Leading too Early: Should Early Educators Wait on Leadership?
One of my favorite topics to talk about is leadership. I enjoy reading about it, learning from others, and developing my own leadership skills through practice. One question I often hear discussed is should early educators wait to begin exercising their teacher-leader roles and abilities? I certainly think that one could argue both sides of this case with great evidence. For example, early educators should wait because their first few years in the classroom can be overwhelming. Getting to know students, learning the culture of their school, partnering with families... the list is endless. The last thing on his/her mind would be taking on extra roles and tasks as a leader! Over the years I've noticed with my own friends and fellow officers on our leadership team with KDP that the first two years are always tough. Time management is vital, yet even the best have difficulty balancing leadership tasks with their new classroom demands. On the other hand, being a part ...