Early Childhood Leadership - EDMT6632

The role of the professional teacher in early childhood services is multifacated and complex with high levels of site-based administration and management for staff at all levels of the organisation. Students in this unit will learn about leadership, management and administrative strategies to enable effective operation of high quality programs and services from their perspectives as beginning teachers. They will explore what it means to be in positions of authority and leadership and to become strong advocates for young children and their families. While organisational and management structures of early childhood services vary, early childhood teachers must be able to assume responsibility for the overall care, education and general well being of children of various ages from diverse backgrounds, in addition to being responsive to families, supervising staff, and conforming to legislative requirements. In many cases, graduates will quickly become managers of small businesses accountable for all management and financial matters associated with the day to day running of the early childhood service. Early childhood professionals must be leaders in their field, irrespective of the role they assume in a service. Content in this unit is aligned with the Professional Experience unit EDMT6634 which is completed in a Birth to 2 setting.

Classes
1x1-hr and 1x2-hr tutorial, for 9 weeks

Assessment
Group work presentation and 1000wd report (25%) and 3000wd essay (40%) and open book test (35%)

Textbooks
Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M. Hadley, F., and Shepherd, W. (2017). Leadership: Contexts and complexities in early childhood (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

48 Credit points including EDMT5688