Interpersonal Distributed Leadership Behaviors: A Mexican Perspective

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Abstract This essay presents distributed leadership within the context of supervisory practice. Leadership as an entitlement attempts to close the ability-authority gap by providing teachers the support and giving them the responsibility to effectively carry out leadership roles of their choice. Based on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the teacher, different approaches to supervisory practice range from directive to non-directive. Specifically considering Mexican teachers, the Downey walk-through (2004) holds the most promise due to its non-directive approach based on frequent supervisor-teacher reflective dialogs.

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Interpersonal distributed leadership behaviors: A Mexican perspective As an American teaching in Mexico, evaluating how to put different leadership styles and supervision approaches into practice has proven to be an interesting and worthwhile endeavor. Although current literature covers a variety of concepts related to supervision and leadership within the context of an American school system, the purpose here is to provide a perhaps varied perspective on how teaching and learning are currently being addressed in Mexico. Because this is a Mexican perspective and not the Mexican perspective, no presumption is made that the facts presented are to be generalized across all teaching contexts throughout the country. Thus, the purpose is to provide insight on current literature given a teaching and learning context as a means for reflecting on past practices and acting on future practice in an effort to improve student achievement. The title of this essay, Interpersonal distributed leadership behaviors: A Mexican perspective, addresses how the interaction between administrators, teachers, and students influence the distributed leadership process. Leadership that is distributed provides opportunities for all administrators, teachers, and students to take on leadership roles based on their ability and will. Sergiovanni (2005) uses the term “leadership as entitlement” when discussing leadership in terms of authority and ability: “[Leadership as] entitlement seeks to place those who have the ability to act in the forefront of decision making” (p. 43). Giving teachers, for example, the authority and ability means that tenured and non-tenured teachers have the same opportunity to lead if they choose to. Similarly, seniority has little influence on whether teachers are given the support and encouragement they need to lead others. In Mexico, teacher leaders are not given the “social capital” (Sergiovanni, 2005) needed to assume leadership responsibilities. The notion

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of leadership is still primarily seen as based on position, which is usually driven by prescribed “profiles” that specify certain educational and professional requirements. As a result, many teachers have the ability to lead but lack the authority. .

But what is leadership and how does it relate to supervision? Many terms are used to

describe leadership in education such as instructional leadership (Gupton 2003; McEwan, 2003; Blase and Blase, 2004), dispersed leadership (DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker, 2008), and distributed leadership (Sergiovanni, 2005) to name a few. A definition to begin with comes from Acheson and Smith (1986) with one slight addition: “Instructional leadership is leadership that is directly [and indirectly] related to the processes of instruction where teachers, learners, and the curriculum interact” (as cited in McEwan, 2003, p. 6). Because leadership can also be indirectly related to instruction, the term distributed leadership takes this definition one step further. Instead of leadership coming strictly from the top down, distributed leadership adds a bottom-up approach to leadership. As discussed earlier, teacher leaders are given the support, authority, and responsibility to assume leadership roles at their discretion. This process is backed by what Elmore (2006) refers to as “reciprocal accountability – for every increment of performance I demand of you, I have an equal responsibility to provide you with the capacity to meet that expectation” (as cited in DeFour, DeFour, and Eaker, 2008, p. 312). This dual responsibility between relationships provides the basis of what productive supervision is all about. Borrowed from the business field, the term supervision frequently conjures up feelings of pressure and anxiety driven from rank-and-file directives that are implemented in a top-down fashion. In fact, it is bestal to completely avoid the word when working in Mexico due to the negative connotation. Regardless, Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2007) define

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supervisory behavior in terms of interpersonal skills using a continuum that begins with maximum teacher responsibility and minimum supervisor responsibility on the left to minimum teacher responsibility and maximum supervisor responsibility on the right. Moving from left to right, they categorize these behaviors as non-directive, collaborative, directive informational, and directive control (pp. 118-119) (see Appendix). In Mexico, a directive approach to supervision tends to be more common than a collaborative and non-directive approach. A non-directive approach in particular is sometimes seen as a supervisor not fulfilling proper job responsibilities. At times, the expectation is that the supervisor should always provide the correct answer or the most pertinent advice in all teaching circumstances. Additionally, supervisors may tend to overuse a directive position with teachers who really need collaborative or non-directive supervision due to power struggle issues, ulterior motives, and the like. To put these different types of supervisor-teacher relationships in a more applicable context, Downey, Steffy, English, Frase, and Poston (2004) provide an alternative that will serve well teaching and learning in Mexico. Downey et al. focus on the types of supervisor-teacher relationship first in determining what type of dialog is best suitable for each teacher. They link Covey's stages of dependency (i.e., interdependent, independent, and dependent) with Berne's transactional analysis (i.e., adultadult, adult-adolescent, and adult-child) in establishing the type of dialog or interaction (i.e., collaborative, indirect, and direct) ( Downey, Steffy, English, Frase, and Poston, 2004, p. 11). This approach to supervisory practice directs teachers from dependent to interdependent status by conducting frequent and brief observations that lead to a series of reflective questions that foster reflection on current teaching practices. Supervisors are seen as collegial counterparts and

