LEADERSH
IP
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needed to successfully deliver this model. One of our first collaborative decisions involved discussions on how we would present our aims, values and philosophy out to our community that would best support and grow our vision in partnership. Initially this really ‘great idea’ I had for this project, years before as a student teacher, led me into the environmental court as not everyone in our neighbourhood thought that it was going to be such a ‘great idea’! However my research during this time only reinforced my determination of the need to provide an alternative environment which took several years to design before the building work began. This is when I needed to have courage and to remain totally committed and passionate to this ideal. The support from the rest of the community during this time far outweighed the negatives, and the building was soon allowed to proceed. There were many times during this stage that I felt it was not going to happen, causing a few uncertainties! However as I look back on the last three years I can say now that it has been most definitely worth it, especially when you see the children engaging in their wonderful adventures every day. One of the best pieces of advice I have been given recently is, that sometimes you need to stand up and speak, and also have the grace to know when you need to sit down and listen (Christie, 2016). To me leadership belongs in our life-long learning kete, and it strengthens as you gather in these life experiences. There remain many challenges as we regularly re-visit our original goals and values, and time is needed to allow all teachers and support staff to settle into this way of thinking. Keep hold of your imagination, as it will still be needed to continue on with the design. As a result, we now have some inspirational findings that provide us with inclusive documentation that illuminate many improved outcomes for our children’s holistic health and well-being, further strengthened by the support we have from our whānau and wider community. It has taken us all of these three years as a teaching team to evolve the right blend of abilities and talents to be able to enjoy this model of leadership. We have noticed that through shared leadership we have all gained more confidence and engage in effective communication, which has allowed us to participate with honesty alongside each other. At times the best pathways seem unclear, but as time unfolds it guides you in a natural
June 2016