Having a deep understanding of our own identity is important to defining yourself as a person, and certainly as a leader.
Research has shown that in early childhood there is very little formal training in leadership. Most leaders learn as they go, using cause and effect as the tool to improvement. This has certainly been the case with me.
We begin to delve into identity when we are training to be teachers and develop a personal philosophy. This philosophy is generally based on developmental theorists, teaching pedagogy and personal values and beliefs. Through developing this philosophy, we identify what matters to us in our teaching practice.
Then we join an early childhood service and this service will have a philosophy. This philosophy will have identified ‘what matters there’. It underpins what will be viewed as priorities in curriculum and teaching practice at that service.
Presented at the 2019 Thrive Hui's.