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not as a boss-subordinate relationship, and observations are not part of the evaluation process; that is, they are strictly formative in nature. The Downey walk-through assumes that changed behavior can only come from individual awareness on the part of each teacher. Individual awareness of the need to change can be facilitated through proper reflective questioning in a trusting and non-threatening dialog with supervisors and other teachers. The Downey walk-through has some advantages over Glickman, Gordon, and RossGordon's approach to supervisory practice in that the former stresses a more indirect, collaborative approach that stems directly from the practice of teaching itself. In Mexico, an indirect approach to feedback is more productive due to the concentration on trust building and collegiality that are seen as a building block to the reflection and sharing process. Unless a marginal teacher, a directive approach will unlikely produce the desired results. In summary, teachers who are given the support and authority to lead should be encouraged to take on leadership roles at their discretion. Leadership as entitlement and distributed leadership are two aspects of supervision that encourage both a top-down and bottomup approach to the collaborative teaching practice. Supervisory practice that is more formative and less summative creates a more trusting environment for trying new things in the classroom. Supervisors, as instructional leaders, should provide the avenues for teachers to experiment, reflect on their past practices, and then given the opportunity to modify future practices all in an effort to improve academic achievement. Although teachers in Mexico may not be used to a non-directive approach, the Downey approach to supervisory practice provides a more effective way to address the supervisory-teacher relationship. The frequent contact between the supervisor and teacher along with the ongoing opportunities to reflect on the teaching practice

StewartbED5016_4 align instruction, assessment, and the curriculum to a shared vision.

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StewartbED5016_4 References Blase, J. and Blase, J. (2004). Handbook of instructional leadership: How successful principals promote teaching and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Downey, C., Steffy, B., English, F., Frase, L., and Poston, W. (2004). The three-minute classroom walk-through: Changing school supervisory practice one teacher at a time. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Glickman, C., Gordon, S., and Ross-Gordon, J. (2007). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach. Boston, MA: Pearson. Gupton, S. (2003). The instructional leadership toolbox: A handbook for improving practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. McEwan, E. (2003). 7 Steps to effective instructional leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Sergiovanni, T. (2005). Strengthening the heartbeat: Leading and learning together in schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Appendix Steps Non-directive

Collaborative

Directive Informational

Directive Control

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Wait until the teacher's initial Identifying the statement is made problem as seen by the teacher

Identifying the goal

Identifying the problem

2

Verbalize your understanding Understanding of the initial problem the teacher's perception

Asking the teacher for input into the goal

Asking teacher for input into the problem

3

Probe for the underlying problem and/or additional information

Verifying the teacher's perception

Understanding Understanding the teacher's point the teacher's point of view of view

4

Show willingness to listen further as the teacher begins to identify the real problems

Providing the Mentally supervisor's point determining of view possible actions

5

Constantly paraphrase Seeking the understanding of the teacher's teacher's message understanding of the supervisor's perception of the problem

Telling alternatives for teachers to consider

Telling expectations to the teacher

6

Ask the teacher to think of possible actions

Exchanging suggestions of options

Asking the teacher for input into alternatives

Asking the teacher for input into the expectations

7

Ask the teacher to consider consequences of various actions

Accepting conflict

Framing the final Detailing and choices modifying expectations

8

Ask the teacher for a commitment to a decision

Finding an acceptable solution

Asking the Repeating and teacher to choose following up on expectations

9

Ask the teacher to set time and criteria for action

Agreeing on details of plan

Detailing the actions to be taken

10

Restate the teacher's plan

Summarizing the Repeating and final plan following up on the plan

Mentally determining the best solution