As a classroom teacher of 17 years I have witnessed many different leadership styles. These range from the school executive right through to student leaders. My understandings of what make an effective leader and subsequently what makes an ineffective one come from my observations and from working either alongside or under a teaching leadership.

As a leader I have understood that to do it effectively you need to respect, appreciate and trust your team. When staff feel under-valued work-place morale is affected and this can be difficult to repair. It is therefore essential that staff wellbeing is a consideration. Recognising the value, expertise, skills and strengths that each person brings to their role will ensure that leadership are well supported to do their job of evolving the school library. As Smith (2020) states ‘Leaders must take time to acknowledge those that build the foundations of their greatness’.

I have for the most part always felt comfortable in the leadership role of classroom teacher to my students. I make a conscious effort to really get to know my students not just at the academic level but at a personal level. I want them to feel valued, safe and important. As their ‘leader’ I want them to feel they can take risks, face challenges, achieve and sometimes fail in their learning and that it’s okay to do so. Often the varying personalities, behaviours and learning styles of my students mean I need to find a variety of ways to tap into and recognise my students potential and look at multiple view points to move forward.

Without critical reflection I feel the satisfaction I feel about my classroom leadership would not have evolved. I constantly reflect on my teaching, student input and results, what I observe in and out of the classroom and my relationships with my students. My passion for my students learning and wellbeing I hope inspires them to grow.

My feelings of satisfaction about classroom leadership are very different to those I feel about leadership among my colleagues. The thought of leading my peers is an uncomfortable one. Difficult conversations, leading for change, transparency and vulnerability are some areas I don’t feel equipped to effectively deal with among my peers. With my students I confidently can say I am an effective leader but with my peers my inexperience and vulnerabilities set me back.

The effective leaders I have admired, been inspired by and enjoyed working with are confident, have a strong work ethic, are trusting, flexible, understanding, diplomatic, supportive and efficient. They have a deep understanding of the roles of their staff and value them to support their leadership. They know their staff both professionally and personally, acknowledging their weaknesses and developing their strengths. They don’t sit in an ivory tower but rather work along-side and support their team.

I think leadership is as much about managing, listening and following up with staff as it is about delegation. With a strong leader at the helm, who can clearly identify where the school library is heading and why, will have a school team that will enthusiastically be the all-important rudder steering on a rewarding and evolving journey.

Smith, D. (2020, February 2). What is leadership [Blog post]? Retrieved from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/what-is-leadership/