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The use of systems is an undervalued educational tool.
A systematic approach to skill development and knowledge acquisition is crucial for successful teaching.
Systems, not strategies, are the backbone of a school’s culture and reputation. They develop student skills and knowledge over time, shaping the school’s identity and contributing to its reputation.
Leadership researcher David Day, in his latest book Developing Leaders and Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Processes highlights the importance of systems thinking in leading excellence.
His research reveals that developing systems is a trait that all great leaders share.
Likewise, a systematic approach to leadership development is crucial for its growth. This is true in the workplace and equally valid in primary schools to guide optimum student leadership development. In childhood, leaders of tomorrow are first recognised, and their growth then needs to be nurtured, or it may wither on the vine of neglect.
These five practices, which use primary principles for systems development, form the backbone of sustained leadership growth in schools.
1. Use a FRAMEWORK and stick to it.
A meta-analysis of student leadership development shows that schools that use a leadership framework to guide student growth establish sustained skill and character development in students.
Conversely, schools that rely on the “tips and tricks” approach to leadership development invariably experience the “boom or bust” phenomenon. Some years, the pool of potential leaders is so deep that they are disappointed that some likely leaders will miss wearing a badge. During other years, teachers wring their hands in despair; their potential leadership pool is shallow.
The use of a framework enables consistency in teaching and results. The Young Leaders Program framework, which focuses on Responsibility, Presentation Skills, Organisation, Teamwork, and Emotional Intelligence, helps teachers develop students’ influence, communication, empathetic capacities, and critical character skills for effective leadership.
Frameworks like the Young Leaders Framework do not restrict teachers from using an activity-based approach to teaching leadership. Instead, they provide an organising theme for their leadership games and activities.
2. Explicitly TEACH leadership when students are ready.
Basic learning theory suggests that anything worth learning needs to be taught, not caught.
The senior student who is suddenly asked to do a meet and greet of a visitor to the school, thank a speaker, or be a class SRC representative will often need to learn that they are being called on to lead. Many students don’t know what a leader does.
Like any learning that’s worthwhile, leadership needs a place in the school curriculum. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming, but some space should be devoted to teaching students what a leader does.
Whether through a unit of work (our preference) or continued reference to leadership, explicit teaching at a senior level is part of an effective leadership development system.
3. Turn routine situations into leadership PRACTICE.
At the primary school I attended, when a teacher left the room, they’d choose a monitor (usually a responsible type, and often a girl) to write the names on the board of students who spoke while they were away from the room. The appointed monitor would stand with an imperious look on their face, scanning the room for any miscreant who dared talk to the student next to them at the shared desk—leadership at its finest NOT.
The twenty-first-century classroom offers many opportunities to provide leadership practice for students. These include leading technology-based projects, organizing class events, and participating in community service projects. It’s a matter of recognising and sharing them around rather than always giving responsibility to the responsible kids. Routine opportunities include:
- Classroom jobs: Rotate jobs (material manager, tech assistant, and the like) each week or month so all students learn about accountability.
- Group projects: Students take turns being project leaders, learning to organise tasks and work as a team.
- Morning announcements: Assign a student to lead the morning announcements each day. This is a great way to develop speaking and leadership skills.
- Group projects: Students take turns being project leaders, learning to organise tasks and work as a team.
- Reading aloud: Let students take turns reading stories or passages to the class to build confidence and speaking skills.
Vary the situations to cater for different student strengths and capabilities.
4. Let the leadership cream RISE to the top.
Teachers should teach and develop leadership in their classrooms, but only some students are ready to take on a formal leadership position in senior primary school. For some students, though – it may not their time for formal leadership.
Let those students who are confident and able to take on leadership roles- including ambassadorial, organisational, representational, team building and the like.
The best way to acknowledge leadership excellence is to allow it to flourish through a recognised leadership position.
5. SUPPORT leaders who wear a badge.
Leadership can sit heavily on the shoulders of some students.
Wearing a badge (figuratively or metaphorically) can be challenging. Approaching new experiences, speaking in public, managing less cooperative fellow students, and knowing the limits of a role are well-documented challenges for primary school student leaders.
An effective leadership development system includes mechanisms to support ongoing leadership development, such as:
- An induction program: prepare students for their roles with a short, in-school training program.
- Regular reviews: conduct regular reviews to discuss their concerns, review and reset goals and evaluate program progress.
- Mentoring: individual mentoring fast-tracks development and fosters leadership growth.
Finally………
Consider the system rather than specific strategies or tactics to cultivate student leadership in your school.
Evidence suggests a leadership development system includes:
1. Using a leadership development framework.
2. Explicitly teaching leadership to senior students.
3. Giving students a variety of in-built leadership practice.
4. Providing a variety of formal leadership positions.
5. Supporting students as leaders.
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Build your Student Leadership Development system with the Young Leaders Program. It contains:
- a leadership framework,
- all teaching materials,
- a ready-made induction program
- a ground-breaking mentoring program
- teacher notes and student workbooks