New Primary Leaders: International Perspectives

by Michael Cowie (Editor)

Overview

New primary leaders face significant challenges worldwide and this book brings together the range of those experiences and challenges for the first time. It includes interviews with primary school leaders in the early years of leadership in 12 different countries. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the principal and the local context before the principal's own description of her or his experience as a new leader. The leaders discuss how they prepared for principalship, their experiences after taking up the post, the extent to which the job meets with their expectations and their hopes and fears for the future. The final chapter provides a comparative overview, exploring new principals' perceptions of key influences on schools and their communities, their reactions to the multiple, heightened and often-conflicting expectations, pressures and challenges they encounter and the implications for principal preparation internationally. The voices of principals from around the world provide a vivid and authentic picture of new school leaders in different contexts at the beginning of the 21st century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441170651
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/11/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	284 KB

About the Author

Michael Cowie is an Honorary Fellow of the College of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh. A former headteacher, Michael was previously Co-Director of the Masters Programme in Educational Leadership and Management at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the North of Scotland Headteacher Preparation Consortium, a partnership involving the universities of Aberdeen and Dundee and nine education authorities.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements\Editor's Note\Contributors\1. New Principals:
Context, Culture, Preparation, Induction and Practice Michael Cowie\Part 1:
Australasia \ 2. At the Edge of the Silent Centre: An Australian Principal's Reflections
on Leading an Isolated School Helen Wildy and Simon Clarke\3. Tihei Mauri Ora:
Becoming a Primary School Principal in New Zealand Reynold Macpherson\Part 2:
Americas\4. Leadership Based in Love of People and Place: A Novice Principal
in an Economically Poor Community in Texas, United States Sarah W. Nelson and
Israel Aguilar \ 5. Changing School Perspective: A Challenge for an Elementary
School Director in Mexico in Her First Years Gema López-Gorosave, Charles L.
Slater, Susana Martínez Martínez and José María García Garduño\6. 'Something Greater
Was Happening': A Novice Principal Reflects on Creating Change through Building
Community Relationships Diane Purvey and Charles Webber\Part 3: Asia \ 7. 'Our
School is Our Independence': A Novice School Director's Perspective on School Leadership
and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in East Timor Reynold Macpherson\8. 'I Want
to Do the Best Job That I Can, So I Worry': A Novice Principal in China Reflects
on the Complexity of Leading an Urbanizing Rural School Xiao Liang\Part 4:
Africa \ 9. Life in the Principalship during Challenging Times: A New South
African Principal's Perspective Kobus Mentz\10. One Classroom, Seven Grades
and Three Teachers: Challenges Faced by a Novice Headteacher in Tanzania Brown
Onguko\Part 5: Europe\11. 'I Think I do a Good Job but I Could Do a Better Job':
Becoming and Being a School Principal in Scotland Michael Cowie \ 12. 'Probably
More Than I Bargained For': A Head Teacher in England Reflects on Her First Headship
Megan Crawford\13. When You Enter on the Dance Floor, You Have to Dance: A New
School Director in Romania Reflects on Leading an Inclusive Community School Ovidiu
Gavrilovici and Carmen Cretu \ 14. Comparing the Experience of Principals in
Different Contexts Michael Cowie and Megan Crawford\Index