Overview Module Two
| Site: | RRU Open Educational Resources |
| Course: | Relational Leadership |
| Book: | Overview Module Two |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, 11 May 2025, 4:14 PM |
Welcome to Module Two: Standpoints and Dispositions
In this Module, you will begin by attending to your Social Location.
You will then be introduced to various Leadership Models as you move toward Module Three: Dispositions and Designing a Commitment Statement.
Critically observing self, alongside diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing, is not only a necessary disposition and practice as an early years’ leader but requirement for all licensed early childhood education professionals set forth by the BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies (i.e., clarifying personal biases; engaging in observations through unbiased and non-judgemental approaches/lenses; understanding the multiple and complex systems as well as impact of power and power imbalances that children, families, educators, and greater communities live within; ability to clarify and articulate philosophies of practice etc.).
The BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies are an assessment tool created by the Ministry of Advanced Education which post-secondary institutions in British Columbia refer to when creating their Early Learning and Care Programs (ELC or ECE; Early Childhood Education Programs). The Competencies outline various dispositions, skills, practices, as well as ethical and curricular considerations which early childhood education students are exposed to and cultivate during their time in ELC programs. Post-secondary institutions align and design, for example, their courses according to these competencies to ensure that early childhood education students are prepared with the essential practices and processes required to respond to the complexities of the field of early childhood education. It is also a tool that licensed educators currently in practice can look to for guidance and reflection, evaluating whether the ways they are presently practicing uphold these minimum standards of ethical, curricular, environmental, and professional requirements.
The BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies were written in 2001 and are in great need of an updated publication to reflect current 21st century conditions. I encourage you to read through the document, while also re-searching over the upcoming months as the revised version is being anticipated.
The BC Child Care Sector Occupational Competencies, once revised, are a helpful guide not only for critical self-reflection, but an informative document to bring forward to the folks you either work with or manage, as a collective reflective endeavour.The estimated time to complete Module Two based on content, activities, and assessments is eight hours (8 hours or 480 minutes)
References
British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. (2001). Childcare sector occupational competencies. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/early-learning/teach/ece/bc_occupational_competencies.pdf
Leadership, or the role of a leader, is not an individual undertaking. However, it is essential to cultivate the practice of Critical Self Reflection to foster a culture of collectivity.
Looking closely at your Social Location (i.e., race, gender, ethnicity, class, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, abilities/disabilities, language(s), geographic location, and all other aspects that interconnect you to local and global communities, co-create your identity, and position in societies) helps to see yourself more fully within your own contexts (standpoints). It also helps you to identify possible inequities, biases, and blindspots within practices, policies, interpersonal and centre cultures, as well as connect empathetically with communities within and beyond your own intersectionalities.
As individuals are made up of, and entangled within, layers of personal, local, provincial, national, and global historicities, ‘individuality’ (not just who we are (identity), but how we act (practices and behaviours) is in fact formed by and co-composed of many influences; some being apparent while others being more subtle.
Learning outcomes serve as a valuable resource to guide your learning journey and ensure you can maximize your learning experience. The primary purpose of this section is to clearly communicate the intended learning outcomes of Module Two: Standpoints and Dispositions.
The learning outcomes for Module Two align with the content, activities, and assessments you will encounter throughout Module Two, enabling you to track your growth and identify improvement opportunities.
After completing all activities within Module Two, participants will:
- Develop leadership approaches rooted in an Ethics of Care (and in alignment with ECEBC’s Code of Ethics)
- Understand the role of leadership within interconnected systems
- Cultivate necessary dispositions for ECE leadership within 21st century conditions
- Foster practices and dispositions that co-create the conditions for a centre culture of collectivity such as openness, curiosity, and collaboration
Module Two Activities and Assessments
The activities and one assessment within Module Two include:
- ACTIVITY 2.1 | Examining and Identifying Social Location - Explore key concepts, reflect on your personal experiences, and consider the broader impact of identity and social location in your role as an ECE leader through engaging with relevant readings, videos and reflective prompts.
- ACTIVITY 2.2 | Relational Leadership Models for Early Years Contexts - Explore examples of Relational Leadership Models for Early Years contexts that will help bring more specific breadth, depth, and inspiration to your personal, contextualized leadership model.
- ACTIVITY 2.3 | Visual Intersectionality Mapping - You will examine your priorities, preferences, and biases more deeply to build and sustain a safer environment where every child and staff member can thrive.