Leadership Praxis

Through my experiences, I've learned that I most embody the skills associated with an authentic leader. Authentic leadership approaches are described as, "genuine and transparent; authenticity emerges among leaders' and participants' interactions and develops over time; leadership is grounded in positive psychological behaviors and traits; leadership is values and purpose-driven, with an explicit moral dimension." (Dugan, 2017) I strive to lead my students with transparency, and to support them and be an example in embracing all of their emotions and feelings. While I also embrace the role of being a leader and utilizing controller leader discourse in times of necessity, I always try to be their friend first and to be authentic.

During my first year of teaching at the preschool, I experienced a huge breakthrough when I spent months speaking to a child that had behavioral issues with controller leader discourse. At the time, I was under the impression that was the only way to earn his respect and convince him to follow my guidance. Through the help of mentors and self-reflection, I learned to utilize the therapist leader discourse and be truly authentic if I want to connect with a student and make them trust me.