
Related Resource: What is a Master's in Educational Leadership Degree?
Educational Leadership Starts Today
The lessons in this article make it possible to create a great classroom environment for the students and the professor alike. These tactics will be useful for anybody who hopes to become a better educational leader.